Who's House? Remembering RUN DMCs 'Tougher Than Leather' 1988 .

I wrote this piece way before they were inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME earlier this year. In fact I wrote this for the great HIP HOP Magazine ELEMENTAL .....Check it out
   

The best part of being considered a wise ol sage of rap, is being picked to write liner notes for many re-issues upcoming to the marketplace. SONY-BMG has repackaged the whole RUN-DMC catalog for release since the summer of 2002.  complete with new pics and words. Good thing I have is a sharp memory, so enjoy this trip down hip hops lane, RUN DMCs underrated Tougher Than Leather album......

      On the intro to Run’s House, DJ Run’s fresh, fly, wild and bold proclamation  'We had… a whole lot of superstars on this stage tonight…' was the b-boy sound to be heard.


By the summer of 1988, I'd been an annual visitor to every New York-area arena that would host a Rush Production/Def Jam show, but this year, I was on the same stage and on the same bill with my idols, the legendary RUN DMC.


Back in 1984, Jam Master Jay followed through on a promise he’d made a month earlier, at the now legendary, college radio depot for hip-hop, WBAU/Long Island, and practically walked 3 tickets from backstage at the Philadelphia Spectrum—in the middle of a show. For that cat to do that opened me up further to everything RUN DMC was doing and was about to do. They earned respect. I'm not ashamed to say I became a male groupie that night --musically committed to RUN DMC (and I must mention Whodini, because their performance that night, really blew my cap back). 


But back to the story. On that night in ‘88 I recall Run, the obvious headliner of the evening, proclaiming that there were “a lotta superstars” on stage before them that night.  But truly, without any doubt, it was Run’s House, indeed.


Rewind to 1986:  I had --by way of endlessly promoting the greatest rap squad of all time,--gotten certain invitations and such, to the Raising Hell Tour that year. The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Whodini and RUN DMC were making their third trek through 60 cities, across the United States—hip-hop: Lewis and Clark style. I happened to be invited the final show of the tour… at Madison Square Garden, no less. Watching 20,000 screaming fans putting their Adidas in the air was a testament to the power of this group and Hip-hop at large, for that matter. For the third straight year, RUN DMC ruled hip hop, with sound, fury, and a total dominance reminiscent of the LA Lakers at the time.  This was pure hip-hop. This was the house that RUN built.


Occasionally, as I was planning my dibs with Public Enemy, I would catch Run, D, and Jay, --fresh off some tour-- prowling the offices of Rush Productions. They were tight because the timing of their next album (which we now know as Tougher Than Leather) was being thrown off by cat-and-mouse games between Profile (their label at the time) and RUN DMC’s management. RUN DMC was demanding a better deal after the success of Raising Hell. And why the hell not? Not only did they create a super-group, and make a label, but they damn near rebuilt and upgraded the whole genre of music.


You could tell that all this drama was having a twisted effect on the group. In the raging wake of Raising Hell, how could they not feel the pressure?  Two years between hits is an eternity for the very radio-conscious rap market. They'd toured that record to the def. Anticipation was high all over. RUN DMC needed to make some noise.


I still consider Raising Hell, to be, simply, the greatest rap album ever recorded--because it raised the bar for all of Hip-hop. To me, that album was like Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. What next? How do you top that? You don't.  Instead, you go another direction.


Tougher Than Leather was like coming back to score 97 points in a losing playoff game--a spectacular performance against all odds and expectations.


By the time Tougher Than Leather’s first single,  Run’s House hit radio, me and my guys had just wrapped up our second album, It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back. Our first album had been modeled after Raising Hell, but by the time we did this one, we’d had a full year to really find ourselves after bouncing off the influence of Eric B & Rakim, KRS ONE, BDP, and producer Marley Marl. It seemed that RUN DMC had also compiled all these influences. No matter how off-timed the release, the proficiency of Tougher Than Leather was amazing. When Run’s House and Beats To The Rhyme hit—they signified two things:


1.RUN DMC were back
2. They were ready to headline their 4th national tour.
By the summer of 1988, Run’s House was not only a song-- but the written theme for all of Hip-Hop, and now, the name of the national tour. Yours truly, and my crew, Public Enemy were chosen to perform on the Run’s House Tour, along with; DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, fellow Long Islanders EPMD, and the all-female West Coast crew, JJ FAD—produced by Easy E & Dr. Dre.  I can’t leave out the infamous Hollis Crew:  DJ Hurricane , Kool E, Runny Ray, and Davey DMX (who in terms of production skills, instrumentation, and bass playing remain another of hip-hop’s underrated performers). All in all, this was a powerful package. Run’s House was one of two tours put out by the RUSH Productions rap empire that summer. The other tour, (called the DOPE JAM TOUR) carried what seemed to be every other hot name at the time. To see it on paper, haters and speculators felt that the artists and albums weren’t strong enough to ride through the summer. How wrong they were.


First of all, RUN DMC had the unprecedented audacity to open their set with Run’s House. Oh, My God. The nerve--and the catalog of hits you had to have-- to take the luxury of blasting off with your hottest record 'first'! Traditionally, acts saved their hot songs for the end of the set, never the beginning. If that right there didn’t set the tone, what else could? The whole set was packet with beats, bass,--the “funky drummer” thing that was happening at the moment, and JMJ on some wicked, slashing cuts.  Whose house? No Question.


Still, with all this acclaim, the pressure had really gotten to Run. Like I said it’s hard to notice 97 points when you crushed the world at 100. And him being still a young cat, he was affected by the perceptions of some unmet expectations. I felt it was my place to give them the reality of the greatness they achieved with this record. Spittin’, cuttin’, and high-octane, funk-rock beats were born on that disc. RUN DMC commanded stages and cassette decks in ‘88. I personally went through three cassette tapes of Tougher Than Leather myself that summer alone—bought at record shops, during stops on that unforgettable tour.


Beats to the Rhyme — unbelievable classic—‘nuff said. One listen, and you get the sense that this record was chopped and assaulted with DJ’s sensibility and a surgeon’s precision. The rumor of a scratched-in a cappella verse by DMC on this cut remains one of greatest untold production mysteries in Hip-hop. Then you have, Radio Station. So underrated. Can you imagine the honor I felt when I heard my voice cut into the hook? This song had great stage playoff, and sported classic lyrics like: 'Run-DMC, goin’ down like a Bufferin/reliving all pain…’.


One night, somewhere on tour, RUN, D, and Jay answered a personal request of mine to put Ms. Elaine in the set---and J’s cousin Bobby Walker played the drums on the song. As I recall they kept the song in their set for a week or two. Then there was I’m Not Going Out Like That another, hot, up-tempo joint; a great song that jumps off from the start and doesn't let up till the end.


During a show in Albany, Georgia, RUN DMC shot a video for another of my favorites, Mary, Mary. On that song, JMJ and Run flipped that old Monkees cut “Mary, Mary” that was on all those jam-packed, breakbeat records that every DJ was using, and executed it with mastery.  I loved all of RUN DMCs rock-ish combinations (that they never receive proper credit for).  The album’s title track, Tougher Than Leather was itself, equal parts wah-wah funk and rock-guitar.


Before Tougher than Leather came out, DMC told me that I had inspired him to make How’d You Do It Dee ;  a serious, funk/breakbeat, get down, that is unparalled to this day. On this song, DMC works wordplays like a game of lyrical 3-card Monte. It’s funny, D has always said that I was his favorite rapper, while he, the “King of Rock” is part of my favorite group of all time.


RUN DMC is so thorough that they even showed mastery in the endings of their songs. Soul To Rock and Roll is a perfect example—the beat gives space for rhyme and DJ play, and then ends with the chopped-up vocal 'I’m the King Of Rock'.  Masterful. This was a lost art, swamped at the time by the laziness of a fade. Nobody, except Grandmaster Flash, five years prior, had enjoyed cutting up their own catalog and making new twists on it like RUN DMC did.


By the time August of ’88 rolled around, the Run’s House Tour had picked up much steam,
Everybody who saw the show went crazy. RUN DMC kept the party live and The Hollis Crew even furthered the fun by reflecting the Papa Crazy track, and another clever JMJ cutup, They Call Us RUN DMC. The few times these two songs played on stage, The Hollis Crew made sure there was a party brought to the hardcore “hat and black” look. Everything about the vibe of that tour was just fun, and party, and pure Hip-hop--from The Glen E. Friedman design and photography, to the blue background, the Adidas, the gold ropes, and the red and black, Adidas tour jackets we wore (those are keepsakes for life).


The tour ended in the middle of August in the summer of 1988.  The sense of unity the groups had on that tour was groundbreaking as far as rap shows went; and there hasn’t been a collective as tight as that one since. Many of the promoters who saw the tour in cities where we had stopped earlier, wanted to see it and promote it again. We had a whole lotta superstars on that stage every night.  But, that tour taught us that the only place for egos--was onstage, and out of all those superstars we all knew whose house it was.


Later, in the fall of ’88, Public Enemy and RUN DMC played side by side, this time
rolling through Europe and wrecking shows. There’s a picture from that tour that I will always cherish, of our two crews, chillin’ in a hotel lobby in Montreux, Switzerland.  The photo is a reminder of the power of the group at that time. RUN DMC is indeed “tougher than leather”, and they hammered the point home by creating one of the standout rap albums of all-time.


I’ve always said that “Run is the Mind, Jay is the SOUL and DMC is the HEART; of RUN DMC.” No past tense. There’s no 'was' when talking about Elvis or the Beatles, so I aint using it here. RUN DMC is the chief architect of Hip-hop. So when I say “Whose house?”—Y’all know what time it is.

chuckd@hiphopgods.com

McDaniels grew up in Hollis, Queens, New York.[1] He attended Catholic schools including St. John's University in New York City.

McDaniels first became interested in hip hop music after listening to recordings of Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. In 1978, McDaniels taught himself to DJ in the basement of his parents' home, using turntables and a mixer given to him by his older brother, Alford. During this period he adopted the stage name "Grandmaster Get High".

Later that year, McDaniels sold his DJ equipment, after his friend Joseph "Run" Simmons acquired his own turntables and mixer.[citation needed] After Jam-Master Jay, who was the best DJ in their hometown of Hollis joined the group, Run encouraged McDaniels to rap rather than DJ. Gradually, McDaniels came to prefer rapping to mixing records, and adopted the nickname of "Easy D". In 1981, he dropped the "Easy D" moniker in favor of "DMcD", the way he signed his work in school, and then to the shorter "D.M.C.". D.M.C. alternately stood for "Devastating Mic Controller" or his nickname since childhood, "Darryl Mac".

On the crest of October 2009 is the 30th anniversary of arguably the first complete rap record. I say arguably because King Tim III dropped that July  of 1979. Thus it is time for a new Renaissance again. I have no ulterior motive for launching HipHopGods.com other than the fact that I want to see some infrastructure to the form. Hell with the credit , it needed to be done.

  My 18th year of doing college lectures and starting the fall semester at Murray State far to the west near Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois,Indiana and Tennessee, a mostly young audience of collegians of mixed background equally aired their displeasure of raps latest direction. They wanted to know and learn more. There wasn't a place really to get it.

  Upon meeting some of the students a couple passed me their cellphones to talk to their parents. One father asked the typical ' why did you stop? As with a black woman police officer the next morning flying out of Nashville, saying that she was old school rap and that she wanted to support but really couldn't find a place. Not that I am ever bothered personally about the comment but I feel for my peers who may not have had the answers for such questions. These artists are still recording and getting down. Just like the forefathers of rock and roll Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis still are today, one would be Ill informed, shortsighted and naive to think Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five , MC Lyte,  Whodini , Dana Dane and Hammer are not. Not only that but they're still recording and are in diversified areas of the entertainment business.

 Most Americans are lacking proper attention of history and geography. Unfortunately many Americans don't even travel or comprehend the beauty of the states within. It's a big world, period. Hip hop wise it's already been all over the planet intact and strong on the fundamentals and elements. But somebody sitting at the television and radio would never know , waiting for segregated limited programming to inform them. HipHopgods and later HipHopsisters is built to let none of this be in vain.


      As for Public Enemy and myself we have prospered in our own way on the web. 66 tours 65 countries in 22 years. Yes we are still performing and still together. Terminator X and S1Ws James and Roger retired from the group 10 years ago but Brother James is still active behind the scenes. Publicenemy.com was formed in 1998 connecting us to the planet better than any major record label could do . We have released about 7-8 albums since 1999 and will release a TINBOX set come March 2010.

    And a new album through SELLABAND North America is coming. It's a new revenue model to finance recordings. I write as much as I can releasing 2 books over the past 10 years and working on 3 others. My label SLAMjamz has tinkered at the forefront of digital distribution. I have headed up my radio show On The Real on Air America the past 5 years as well as ....Andyoudontstop which will be like the NPR-60minutes' of hip hop and rap culture and music.

    Upon writing this blog there are some ironic tragedies that have taken place almost simultaneously alongside such rap events that have been benchmarks.
R.I. P to the godfather of rap radio Mr Magic who passed away first week of October 09. Just 10 days before founding father of the DJ crew the Xecutioners,  DJ.Roc Raida had passed. It's the more important reason for Hiphopgods to exist. So these artists and contributors won't pass away in vain and into black music obscurity.

    Immediately my closest peers who reside in my iphone like MC Lyte , DMC, Kool Mo Dee, and Kurtis Blow said they were down. From there Krs One, Big Daddy Kane,  and Whodini nodded in approval. The launch is Nov 1, but the plan is to encompass and empower the classic hip hop nation by March 2010. Out of this union challenges on collective health aggrements, royalty and publishing issues ,  name and copyright retrival ,etc will take place. This Supersite Internetwork will boast of the ability to access Twitter and Facebook from the artist home page account. Music and video uploads will be indeed a part of the artists individual programming but also automatically loaded into HHGS radio and Tv for internetwork webplay.


While it may seem cumbersome at first the general simple  fuctionality of it all makes myspace only seem like good for getting the word out about HIPHOPGODs .
Glad that we can get together in this manner. My job and intention here is to put my foot forward in this technology to have the hip hop community get and keep a hold on itself and connect the legacy.

Chuck D

Public Enemy

IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT THE MOON WAS BRIGHT IN NEW YORK NEW YORK. I WAS REPPIN HARD @ THE 36th UNIVERSAL ZULU NATION ANNIVERSARY 2009. AS SOON AS I WALKED THRU THE DOOR I SAW AFRIKA BAMBAATAA & I GREETED HIM WITH A PEACE AHKI & WE TOOK A FEW PICS. THAT NIGHT I RIPPED IT UP...THE CROWD WAS LOVIN MY NEW MUSIC I DROPPED ON THEM 'WE R KNOWN AS THE PIONEERS' & LIVE SHOW PARTY YO!..I BROUGHT MY RAP PARTNER FROM THE B BOYS UP & WE BLAZED THEM WITH OUR CLASSIC 'GIRLS'. B4 WE GOT INTO THE SONG DJ CHUCK CHILLOUT CAME UP & SAID WHAT UP 2 US. THEN I HAD MY RHYME SYNDICATE FAM KID JAZZ COME UP & FLIP SOME FREESTYLES. SCRATCH MASTA JAZZY G HELD IT DOWN 4 US ON THE TURNTABLES. LAKIM SHABAZZ SET OFF THE NIGHT...THEN THE FANTASTIC 5 DID THEIR THANG...IT WAS GOOD 2 C THEM & HEAR SOME OF THEIR CLASSIC ROUTINES. AFTER THEM IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE CAME THRU & BLESSED US WITH HIS MESSAGE IN HIS MUSIC.THEN BLAST MASTER KRS1 HIT US WITH THAT BOOM BAP RAP & TOOK US WAY BACK....SPEAKIN OF GOIN WAY BACK KRS1 BROUGHT JUST ICE ON & HE TOOK US DOWN MEMORY LANE....THEN KEITH MURRAY ROCKED THE MIC. YO A BIG UP 2 KRS1 FOR SHOWIN THAT HIP HOP LOVE & GIVIN THE ZULU NATION & FANS FREE COPIES OF HIS NEW BOOK 'THE GOSPEL OF HIP HOP'....YO KRIS THANKS 4 SIGNIN MY BOOK. THE NIGHT COULD HAVE ENDED THERE, BUT IT DIDN'T, BECAUSE THE DC LEGENDS TROUBLE FUNK HAD THE PARTY SWINGIN WITH THAT GO GO MUSIC. THEY DID ALL THE CLASSIC I GREW UP ON, AND 2 ADD MORE FLAVOR IN THE MIX MELE MEL & GRAND MASTER CAZ GOT ON WITH THEM & DID THE MESSAGE. MAN I WAS HAPPY 2 C ALOT OF PEEPS THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN IN YEARS. YO I'M SENDIN A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ZULU KING EXCELL & FAM (AUSTRALIA ZULU CHAPTER) & TO THE ZULU CHAPTER IN SEATTLE. I WILL BE BACK 2 LET YA'LL KNOW HOW THE SHOW @ S.O.B's TURNED OUT....PEACE!