In honor of Rev. Run’s 49th birthday today, here are five songs absolutely essential to not only Run-D.M.C.’s catalog, but to hip-hop.
“It’s Like That”
Not long after Flash and the Furious Five dropped “The Message,” Run-D.M.C. dropped their own Message-esque record…..as their debut single. Climbing up to No. 15 on the R&B charts, this wasn’t a bad start at all. Who knew what would follow.
“Rock Box”
As they would go on and continue to prove with songs like “King of Rock” and the wildly popular “Walk This Way,” Run-D.M.C. loved blurring the lines between rap and rock. This particular offering is especially essential because it was the very first rap video to get airplay on MTV.
“My Adidas”
This song proved hip-hop’s commercial viability to corporate America. They made the song, then tried to get a endorsement deal with adidas. They were unsuccessful until they finally convinced an adidas exec to attend one of their concerts. They performed this song and instructed the crowd to take off one shoe and hold it in the air. The exec was stunned when 10,000 adidas sneakers went in the air. They got their endorsement deal shortly thereafter.
“Walk This Way” Feat, Aerosmith
Rap and rock were not quite rivals in 1986. Rock still viewed rap as the new kid on the block that might not be there for long. This song proved that they had a lot in common and could indeed co-exist. Shooting up to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, this would be the group’s biggest hit of their career.
“Down With The King” feat. Pete Rock and CL Smooth
With new stars in the making such as (the then) Snoop Doggy Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan to name a few, 1993 would prove to be a tough year for a veteran (and among many, considered to be old school) group to make a splash. But leave it to the Hollis Heroes to prove them wrong. Although this would be their last hit, it’ll still move any true hip-hop head and is essential to the legacy of Run, D, and Jay.
