Run-D.M.C.

My name is Greg and I'm here to say / Run DMC's rhymes sound old and dated However important and influential it may be, this era in rap just sounds incredibly simplistic to my modern ears. "They walked so others could run", but they still walked. I'm glad I heard it once, but I'm not coming back to it.

Legendary. This is the album that started it all. When DMC broke big with this album, they threw the doors wide open for hip hop to step onto the main stage of American (and world) music. If, to the modern listener, it seems a bit hokey in delivery, it's worth remembering that this was a genre in its extreme nascency and it was still trying to figure out what it was supposed to sound like. So it borrowed from rock, techno, and R&B and then added that unique NYC hiphop flavor. The end result is a groundbreaking work stuffed full of powerful messaging, clever lyrics, and unapologetically fun beats.

I really enjoyed this but I'll be the first to admit that it is probably mostly nostalgia talking. The songs all sound basically the same and the beats, while unique, are pretty simplistic. I'd throw the whole album on anytime though.

extremely influential but also very outdated

When I first started this generator over a year ago, one of the very albums I rolled was Raising Hell by Run-D.M.C. I had never gotten into hip hop before, so as a prep to that one, I listened to their debut, this one. Since that, I've dug very deep into the hip hop world, from Biggie to Wu-Tang to Jay-Z and Kanye. But the weird thing is: I hadn't revisited Run-D.M.C since that first foray despite giving Raising Hell 5 stars as the perfect introduction to hip hop. (Hilariously sad I said in that review, "This a must-listen for sure and I'll keep going back to this one." Oh well.) Not just a perfect intro to me, but for the whole world. But this one is arguably more influential, being the first hip hop album with a more serious tone, a consistent vibe that people can say "wow, this is a hip hop album" on the same level as rock albums at the time. It's a fun and energetic album, with two excited MC's who can't help but divert your attention, joking with each other and finishing each other's sentences. It's an incredibly accessible album, with fun beats and a diverse style. "Hard Times" starts off with an intriguing hook to show their personality and what you're in store for. The production is immediately highlighted here. "Rock Box" pulls in pop and rock audiences with a hard, melodic sound easy to love. Isn't even their best rap rock song. Next two songs "Jam-Master Jay" and "Hollis Crew" are minimalistic, with punchy beats, highlighting their personalities and witty lyrics, with other cool production effects not necessarily relying on common old-school techniques. Personally my least favorite tracks though. The next track is where the album really picks up for me. "Sucker M.C.'s" is known as the first diss track, and has my favorite lyrics. Production-wise very similar to previous tracks and can be considered boring, but I love their performances here. But by far, "It's Like That" is the best track on the album, really loud and in-your-face with a progressive, serious message. Love the sense of urgency and call to action, and those snare drum solos gives us necessary space. I'm a huge fan of the production effects of "Wake Up", although it gets a bit tiring going on for so long. "30 Days" is a personal favorite, with an awesome sci-fi hook, funny verses, and the inviting line "YOU CAN SEND ME BACK IN 30 DAYS." Again drags on a little too long, but you notice this one less. Finally our closer "Jay's Game" is classic old school record scratching, a fun way to end things off but definitely overstays its welcome. Shouldn't have gone much over 2 minutes. Overall, I find this has many of the strengths of Raising Hell, and perhaps even more influential in establishing hip hop, but it's significantly weaker, especially on the production sound being too repetitive. Has lots of filler that could be dramatically cut short. I'd probably cut sick of playing this album more than a few times again, but I definitely need to play more of the highlights individually, and of course remind myself to put Raising Hell back in rotation.

Dang. This one kind of washed over me and I quickly grew tired of the you-say-one-word-then-I'll-say-the-next-word style that I 100% loved when I was a kid and sooo many rappers imitated. But it may also be that Raising Hell is simply a way better album than this; don't know, haven't listened to that in forever either. Regardless, respect to the legacy. Respect to the track suits.

I’m fucking old, so I remember when music like this was new, fresh and unlike anything people had really heard before. I’m sure if you were born after the 80’s and only knew hip-hop as an already established, immensely popular genre of popular music, you might not find this interesting or important or good. To me, this record is all of those things, but it might just be because I’m old.

The way these dudes finish each other's sentences is adorable and demonstrates real chemistry. Reminds me of my grandparents. I give them 3 pairs of fresh Adidas kicks. 👟👟👟

Just not good.

Hip hop was a mistake. I can’t believe it got MORE popular after this boring album came out

Good, definitely, but I guess I just don't get why it's great? Very fun though "Calvin Klein's no friend of mine Don't want nobody's name on my behind" is amazing

Iconic, but a little repetitive

There's no real way for a rap album from the mid-80s not to sound dated, very similar to the rock of the 50s. There were so many technological and methodological innovations in the years after this album that changed the sound of hip-hop forever. Despite being a time capsule, this album still has a lot going for it. The sparse 808-based samples work really well with the more aggressive lyrical style that Run-DMC brought to hip-hop. It's a nice compromise between the lighter rap style that was popular before this point and the ultra-violent content that existed during gangsta rap. I think of this album being a 4/5 mostly because of its importance as a turning point for hip-hop, but it still sounds good too, if not a bit limited by the sample set included in the 808 4/5

Old school run. Doesn't have quite the same bite

No. 87/1001 Hard Times 4/5 Rock Box 4/5 Jam-Master Jay 3/5 Hollis Crew 3/5 Sucker M.C.'s 3/5 It's Like That 3/5 Wake Up 3/5 30 Days 2/5 Jay's Game 2/5 Average: 3,0 Sounds pretty dated nowadays. Still okay to listen to.

All hail the birth of the New School. It’s not my favourite Run-DMC disc, but goddamn this is gold. First hardcore rap track, first diss track, first rap-rock track… For a hip-hop head, this album is foundational. I wanted to give it 4 stars because it’s not my favourite, but is George Washington NOT great because he’s not your favourite president?! No.

Ah, my college years.

I like the beat and lyrics.

5-

Loving the rawness and simplicity of this album. Definitely had me dancing around the kitchen.

Love these drums. Clean and confident. That bass is so deep. And the snare hits! And the record scratches fit right in like another part of the percussion. Highlights: “Rock Box” - love that guitar riff “Hollis Crew (Krush-Groove 2)” - the drums hit hard on this one “It’s Like That” - I love the playful flow of the vocals. And the way they trade off back and forth every few words. So cool.

Some pretty good tracks on here but their rhymes or maybe even just the vibe of this album feels a little repetitive but all in all still pretty fun. Rounding up from a 3.5 or like 3.25🤷

Simple but effective.

Obra fundamental de la música contemporánea: aquí se fusiona el Hip-Hop con el rap y con el hard rock, línea que también siguieron con éxito los Beastie Boys posteriormente (por no mencionar a Public Enemy, NWA y un interminable listado de bandas). Hard times. Rock box, It´s like that... no se puede uno permitir el lujo de no haberlos escuchado una vez en la vida. Run-DMC fue el primer grupo de hip hop en lograr un disco de platino, un multiplatino y una nominación a un Grammy. Fueron los primeros raperos en aparecer con un video en la cadena MTV (en 1984 con "Rock Box" incluída en este estupendo disco) y los primeros raperos en una portada de la revista Rolling Stone en 1987. Fueron también los primeros raperos que conocieron muchos estadounidenses,​ además de ser el primer grupo de música en estar patrocinados por una marca de ropa multinacional, Adidas, quienes posteriormente les crearía una línea de ropa exclusiva para elllos (ellos explotarían el tremendo hit My Adidas, su gran clásico junto con Walk this way, ninguno de ellos incluidos en este disco sino en en Raising Hell de 1986). Cualquiera de sus 3 primeros discos es igual de válido pero el impacto de este debut bien merece ser la puerta de entrada a RUN-DMC. Este disco está a la altura de otros debuts como los de The Smiths, Dead Can Dance, Nick Cave, LLoyd Cole and the Commotions, The Style Council y clásicos instantáneos como Purple Rain, Ocean Rain, Born in USA, 1984, Recknoning, Learning to Crawl, Ride the Lightning, Like a Virgin, Let it be, Zen Arcade, Knife, Diamond Life... o Deseo Carnal y Make it Big

Letkee ja päätä nytkyttävä. Toi piristystä työpäivään, joka on aina positiivista

Awesome early (1st?) hip hop/rap album by the kings. Good stuff!

This is my second and subsequently last Run-D.M.C. to review. I really enjoyed Raising Hell, so I had really high hopes for this album. Side 1 of this album was nothing short of fantastic. I loved the beats and backing music, the rapping was great, and the lyrics provided some really good social commentary. "Hard Times" and "Rock Box" were really great, and I can't imagine how game changing those songs must have been for popular music when this album came out. "Rock Box"'s guitar based sound is especially great, and Run-D.M.C. uses the sound perfectly to achieve something incredibly unique. Unfortunately, Side 2 wore a little thin on me. The songs were too long, and by this point in the album, Run-D.M.C.'s "you-go-I-go" rapping started to wear thin on me. By that point, it felt like the album was confined to a certain structure and formula, and the album started to suffer from those limitations. Even though Side 2 was a bit of a letdown, this was still a great album, and an incredibly influential one to boot. Run-D.M.C.'s sound on this album feels simple compared to a lot of hip hop music today, but the group does all of the fundamentals so well that their music is fun to listen to. The way that Run-D.M.C. perfectly balances the relationship between MC and DJ allows them to craft some great songs, and it makes their messaging even more effective and powerful. This is a must listen for any fan of popular music.

One of the first, one of the best

Classic hip hop album, some great tunes on it. Really cool record, a bit of old-school throwback, always nice to listen to.

It's like that, that's just the way it is

Rating: 7.5/10 Very good album overall. Really enjoyed most of the production, very sample heavy and fun to listen to. The flows, delivery, and lyrics are all outdated but the production and energy of the group makes this a very enjoyable listen from start to finish. Favorite songs: Hard Times, Rock Box, Jam-Master Jay, Sucker MC's, It's Like That, Jay's Game. Least favorite song: Wake Up.

Famosa: Walk This Way (feat. Aerosmith) Le daré un 4, aunque son un poco pesados.

Good classic rap album with solid beats and lyrics. Some rhyme schemes end unsatisfyingly but overall good listen. 4 stars.

Thoughts before listening: I don't know what's on this album, but I'm sure it's going to be a fun listen. Run-DMC we're innovators in the hip hop scene and while their brand of rap is nearly archaic at this point, it's also a very classic, familiar sound. Review: This is great. It's definitely an early form of hip hop but I love Run-DMC's style. The rock backing tracks and the call and response raps with two distinct voices are now an iconic sound. This album is their debut and while they would release bigger songs later on, there are some classics on here with "It's Like That", "Rock Box", and "Sucker MCs". Those are going on the playlist and this album gets 4-stars.

If it wasn’t for some of the dated production that was of its time, I think I might’ve rated this as a five. The songs still hold up (mostly), and Jay’s sparse beats and scratching work perfectly with Run & D.M.C.’s interconnected wordplay. It’s so solid, they basically laid the foundation for many of the rap cliches that survive to this day. Unlike being stale, here at its origins it comes off as fresh and creative.

First steps to fame. Excellent debut.

This was a solid album. I liked Rock Box, and it’s cool to learn how it was such an influential song for the world of rap rock. I also think Run DMC probably was a big inspiration for the Beastie Boys, very similar vibes and the accented group shouts at the end of a sentence I’ll say 3.5, but bump it up to a 4 for its cultural impact

To modern ears this album will sound dated but it is because of this album and what Run-D.M.C. helped usher in that we feel that way.

Kinda same-y but iconic and genre defining

One of the most influential and prolific rap groups to come out of the 80s. Not my thing, but impossible to ignore.

Cheesey in certain spots, but it'd be difficult to deny this still goes surprisingly hard. The lyrics can be a little basic, but they get a pass for the amount of passion and energy put into them. Favorite tracks: "30 Days", "It's Like That", "Hard Times"

"I'm light-skinned, I live in Queens, and I love eatin' chicken and collard greens." Damn...

Hip Hop it dont stop! This may have been ground breaking back in the day but I was more into Grand Master Flash or Afrika Bombaataa(Party People) then Public Enemy. I prefered the funkier sound of hip hop. I do think listening today this album comes across a bit dated obviously due to the technology available at the time. There is no doubt though that Jam Master Jay was a talented DJ and there is a few stand out tracks namely the singles Rock Box, Hard Time and of course Its Like That. Ground breaking but now in 2022 I dont think its timeless.

I like those beats combined with the guitar on "Rock Box". "Hard Times" is ok. And "It´s Like That" is an classic! 2,5

Fun 80’s old school hip hop

This is a perfect example of an album that should be on this list, but not a "best albums of all time" list. It was groundbreaking in its genre, innovative, and influential, but listening to it today, it's...not great. It starts off with a pretty weak track, Hard Times. It seems like any of the next few would have been a better choice, especially Rock Box. Maybe they didn't want to immediately turn off people who didn't want to hear rock in their rap? Too many songs here utilize that hand clap sound effect, which makes the album sound even more dated than it would already be. The rhymes are just OK, the flow doesn't change very much so it gets old. Still, the album has some fun stuff like Rock Box, Jam-Master Jay. I like the incorporation of rock and the record scratching. I don't know if "Raising Hell" is on this list, but it's a much better Run DMC album. However, I do agree their debut deserves to be here and should be heard to hear how it all started.

Classic album from a classic group. While understanding that this is their debut album, it's still funny to me to hear their sound here and how it's not evolved yet into the sound and style that everyone knows Run DMC for. It's like the ideas are still in their infancy and they are testing the waters with their "call and response" rapping, and rap rock overlaps. The reason why it's only a 3 for me is because I'm realizing that their more evolved sound is one that I really love, and their sound during this album constantly hovers around this "it's not there yet" idea. It contains less memorable moments and falls a little too much into repetition ("master em cee", "sucker em cee's <-- are said dozens of times). If this album is on this list then "Raising Hell" definitely needs to be on this list.

Run-D.M.C. continued to have some great albums, but their debut is a tour-de-force putting not just the band but the genre on the map. “It’s Like That” is easily my favorite song of theirs, and the rest of the album around it is pretty solid.

Old skill hip hop, what’s not to love? It’s got the famous “It’s Like That” on it, and it is the peak to be fair. The rest of the album doesn’t quite hit that high point but it was pretty decent!

Without this there would be no Run-D.M.C., and without Run-D.M.C. there would be no Beastie Boys (seriously, Rock Box was basically proto-Licence To Ill), and no Beastie Boys would make me sad... THis whole album hits hard and is wheelin', dealin', got a funny feelin', and rocks from the floor up to the ceilin' And it's like that, and that's the way it is...

“The next time someone’s teaching, Why don’t you get taught?” 😮

I think I heard the DK rap on there

3.5

Taisin luoda päässäni vähän turhankin kovat odotukset päivän levylle. Osa biiseistä rehellisesti tylsiä, mutta kaikista kuitenkin paistaa läpi trion oma soundi. Pari kertaa pyöritteli töiden ohessa läpi. Ehkä näiltä joku best of ois sitten se oma juttu.

Crisp, bare bones, assertive sound. A little one-note. Speaks to a very specific moment in time, and the attempts at socially conscious lyrics are a bit shallow. But this is still incredibly engaging and fun to listen to. Fave Songs: It's Like That, Hard Times, Rock Box, Hollis Crew (Krush-Groove 2), Sucker M.C.'s (Krush-Groove 1)

I’m very distracted by the Richard Ayoade lookalike on the left, but the music itself was good. More rock influenced than I expected

I very much enjoyed the last Run-D.M.C. the album generator gave me. This album is not that one. Understandable, and a star for influence, but on this album they are not yet great.

King of Rock is the better album but considering this one came before it might be more influential.

Auch wenn direkt aus den 80er und mit simplen Samples aus damaligen Synthies - die rockigen Gitarren und die wechselnden Rhymes machen es immer noch interessant.

Guter Hip Hop ohne Schnörkel

I was looking forward to listening to this but after doing so, like many other reviewers, I found the album to be quite pedestrian. I do understand how important this album is historically and for how it moved the hiphop genre past its disco inception. But still. Given what hip hop has become, the simplistic rapping, lyrics and beats just seem so hum drum to my modern ears. It kinda reminds me of pictures of people in the 50s gazing with wonder at the sight of a plane flying overhead. I totally get why they found it so impressive at the time, but of course, we are now so used to see planes overhead that we don't even notice them. I was considering four stars here given the importance of this album, but I think 4/5 stars should be reserved for music that stands the test of time - most of this album does not do so imo.

After listening to this, I want to buy an Adidas track suit.

Good

Old school hiphop

Older/original hip hop groups do get tagged with sometime corny lyrics or just generally older styles/sample technology and I would generally associated this with Run-D.M.C. just because I only knew their Walk This Way cover. That being said, this album has a lot more interesting production/sampling choices than I expected. It definitely still feels like an 80's hip hop album but now I feel like Beastie Boys almost ripped these guys off to some level. There is such a focus on the actual rapping/beats more than melody/a catchy hook that this feels more like an oddity than I anticipated.

Okay - felt like there were similar beats on every song

This was really fun to listen to at first. As the album progressed, though, I found myself getting kind of bored. 3/5

Good stuff.

Crazy that this album came out 5 whole years after Rapper's Delight. It's Like That and 30 Days bumped it up from a 2.5 to 3 stars.

Another pretty dated hip-hop record - there’s some catchy stuff in there but the production and flows just sound pretty cheesy now (big ‘My name is Andy and I’m here to say…’ vibes). I hope Raising Hell is on here, because despite being only two years later it’s aged so much better and still packs a huge impact, definitely Run’s best work

Revolutionary and sometimes ahead of the times. But the beats and rhymes can be a bit to similar and gets repetetive through a whole album.

Classic rap. This album is interesting when compared to modern albums. This is so measured and methodic with the delivery. You can definitely tell that rap has evolved since 1984.

Solid, not my fav

Still not a fan of that old style of rap but the backing tracks were good so I liked it way more than Beastie Boys' License to Ill

Old school hip-hop. Not bad, and very important, but it's like listening to Rock Around the Clock for hip-hop. The genre has grown so much since then and my tastes are more toward early 90's alternative hip-hop like Tribe, De La Soul, Digable Planets, etc. but you've gotta start somewhere.

Respect for paving the way for a new genre of music but it got a little boring for me

3.4x enjoyable early hip hop, listened 2x

Way too much synthesizer drum machine for me

These guys are good, but I don't really like rap! 3 stars

Beats are kinda rudimentary in that 80s hip hop way, not as strong as the sparse beats that would be popular later. But it's 1984. And the MCing is very good. They're using a particular flow that's dated but not using it rigidly and it sounds more like good MCing from any era than, say, Beastie Boys. I might like this better than Raising Hell, maybe? but I haven't listened to that again, and I might just be in a better mood on this day. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

I like Run DMC but the raps and and breakdowns are a bit repetitive.

okay.

memories but not my bag

I like DMC but every song sounds the same

Hard Time - 7.5/10 Rock Box - 8/10 Jam-Master Jay - 7.5/10 Hollis Crew - 7.5/10 Sucker M.C's - 7.5/10 It's Like That - 8/10 Wake Up - 7/10 30 Days - 7/10 Jay's Game - 7/10 TOTAL - 63/90

2.5

it hasnt aged great, but thats because hiphop has evolved to such a great level in the years since this released. but it is refreshing to listen to something so simple and somewhat effective. but if you use this album as a basis to write off all hiphop, i will personally go to your house and punch you in the face.

Liked this a bit better than Raising Hell, probably because it sounds more "electro" and closer to Sugarhill stuff. Funny to think this was "hardcore rap" once upon a time, quite dull overall from a modern perspective

I really want to like old school Hip Hop because it is socially conscious and ahead of it's time and experimental, but it kind fell flat on the music side for me.

i get why this album is here but holy is it boring

Album 16 of 1001 Run-D.M.C. - Run-D.M.C. Favorite Track : Hollis Crew (Krush-Groove 2) Rating : 3 / 5 I appreciate it for what it is and the impact it had at the time of it's release. I've never been big on hip hop or rap, so this is not my regular thing. The words here are more important than the beats. I'm a music guy. I don't usually worry about lyrics until I'm into a song. My favorite songs are not because of the lyrics. The beats aren't my type of music but I'll give it it's due. I did listen twice.

A fun listen, and something of an artifact from the origins of hip-hop. More than a little quaint now, though.

It is the early stuff for sure, so it does get a slight pass, but it is quite corny at bits. The first does not always mean the best.

It be tricky... to rock and... to rhyme. Nice 80's rap start. Hard times, they like intertwining their lyrics between them lol. Hard times kinda sucks tbh. Rock-box is wayyy better kinda sick electric guitar. Jam was decent. Hollis crew is suppper bouncy 80's rap. Sucker's MC beat kinda stinky, but rap kinda good more relaxed. Dream was really good delivered in a slightly punishing way. Kinda punishing my ears now (2nd to last track). Ok that sound got old, light 3.

Another from Run. Like the other we got, this is obviously an important, foundational hip hop album. But it's old school to the point that I really don't get much enjoyment out of it. It's the building blocks of stuff I enjoy a lot more. I imagine people who hate old school hip hop hear all of it as stuff like this. I'm giving it a 3 out of respect, but I'm marking this as chopping block for the list too because I really don't think we need two Run-DMC albums, we get the gist in one. Same sort of rule should apply to the Beastie Boys. Favorite tracks: Rock Box, It's Like That. Album art: Two guys, brick wall, dope font. I like this cover a lot honestly. It's not much but it's strong. 3/5

It’s like listening to the toddler version of rap, walking slowly, a little awkwardly, but holding their own. I kinda like that the rapping is slow enough that I can actually understand what they’re saying. I also like the raging against the racist machine rather than against warring factions in the same genre and among the same oppressed group—fighting the right enemy. Rap has not really been my thing but 80s/early 90s rap is as close as I get to liking it.

Track 1: Very nice synth horn hits accompanying the beats. Need that dolla every day of the week. Nice very early use of drum machines which is sick. Flow is pretty 1 dimensional but lyrics are great yelling that they are having hard times. Track 2: Oh dang, cool guitar intro on the beat over the drum machine. Beat is really cool and complex. Love the switch to each different rapper. Nice scratching. The guitar accompanied with the lyrics are the highlights. Song drags on a bit at the end. Track 3: Oh dang I love Me some scratching turnstilism. The samples are sick with the horns. Run DMC lovestory to jam master jay I love it. Great use of the scratching as an individual instrument to solo on. Love it! Track 4: Great fast clapping beat. Got rhymes so deaf sheesh. Good flow on this song and nice switches back and forth to each MC. Beat at the end gets a bit old. Track 5: I like the beat but the claps are a bit much. Nice kind-of disstrack to other sucker MC's? Flow is eh on this as well. Track 6: oh I love this dancey beat with the bright horns. It's like that and that's the way it is. Beat is a bit repetitive, and I wish there was more instrumentation or sampling instead of just drums at times. Call and response is nice on this. I like the soft finish. Track 7: cool deep voice sample, and I like the little glockenspiel sound. Nice and popping. Love the MLK-esque message and commentary. Comments on a utopian vision but this was just a dream and real life is not like this. Track 8: oh man I love the midi type keyboard and synths; Makes the song a bit funky and Dancey. Nice fade and reverb on the keys part. Ending is repetitive but really let's you feel the beat. Track 9: oh man I love the samples and the scratching on this. The turntables are sick. Great beats and way to switch it up to not keep it the same. Once again basically solos on the turntable. Overall the album is very solid and extremely influential. At times some of the beats were one dimensional and the rapping was meh. I think jam master jay really shined on this album and showed his talents as a different type of producer. Run DMC walked so wu-tang could sprint.

This is a landmark album in hip hop with a lot of firsts for the genre. At times the album feels dated because of how far the genre has progressed since the release of this album.

I found this to be super dated, especially compared to "Raising Hell" There's nothing bad about it, but it's not great either. Some albums you listen to and you can't believe what time period they were made in. This one, there is no way it was made anytime other than when it was.

Generous 3... very dated and repetitive but still a decent listen