Music
27 Mar 24

On this day 40 years ago: Run-DMC released their debut album

On March 27, 1984, Run-DMC released their groundbreaking debut album. The self-titled project was the first rap album to be certified Gold – and has since been listed among the most influential albums of all time. To mark the 40th anniversary of Run-DMC, we're revisiting a classic, though somewhat chaotic, interview with the group...

Originally published in Hot Press in 2001:

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 1988 movie that the group made with Rick Rubin, 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, and the others join in. Run asks: “Where do you go from there?"

Jay asks: “What’s the hook?”

“I thought that was the hook,” replies Darryl.

“No, 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 Mobb 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 Beatles' 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. Darryl, meanwhile, announces that all that day his pal told him that he looked like The Rock. Here I am talking about the WWF and he is writing a rhyme about Run-DMC being the best Rock, Rock and Roll band. A moment of synchronicity.

Down the opposite side of the dressing room someone has spilt water on the famous Run-DMC hats. This is the second incident tonight with the 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: “Farrakhan said that hip-hop is bigger than Farrakhan.”

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 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.”