RUN DMC - RAISING HELL

PHOTO CREDIT:  BANG2000XL
                                                                    
RUN DMC - RAISING HELL written by -DR NYQUIST!?!!

My good comrades at Strictly Cassette gave me an opportunity to write about one of my favorite cassettes, and its Run DMC's "Raising Hell."  The year was 1986 and back then in hip hop, there were no release dates for albums...they just drop without you knowing. Also, there were no leaks but in this case it did leak...sorta.

I had a good friend from New York and he had a copy of the group performing at The Apollo. It was the first time I had heard "Hit it Run" and it blew me away because I was a Run fiend and to hear him beatboxing -I was like is there anything he can't do?! They hit "Peter Piper" which was dope as well, so I was fiending to hear what they were gonna release to the world.  Up first was the 12-inch of "My Adidas" with "Peter Piper."  My Adidas was the first ode to the pair of sneakers that the Kings used to rock on a regular. The record was the first to rock the Infamous Logo you see millions now biting. I had the shirt of the logo and they had lyrics from "My Adidas"..."We slay all suckers who perpetrate and lay down laws from state to state."  The B-side is a infamous song for all the dj's to this day.  If you had 2 copies of "Peter Piper" then you probably know what im talkin bout!!! So finally the album drops and I'm at the Sam Goody's spendin my hard earned summer job money.  I hit the rap section lookin for it and Bam! here it is, but for some reason they had two different album covers.


One was Purple with the green logo and the other version was pink with a blue logo.  At the time that was new. I looked and seen both had the same songs and took both versions home(one is still sealed to this day). I didn't think after hearing "Kings Of Rock" that my favorite group could get any better but I was wrong because they raised the cookie jar to the ceiling!!! The beats were harder and sparse like on "Perfection"(Jam Master on live drums) and "Dumb Girl(808 classic boom!)"  "Is it Live" had a young Sam Sever(3rd Bass, Downtown Science) doin some good go-go percussion, while "Hit It Run" was D.M.C.'s shining moment wit the classic line "I'll leave all suckers in the dust - those dumb motherfuckers can't mess with us".....Classic! It wouldn't have been a Run Dmc album without the rock element, which right there turned it up to eleven.

WALK THIS WAY - Import Cassette single

I remember trying to get home in time to watch the world premiere of "Walk This Way" on MTV and saw the walls kicked in between rock and rap. To see the impact from that one song on today's music and all the hybrids and genres it spawned, Fred Durst owes his whole career to the Kings from Queens!

 CLEAR VS WHITE CASSETTE SHELL

I bought everything from posters to concert tickets (really wasn't a fan of the Run DMC Adidas gear) and never got enough but that was Hip Hop's Golden era. It is mos def a classic and if you wax collectors out there got the "Proud To Be Black" 12-inch then you know about the B-side "Uptempo"! Production from the GOD Rick Rubin and Russell Rush...pop the tape in right know and you'll hear pure raw boom bap with Lyrics from two of the greatest mc's and probably the greatest group of all time, damn I forgot about P.E.....but thats next time - I'm out.

-DR NYQUIST!?!!


10 comments:

  1. O-Dawg818.1.12

    Dr Nyquist well said brutha! "Fred Durst does owe his whole career to THE KINGZ OF QUEENS. ButtonPusha! Once again good work fam! Big Ups.

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  2. Nice article ... I was at the Raising Hell tour show at the Orange Show, San Bernardino ... Best concert I ever been to still ... Whodini stole the show ... the crowd tried to booo Beastie Boys off stage and the bass too over the crowd immediately ... I bought my first pair of Adidas when I bought Fat Boys first album ... Then Run DMC blew up the spot ...

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  3. dj shazz8.1.12

    Great article, captured the essence of what it was like to be a fan of hip hop during this historic time! Run DMC is an epic group & this is a classic album!!

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  4. WELL SAID MY DUDE!!!!! :)

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  5. KillaFatts8.1.12

    Excellent article Bruh! The photos took me back to the Capital Center dayz. That Raising Hell Tour/Concert was Epic. I was a huge Run DMC fan as well. Run was my favorite too. My favorite song off that cassette was "Perfection"! Keep the History lessons comming Bruh! -KillaFatts

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  6. Very interesting read Doc!
    I wish I could have been alive in time to experience Run DMC around this time. Not enough artists in my generation that are breaking down barriers like they did.

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  7. Dr Diesel8.1.12

    Dr Nyquist is on point. "Raising Hell" was definitely the pinnacle of success for Run-DMC. Whether on vinyl or celluloid, it was a must-have album.

    Lessons!

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  8. This is on point right here. Excellent Piece. Very Nice. I still got that tape and Vinyl too. Remember this album coming out like it was yesterday.

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  9. I bought this cassette when I was in 4th Grade and I still have it. It remains one of my favorite albums of all time. This was a great read. Some things I didn't know. Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment. Raising Hell is a certified classic for many. Check out our features link and you can see a few articles we have on more albums on your top list.

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