For the first few years of the 80s, hip-hop music was seen as a passing fad by many in the popular music establishment as well as the mainstream culture at large. But then a trio from Queens, NY, came along and put that idea to bed for good.
Their big breakthrough was still a couple of years away, but in 1984, Run-D.M.C. were already laying the groundwork for the takeover when they became the first rap act to get a video into regular rotation on MTV.
The song, from their self-titled debut, featured a catchy, repeating hard-rock guitar line running throughout (courtesy of session musician supreme Eddie Martinez) along with the booming breakbeat they became famous for. And on that stellar musical bed crafted by Jam Master Jay, the group’s two M.C.’s – Run and D.M.C. – proceeded to set the tone for the boastful braggadocio that became practically synonymous with the artform.
“You’re the kind of guy that girls ignored. I’m driving a Caddy. You’re fixing a Ford. My name is Joseph Simmons but my middle name is Ward. And when I’m rocking on the mic, you should all applaud” – that’s just a taste of the heat the duo brought in the verses on this record, and the video’s exposure cemented the group’s image: leather pants and blazers, white Adidas sneakers with no laces, and those iconic hats.
They had the look. They had the stage presence. They had the rhymes, and they had the beats. There was no doubt more was on the horizon, but that’s for a future countdown. For now, Run-D.M.C. lay it down on the “Rock Box” at #15.