A rap on the run

Interviewing Run DMC is the most bizarre fun a journalist can have without breaking the law. The first half of the interview takes place before the group goes on stage at Dublin’s Red Box venue. I had hoped to have some control over our chat but life’s not like that with Run DMC. The term “buzzing” is the only word to describe their mood. I am joined by “DJ Run” (Joseph Simmons), “DMC” (Darryl McDaniels) and “Jam Master Jay” (Jason Mizell). As it happens, I have been a fan of Run DMC and B movies for a long time. These two interests led to me owning a rare video copy of Tougher Than Leather, the 1980s movie that the group made with Rick Ruben, The Beastie Boys and Slayer. I thought to myself what a great opportunity to get this tape autographed. This is where things start to go wrong.

Little was I to know that earlier that day had been the first time in 10 years that they had spoken about it. “We’ve never spoken about it, this is a bad subject,” says Jay. “Today was the first day we talked about it and then you arrive with this for us to sign, that’s fate.” I apologise. “No, no you have done us a favour.” What follows is a forensic search through the credits on the back of the video. Who’s got the money. Rick? Well who owns Def American Pictures? Rick, Rick got the money? No Rick didn’t get the money. Did Menello got the money? This continues for a time in language unrepeatable here.

The film incident seems to have made them forget my purpose in their dressing room. Darryl returning from the toilet announces: “What about this.” What unfolds then is a fly on the wall view of how Run DMC write a track. Darryl begins to rap. “It was 20 years ago, today… Run DMC are the world’s greatest rock and roll band.” He starts again the others join in. Then Run asks “Where do you go from there.” Jay asks “What’s the hook.” “I thought that was the hook,” replies Darryl. “No Nigger that’s the bridge,” suggests Jay. “Wait I’ve lost my rhyme.” “Go back to the toilet Darryl and think about it.”

Attempting to regain interview control, I ask about the guests on the current album Crown Royal, on which Everlast, Fred Durst, DJ Lethal, Method Man, Jagged Edge, Nas and Prodigy from Mo Deep, all appear.

“We have toured a lot and we made a lot of friends,” says Jay. “When we asked for help people came running. Everlast, he’s a friend, we have a spiritual bond with him. If there was another single to be taken from the album it would be the Everlast track.”

The Everlast track is ‘Take The Money And Run’ which featured the famous Steve Millar sample. Samples, like Run DMC were born out of the New York block parties.

“Kids couldn’t get into discos or clubs so the community organised these block parties,” Jay explains. “They’d close down the street then hip hop acts, DJs and MCs would play, break dancers would dance and kids, families, the whole community would party.”

Jay is passionate about his community; indeed the group celebrate this on the new album.

“Yeah, on ‘Queen’s Day’ we pay respect to Queens and all the MCs that came out of there.”

Darryl is back. He begins singing the opening bars of Yellow Submarine. “Who’s George Martin?” “The Beatle’s producer?” I reply. “Yes, see everybody knows George Martin.” “What age is he?” “Is he 67?” “Maybe.” “60 muthafucking 7. Fuck getting someone else to produce, let’s get George Martin. This is going to sell millions.”

The group are due on stage. “We’ll talk when we come off stage,” says Run. Going on stage, Jay holds my arm and whispers “I must warn you now, Run and Darryl aren’t as focused when they come off stage.”

The show sees Run DMC doing what they do best. By the end of the night the packed house is eating out of their hand.

After the show I return to the dressing room. “What did you think of the show?”’ asks Run. “I loved it, it was like a cross between the WWF and Elvis.” This was a good thing to say. Run calls for silence in the dressing room and asks me to repeat what I had said. I do and then Run calls in more people and again I repeat what I have said. I am Run’s best buddy at this stage. Darryl meanwhile announces that all that day his pal told him that he looked like the Rock. Here I am saying the WWF and he is writing a rhyme about Run DMC being the best Rock, Rock and Roll band. A moment of synchronicity.

Oh Oh.

Down the opposite side of the dressing room someone has spilt water on the ‘hats’. This is the second incident tonight with the ‘hats’. The famous Run DMC hats., Darryl loses it, Run is screaming blue murder and Jay is busy rubbing the hats. Disaster adverted, we return to talking about music. Jay says “Farakhan said that hip-hop is bigger than Farakhan.” I ask is that like John Lennon saying the Beatles were bigger than God? Darryl, still emotional about his hat, begins to get upset.

“I have read every word, every biography ever written about John Lennon. He didn’t say he was bigger than God. He said he was bigger than Jesus.” “That’s worse,” says Run. “No he meant that he felt as good as Jesus felt.” “I think he was joking,” says Jay. I’m not sure how but we are suddenly talking about Billie Holiday.

“That’s real blues, that is deep shit. She sang about niggers getting fucked over when no one else would,” Jay says admiringly. “My Mama and her generation would never say the word nigger, for them it’s a word from the bad old days. Run, you’ve been in my house and if my Mama heard me on the phone saying ‘Yo nigger, what you at?’, she would say, ‘Why do you talk like that?’ We use it to mean bro. However if you called us it we’d kill you.”

“I got one for you, off the top of the head, check it out,” says Darryl taking the microphone in his hand.

“6am another day

Another cool check in at JFK

First Class session if it goes my way

It’s not my bed but here I lay

Five hour flight and I’m heading out west

I still rank cos I never get rest

When I land it’s rush, rush rush

Another five hours on the tour bus

Laying in my bunk I still can’t sleep

Life on the road and shit is deep

I miss my son, I miss my wife

But this is fun and this is my life.”

That’s it with Run DMC; they

just love playing music. Jay says

“Was there something you wanted to ask us,” I say: “Maybe some other time.”