Reviews (page 3 of 8)
RUN DMC were pioneers. That’s why it gets 4 stars
I know that this is supposed to be a very special kind of music that shaped modern day rap, but I don't like it whenever there's not too much melody but instead they're just talking. I wasn't a huge fan of this album, but it was alright just playing in the background while I was doing other stuff.
Enjoyed the relative minimalism of the beats. 80s and 90s hip hop is generally a winner in my book and this is no exception
Old school Rap… Maybe too old
Raising Hell deserves to be on this list. This album not so much. The effort to destroy my algorithm continues to succeed.
Drum sounds. Simple rapping. Reminds me of early mtv
#84/1001 🇺🇸🎤 There's something that I love about Run DMC. They have a distinctive sound and you immediately know what you are getting. I've given it a couple of spins today and while its not really set my world alight, i dont dislike it either. Its easy to see the influence that this album had in hip-hop reaching the mainstream. Best tracks: Rock Box, Its Like That, Sucker MCs.
I feel like I have only absorbed the Run DMC style through parody and homage over the years, so it’s very interesting to listen to this album and find the overall effect more expansive and encompassing and overall less rudimentary than I imagined.
Surprised how underwhelming this album is. Incredibly samey and basic rap; similar lyrics flow and beats in almost every song, with pretty basic melodies as well. Feels almost incomplete on two thirds of the songs. Glad Run-D.M.C. kept getting better, because this album leave a lot to be desired. Top tracks: Rock Box, It's Like That
7 / 10 - Old School Hip-Hop - Genre begründend - kann man nicht still zu stehen bleiben, man muss sich bewegen Favs: - Rock Box - Wake Up
Hurray! Album number 90 is my first hip-hop album. Insane that it took this long. I ran the numbers and it's about a 0.02% chance to go 89 albums in a row from this list and not get an album tagged hip-hop, 1 in 3600! This album is the perfect way to start getting some rap. Groundbreaking sound. Certainly a bit dated, but still solid. The beats are simple but still good. The lyrics don't jump out at me, but the delivery is excellent. For everyday listening this isnt on my go to list, that will always be the 90's hip-hop I grew up with, but it is a classic and essential entry on the list. 3 star listen, but 4 star album off influence alone.
You can hear Run DMC become if not better rappers, rappers who are getting better at making music as this album goes on. I think "King of Rock" remains my favorite Run DMC album but I enjoyed this one a lot.
I remember breakdancing (poorly) to this as a kid. On another note it's amazing how far hip-hop has progressed
It is a little barebones by today's standards, and i think some years later, some other groups perfected this sound even better, but their influence can not be understated. That is for sure. I'm gonna give it a stroooong 3, but not a 4 sadly.
A classic debut album from pioneers of rap. Still holds up to this day if you grew up with it. I can understand how those who didn’t listen to this era of hip hop may not enjoy it as much though. 4.5 / 5
Hip hop isn’t a genre I relate to or really appreciate. Became boring very quickly.
Of it's genre this is an easy listening sound. I find the continued chanting a bit wearing by the end of the album, but I enjoyed standalone tracks. The music was however a bit more varied.
Did not hold up as much as I would have liked. One bonus star for the refreshingly optimistic “Wake Up”
Look. I get that's it's historically important, but I was utterly blown away by how bad it was and how little I wanted to listen to it. Before today I honestly thought I liked run dmc, and now I'm questioning everything. I get that 80s hip hop has not aged well and is always a tough listen, but this was truly bad. Zero interest in ever hearing it again.
This feels every bit its age. Run DMC is a fantastic rap group, but the sounds just don't hold up in 2026. It's very easy to see the influence they've had on what came after, but without any nostalgia attached to it, it feels lacking.
This had a very 80s sound (which I'm not into) and the songs were all pretty similar. It's all undeniably catchy, however. This album is a basic precursor to hip hop and rap without the excessive swearing and with lyrics championing social causes. A few moments piqued my interest, but otherwise this just faded into the background.
Fun classic hip hop. Rock Box and It’s Like That were my favorites. It’s cool how it’s all so minimal. Tough one to rate.
Cool and fun, i always kinda enjoy run dmc but probably wouldnt go back to this
This is silly in a fun way. I like the back and fourth vocals
Gorgeous 80s Hip Hop when it was nice n fun
Fun album with a surprisingly elaborated sound for a debut. A little lacking in variety, maybe.
Because of this album I realize I don't vibe with this kind of rap
Maybe this was groundbreaking at the time but no extra credit for that. It doesn’t stand up. Corny and uninteresting.
It’s like the cave paintings, necessary for the forward movement of art but no one is learning from them anymore.
https://youtu.be/WZ2TC8duaoE?si=o_gOdhJwww_N5TJx
I’m not sure I can take any more of the back and forth vocals Ya I’m sure this album had to exist for hip hop to be where it is today but damn it does not hold up . It’s good for like 1 song, I did not need the same thing 9 times
Run DMC cannot be disregarded in the history and culture of hip hop. But they are dated and lack substance. The more and more time goes by, other than being a historical relic, this thing does not stand its ground.
i was really excited because i like some run songs… this album just felt boring. obviously groundbreaking but i think their later work was more fun. will not be circling back.
Sounds very dated when listened to today. Not denying the credit they deserve, most music from the 80's suffers from the same curse - sounds like 80s.
Nice beats. Fun rhymes. I like this.
Lyrics are a positive message but just not the exact hard hitting rap that I perosnally like. The interplay between Run and DMC is very pleasant in the ears, fun hearing them go back and forth. The beats are simple but they make you wanna dance, very fun music to listen to.
I’m sure this is a very important album and probably more groundbreaking at its release. It comes off a hair bland to me today.
Not the album I would have chosen for this group. Raisin Hell is iconic in so many ways. That being said, this album is the roots of hip hop.
3.5 Classic rock. Love it. Goes down quick and easy. Vital, fun, intense.
Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? Unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? RUN-DMC is fun but I don't think I could name any songs by then except Tricky. Favorite song(s)? Rock Box, It's Like That, Wake Up, 30 Days Overall Thoughts: I recognized more of this that I thought I would. It was fun, every song belonged and none felt like filler. I don't listen to much rap but when I do enjoy it it's this specific Hip-Hop era, which this album pioneered.
i can see why it’s so influential Saw hard times and immediately thought of paramore, maybe i should listen to some paramore
That was nostalgic. Back to Basics simple OG rhyming.
Üldse ei istu see "korda-mööda" asjade ütlemine ja Run-D.M.C vokaalide stiil. Ma võin tõdeda, et nad olid tol hetkel revolutsioonilised, aga hetkel on neid ikka pigem kehv kuulata. Instrumentaalid on ka algelised ja korduvad, võibolla oli üks huvitav riff terve albumi peale. 2.4/5
Great tag team of rappers and emcees bring so much energy to each of their songs
Super
Fav: it’s like that 3/5
guitar went hard on track 2
I have three cultural references for RUN DMC. 1 - The 2006 MTV Program "Rev's House" 2 - The t-shirt 3 - The Aerosmith collab This shit was so corny. I laughed pretty hard in spots. 80s inspirational rap music is ripe for parody.
unfair to put this after TPAB in our run order, but so it goes. I know sometimes the people that break some barriers don't always hold up to the work they influence or that comes through the door after they bust it open. a lot of this album comes across as corny and dated at this point. they laid some groundwork for music that followed, but I don't see myself throwing this on again.
It's hard to give a rating to such a foundational album like this, and it's funny we got it right after 'To Pimp a Butterfly.' To say hip-hop's come a long way is an understatement. Their album 'Raising Hell' is sometimes credited with kicking off rock-rap due to the collaboration with Aerosmith on "Walk This Way" and Rick Rubin's production, but you can hear it here on "Rock Box." It's all pretty corny and simple. You could see a lot of these lyrics go on elementary school motivational posters. 2.5/5
ui das isch früüüüene hiphop. de beat vo hard times goht recht ine finds no geil well no aggressiv. rock box isch no geil mit de gitarre. aber irgendwie 80er rap tönt immer noch humpty dumpty had a great fall für mich. s cha no so ernst gmeint und aggressiv sii. fuck ich wird dene nöd e gueti bewertig geh und s heisst sie seged so die wichtigste früene rapper. shit. ich hass dass sie die ganz ziit vo reime reded mann. its like that isch mich am nerveeee. es erinneret mich vode beats her so fest a die szene vo camp rock wo die eint mitem laptop en beat macht und alli seged " she's really good" und es isch so comically ass. sorry run dmc ich chan nuuuuull öpis mit dem afange.
GEIIIIIIILLLL ich lieb d farbe vom schriftzug poah riiiesige beat s riff bi rock box isch soo eifach aber iwie machts vill uus sucker mc's hani jz chli wack gfunde wake up isch chli repetitiv aber iwie schono geiil, de bass und die stimm mmh 30 days isch auchli weird WBER DE SYNTHI ISCH SOOO GEIL mengisch sind d beats so leer iwie? aso isch sicher extra aber ja also hard times isch en absolute bop und en grossteil vom album hani eifach na cool gfunde? raising hell hani scho lieber gha. knapps 4i glaub?
Classic greatness
Eh... Not really for me. I was hoping to like it more, but they sucked a lot of the fun of the backyard party era, kept its beats, shortened the songs, and added synths. Another case of enjoying the music that Run-D.M.C inspired more than the music Run-D.M.C made. Highlights: "Jay's Game" 2-star
Beats and rimes that are near to my hear
great listen. throwback. Particularly impressed by the rap on the live "Here We Go". Very old school, fascinating to see how much hip hop has evolved over the decades.
Goofy
Not as good as their second album, but still not too bad. Early hip-hop has that je ne sais quoi that I can't help but enjoy. Yes, it is pretty corny, but that's part of it. Key tracks: Hard Times
Obviously a classic, but also just as obvious is how dated it sounds. That's to be expected, as the beats were all created with a drum machine and sparse synthesizer and guitar usage. Speaking of guitar, the single "Rock Box" would do huge numbers because it actually features guitar rather prominently, successfully bridging the gap between hip-hop and rock, and showing that the two genres have more in common than one would think. JMJ, Run and DMC all work incredibly well together to make some hard hitting and in your face jams, but it's not very often that the songs stick with you for very long after you listen. This album is a great starting point for any aspiring MC to study, but given how far rap has come over the decades I would say this album deserves it's flowers for planting the seeds, despite how much of a time capsule it really shows itself to be. "Rock Box" and "It's Like That" are immortal classics of hip-hop and rap, and that's the way it is.
Hard Times - 3.5/5 Rock Box - 4/5 Jam-Master Jay - 3.5/5 Hollis Crew (Krush-Groove 2) - 3/5 Sucker M.C.'s (Krush-Groove 1) - 3/5 It's Like That - 5/5 Wake Up - 3/5 30 Days - 3.5/5 Jay's Game - 2.5/5
6/10
Awesome
It’s a bit basic at times, like they've just got a drum machine to work with, but cool seeing the start of rap's evolution
The logo of these dudes has been designing the face of the democratic middle east ♡
A solid first album from some legends. I put "It's like that" on my playlist.
It's interesting to read in the Wiki article how many firsts this album represented. My review would otherwise just say that this is a classic early 80s rap / hip-hop record, but, nay, this is the record that established what became classic. Still not my jam, but pretty cool.
Nice.
Liked the debut, simple songs but very well produced, fairly simple raps but it gets the point across and let's you wanting more after it ends.
🎧Respect to Run DMC, innovators and legends in their own right. But this is not great. Wake Up is fun and corny as hell. Gotta love the sincerity on display, cliche as it may be.
The entire album sounded like one song. So repetitive
I think I prefer the cadence and style of modern rap better but I think this album had a really great, charming energy. I especially liked Rock Box. The instrumental was fire! I think the style is a little Sesame street, the way they finish each other's sentences and the rhyme scheme is so duh duh duh dah dah dah but it's trailblazing and enjoyable.
All one song
Run–D.M.C. are very simple rhymers. And, y'know, I don't blame 'em for that. In the era of hip-hop they debuted in, I doubt **anyone** was a super spirtual lyrical miracle. Heck, next to their contemporaries, they were probably among the hardest MC's out there — if not **the** hardest. Who was gonna compete? The Sugarhill Gang? I don't think so. And it's not like their simple style can't be enjoyable; just take a look at songs like "It's Tricky", "Peter Piper", "Kings Of Rock" and this album's own "Rock Box". But ultimately, Run–D.M.C. are victims of being so primordial. Living in 2026, in a world that's had rappers Kendrick Lamar, JAY-Z, Biggie Smalls, MF DOOM, 2Pac, the Wu-Tang Clan, and so many others, it's very hard to be impressed by what Run–D.M.C. have done. Especially here, on their debut album. If I thought 'Raising Hell' could be basic, hoo boy! I ain't heard nuthin' yet! I feel like the best thing Run–D.M.C. have always had going for them is their delivery. The way they shout the lyrics, and the way they finish each others' lines so frequently is such a joy. They could almost be rapping anything and I'd get a kick out of it. Which is just as well, 'coz I don't think they're saying much anyway. And they're not even saying any of it in a particularly clever way. I mean, I really get the impression that I like these guys the best when they happen to be rapping over guitar — somehow, it adds a level to their rapping that they just can't get to on their own. 'Coz when they're over spare drums and claps, or those fantastic electro hip hop synth horns... Yeah, it's just not the same. It's a little funny to read Ice-T crediting Run–D.M.C. for allowing hip-hop to evolve from singles and dance floors to full-on albums. I don't disbelieve him, and I'm not tryna knock the group's impact and legacy here; I have nothing but respect for what they've done for the genre. But between 'Raising Hell' and this album, I think I'd be better off enjoying these guys for their singles than anything else. I mean, do I needa hear "30 Days" again? I don't think so. I guess if you're really into early hip-hop (like, not exactly Golden Age hip hop, but a little later than that), you'll probably get a kick out of this. For me: eh. I've got less simple options.
Might be more known for their later albums, but this one is still damn good as well. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 3.5, & I’m going to barely bump it up to a 4 despite my desire to keep it at a 3.5 & this album very nearly crashing itself down to a 3 out of boredom. This album comes out of the gates really, really nicely through its first 6 tracks; only “Jam-Master Jay” didn’t really click with me like that, and while I did think “It’s Like That” got a bit repetitive near the end, I was digging everything about it. They were both flowing, the pacing was great, the verses were hitting, and for 1984, it felt like the sort of super important rap album people generally call it. The final 3 tracks here really fucking killed the vibe for me, man. It’s not that they’re bad tracks, but my god, the pacing of the album crawls to a gargantuan halt. You can see it in the Spotify plays here too – people willingly do not listen to these tracks. “Wake Up” is good in its messaging, and I did like it, but it has more break time between verses than it does actual time listening to people rapping, which is antithetical to the whole genre at this time, I think. “30 Days” is kinda fun, but the soundscape between verses is just synthetic & hollow, with nothing to fill out the soundscape in the same way the guitar did on “Rock Box”, and it just kinda drags on because of it. “Jay’s Game” ups that synthetic level even higher, acting as… I mean, it’s something. It didn’t bother me that much, but it’s a structureless attempt at a dance track that barely keeps a consistent rhythm, and goes on way longer than it needs to. If it weren’t for the strength of the first 6 tracks, I’d be far more inclined to fully bump this down to a 3, and honestly, if you had caught me on a different day that wasn’t right after we got “Planet Rock: The Album”, I might’ve done it. However, I feel like I owe Run-D.M.C. just a little bit of grace for not giving “Raising Hell” a bit more attention, given that it was the 6th album we got. I at least owe it a relisten, because I don't remember it ever getting as dire as the last 3 tracks here did. Hence, a 3.5 that I’ll barely bump up to a 4; a 66% hit rate normally doesn’t earn that, but both “Rock Box” & the Krush-Groove beats just kinda rock hard enough where I feel fine doing so. Edit: Yes, a rare usage of the edit feature here to say that I have relistened to "Raising Hell" only to discover that it does, in fact, get that dire around the halfway mark. Between that, and giving this album one more relisten to see if the pacing is still a nightmare (and yes, it is), I feel like I genuinely need to edit this to rectify it. I'm sorry; it just isn't that strongly structured of an album. Those tracks I mentioned are still good, but as an album experience, it's worth bumping down from a 3.5 to a 3.
My wish for everyone (non-evil) in the world is to find a DMC to complement their Run.
Fun! Old school hip hop sounds a little silly now compared to stuff from even thirty years ago, but the appeal is still there.
Obviously influential. You can really hear the building blocks that rap/hip hop were built on top of going forward. By today’s standards, a little unexciting.
I'm glad I heard it once, but I doubt that I'll be listening again. I was surprised at how dated and flat this sounds compared to other albums that were recorded just a short time later. "Hollis Crew" was my favorite track, possibly because I've heard that one several times before. I liked the beat on "Wake Up," but the lyrics and the snoring in the background are a little cringeworthy.
Classic old-school hiphop beats and sound throughout. More fun than some of the other from this time that I have gotten on this list before. The addition of the electric guitar and keyboard makes it even better to me. Really fun to listen through and while i probably wont come back to it in the near future I can really see how they influenced later artist that I listen to now.
As a lifelong hip hop fan I'd love to give this high marks. Run-D.M.C. were a stepping stone for the golden age of hip hop. But it just has not aged well. The beats are one dimensional. The flow is chopping and annoying. The rhyme schemes are very basic. There's some positive messaging and the vibes are good at least.
Loved to hear a classic old school hiphop album again. Great debut album and really set the standard for what they would become.
This going to be tough competition going up against the other Run D.M.C. album I've hit here so far, Raising Hell, which I loved. This self-titled debut album definitely doesn't have the same pull, but it's still pretty good. It's cool to see the progression of the group. Songs are fun and have good beats but there's a lot of similarity between the tracks that makes this album drag a little. Run D.M.C is so good at making these little ditties and sounds that fit into their beats that just live in your head forever, and I love that. Their back-and-forth rapping style, bouncing off each other, is very much present from the beginning. Favorite songs were "Hard Times" "Rock Box" and "Wake Up." Some songs had an almost industrial/electronic sound to them that I enjoyed. Overall, a fun listen but this one didn't have the staying power or oomph as other offerings from the group. 3/5 for me.
Never really liked them
As influential as this album is, it was kind of tiresome. I was born long after the era in which this album released, so perhaps i can’t understand this as well as others. i like their chemistry, and some of the songs on here are decent, but the flows are repetitive, the beats are super simplistic, which wouldn’t be a problem if some of the songs on this album weren’t like 6 minutes long for some reason. Not bad, worth a listen. That’s it for me, sorry!
I am not a big fan of most rap artists and although Run is cutting edge, in my view they merit a 3.
Respect the early 80’s NYC Rap but the simple beats sound dated. Lacks the Dada of the Beasties or the political urgency of P.E. 3.5 stars
I can appreciate that this would have been ground breaking at the time, but it feels dated now and not one I’m going to listen to on repeat.
Familiar, but I've never listened to this album. Classic old school hip hop that I appreciate but am not terribly interested in.
I was previously familiar with Run-D.M.C. for their collaboration with Aerosmith, but not with this album. There are some interesting parts, but mostly I don't care for the vocals. I'm not a fan of rap, and this album in particular has a bit of sharing of vocals (going back and forth in the middle of a line) that I find jarring, and not getting used to by the end. I recognize this is historically important, but I would not come back to this one.
classic. legends.
Важная для рэпа запись, но сейчас уже звучит как анархаизм
Siento que cantan de borma o que es una parodia de algo, no puedo tomarmelo en serio ni seguir escuchando después de 4 canciones.
It's cheesy, it's repetitive, it's also quite good fun in parts. It's Like That is great, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to the rest of this again. A high three.
Hard-hitting and classic.
Some really good beats but is very dated now
Enjoyed it, and the fact it’s very nostalgic, somewhat basic compared to what came later, but then I am the same with rock and pop. 3 Star. And it has the grace of being less than 40 minutes unlike 2 albums this week that were 2 hr chores.
i enjoyed it but the songs were a little bit long and i probably wouldn't return to it as a full album
Really good! All of the songs are great
Raising Hell is a better album, imo, but it's really interesting and fun to hear how hip-hop would quickly expand from this. In a way, too, this kind of feels like a window into what Prince was building. Really hoping more hip-hop and rap pioneers show up on this, such as Boogie Down Productions
What a difference two years make. The band's Raising Hell holds up as a hip hop classic. This one? Not so much. It's still fairly easy to hear why this is loved and influential - the beats hit hard, and there's audible joy shared between two bandmates trading rhymes. It's an 80s hip hop album, so yes, the flows are outdated, but I think a bigger problem is the pacing. The rapping on long tracks like "Wake Up" and "30 Days" is so slow that it makes the songs feel even longer and saps the energy from the beats. Those beats can also be a bit simple and stark despite sometimes having cool things going on. "Rock Box" is the exception, with a guitar-driven beat and more energy in the performances. There are some cool lyrical ideas here like on "Wake Up," but this one feels like a blueprint for a much better album.
the debut Run-D.M.C. album is a landmark of hip hop history. nowadays, hip hop is the biggest genre of music in the entire world, but its omnipresence should never blind us to its foundations! Run, D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay (R.I.P.) were working from a blueprint established by artists like Kurtis Blow and the Sugarhill Gang, acts that weren't too far removed from the disco music that formed the foundation of rap music. turn on this album, though, and you'll immediately hear a substantial paradigm shift. yes, the opening track is a Kurtis Blow cover, but the two versions are worlds apart. Run-D.M.C.'s version also serves as an introduction to their sound as a group: stripped down, aggressive, and heavily featuring the interplay between its two MCs, who weave in and out of each other's verses with reckless abandon. it's a far cry from anything that had come before in hip hop. a lot of the music here is purely just Run and D.M.C. rapping over programmed drum loops, with maybe the occasional chord stab here and there, and some scratching from Jam Master Jay too. other than the aforementioned opener "Hard Times", the two main highlights are "Rock Box", a guitar-laden track which was hip hop's first major crossover with rock music, and "Sucker M.C.'s", perhaps the genre's first major diss record. the overall listening experience can feel pretty rudimentary by today's standards of rapping, beat-making and songwriting, but that's because this album represents hip hop's literal rudiments! very informative listening experience. decent 7/10.
Not into most 80s rap. It doesn’t sound sonically good…loud, clanking samples with that choppy, 80s flow. Said the same thing about the Beastie Boys album, 80s rap is one of the most dated sounding genres of music. But why is this album a 3.1 and Beastie Boys a 3.5? They’re essentially the same.
Some old school hip hop at its best. This is a fantastic album.
I love them, but i can't really listen to more than a few Run DMC tracks in a row without it feeling too repetitive
Blast from the past. Enjoyable listen, though not my preferred genre, so musically many songs sounded the same to my untrained ears. These guys helped initiated an entire music genre, so props to them.
Songwriting good, but the production is incredible
Hard to criticize one of the founding bands of an entirely new musical genre of being “simplistic.” Sure, hip hop and rap have advanced a lot in the decades since this album came out, but there’s something wonderful in listening to this.
⭐ Hade klarat mig utan att höra denna innan jag dör. Måhända att det lade grunden för Hiphop men det är hopplöst datera och har ingen form av komplexitet. Enda spåret som är ok är It's like that.
Solid early hip-hop album. Definitely some prevalent themes explored, too. And I loved the back-and-forth vocals on a few of the tracks. Wake Up was a stand out song for me. And while this normally isn't my preferred genre, I enjoyed it! 3.5 stars.
Not really my style of music, but not a bad album in any way.
While this is their debut and there are some absolute classics showing off Run and DMC's rhymes, this is the Jam Master Jay show. This set the bar for what rap could be moving forward. Lags a bit but cannot wait to revisit their second album! 4/5
Some good ones
Enjoyed the first half more than the second.
cool but repetitive
Another more important than good album that has not aged well. It's not nearly the quality that their next two albums would be
Album was ok. Not into drum machines and all, it wasn't hard to listen to still. Wouldn't shut it off. Not my thing.
They ran so we can fly
1.3
Inventive 3 - deserves to be on this list
This album is a cool time capsule, but isn’t something I would actually want to put on to listen to. The style of rapping is just so dated and slow! This whole album is surprisingly slow. There were moments that I was really enjoying the intros and beats and then the slow rapping came in and the track loses momentum. Favourite track was Jam Master Jay.
That was fun! Liked the upbeat feel, I know academically these are the guys that started it all. It’s very minimalist feeling, fun tunes
Part of the hip hop revolution. It will sound outdated now maybe, but it maintains it's importance
Can see how this might have been interesting back then. Today's listen is really boring and bad.
55
about half-way through: so far the album feels very monotonous. Hip Hop is not my favourite genre of music in general, but right now it just kind of feels like I am listening to someone messing around with a pre-made song and adding in beats overtop Kush groove 1 is definitely better than Kush groove 2 okay it seems like the second half of the album is better (I could see myself listening to It's Like That on a regular chill playlist) oh hell yeah the second half is definitely better in my opinion. really like 30 days. not as big a fan of Jay's game, especially for the end of the album. Ik there's an extended edition but for the main one i feel like it could end better. still a decent beat though
Respect its influence more so than love listening to this since it’s so produced and the call and response rap style feels a little forced. It’s Like That, Rock Box and 30 Days really good though
Not memorable but also not so bad i had to turn it off.
It’s ok
Better than expected.
Fantastic to run to. A very important piece of work.
Another tricky one. Impact is a 5. I enjoyed a good bit of this. There are a couple slips. Probably a 3 for me. Average out to a 4.
Hard Times 3.4 Rock Box 3.6 Jam-Master Jay 3.5 Hollis Crew (Krush-Groove 2) 3 Sucker M.C.'s (Krush-Groove 1) 3 It's Like That 3.2 Wake Up 3.3 30 Days 3.1 Jay's Game 3 Score: 3.233333333
Fun old school hip hop
I had never listened to an entire RDMC album before. I'm glad I did!
3/5. one of those albums that irreversibly changed the course of its genre. If it weren’t for Run DMC rap would likely be very different from what it is today. That being said to steal an Analogy that’s a bit overused, it’s like looking at the first ever car in a museum. You can respect how it was a revolution that changed things forever, but you can also acknowledge how things have become more refined and better since then. Run DMC set the blueprint but in terms of lyricism, flow, production, etc. they can’t really compete with what would come after them in rap/hip-hop.
The first pancake of rap music, in a weirdly attractive way
Album 36 Top 3 favorites off the album: Wake Up, Hard Times, 30 Days A bop, I'm afraid. Lyrically simplistic, musically as well, it all starts sounding the same around 3 tracks in, but I enjoyed the rhythm. This is an album I'd put on to distract myself from The Horrors if I were spiralling.
I suppose because many of the tropes of hip hop were invented on this album that is why this album sounds a bit ordinary.
A surprisingly compressed, even distorted, sound for the year 1984. Ultra-clean production had been the craze for at least a decade by this point (with even some of the punk greats taking up the trend), and this had to have been novel for its time. I’m not sure if the percussion is electronic or if it’s just very processed (but acoustic). The latter would be more impressive. It’s what Queen, Bowie, and Steely Dan (among many others) had been experimenting with in the late 70s. But the vocals… man, they’re just so disappointing. Props for going against the mainstream, and helping to pioneer a huge emerging genre. But serious, monotonous hollering isn’t that engaging, especially if you’re not someone who values lyricism. Even the (vocal) rhythms on display aren’t that interesting. The back-and-forth vocal in Hard Times is cool, but otherwise nothing stands out in the way of singing. You could classify this as rap (or proto-rap), but really it’s more like steady, rhythmic shouting. It works better here than in later decades. Partly because you just know the genre is going to devolve from here. (Wu-Tang Clan, I’m looking at you. Run-D.M.C. is much more of a “classic” hip-hop artist than you’ll ever be.) Rock Box is immediately a better track in virtue of the bluesy electric guitars weaving seamlessly between the vocal lines. The mini-solo at around 1:20 is particularly good. A clear 70s-rock influence here – possibly paying homage to psychedelia too. I would like to hear some more interesting and varied vocals, though. Two tracks in, and I’m very worried that the only human voice contributions will be generic unmelodic yelling that sounds better when ignored. Jam-Master Jay is a slight improvement in this regard. It’s almost anthem-like. Cool-sounding instrumental hits. Hollis Crew is a complete miss, and it’s obvious why. The only instrumental contribution comes in the form of an extremely monotonous percussion line that ends up being more distracting than anything. Not sure what it’s distracting from, though. Maybe the silence? The next track, Sucker M.C.’s, uses the exact same percussion, meaning the listener must deal with over six minutes of this nonsense. It’s Like That is a slight improvement, with a more standard electric-clap-sounding beat. But if it’s going to commit to having any sort of harmonic hook, it should ideally last for more than a single one-beat minor chord. (And it’s the same minor chord every single time.) I’m blown away that this was the hit on the album over the more musically interesting tracks. It’s kind of catchy, but it’s not “best-song-on-the-record” catchy. Wake Up almost works – it’s pretty entertaining – but ultimately it isn’t interesting enough to warrant coming back to. The high-pitched percussion in the left ear and slap bass in the centre are the two most promising musical elements… but then they don’t vary at all for five and a half minutes. 30 Days is similar; maybe very slightly better. And Jay’s Game is slightly better again – a decent way to end the album. (It helps that the vocals act as electronic-sounding instruments instead of, well, vocals. Nifty.) 2/5 Key tracks: Rock Box, Jam-Master Jay
This grew on me the more times I listened. Hard times, it’s like that, and 30 days are the standouts to me. Early hip hop made well.
Really appreciate this one’s place in history. But thankfully rap came a long way in a short time. The difference between this and what was coming out 10 years later is amazing. This sounds very childish now. 2.75
Probably groundbreaking but I find it a bit annoying
Classic
It's fine
You cannot say they don't have a distinctive sound, as soon as I started playing the album I knew I was listening to Run DMC. This feels like when rap had a real message, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.
I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I understand how important it was for rap and music generally but I just can't transport myself back to a world when this was new and fresh, where the production doesn't sound like mucking about on a Yamaha keyboard in the 90s. I felt the need to cleanse my palate with the 1997 Jason Nevins remix of It's Like That, which despite also being nearly 30 years old, is at least fun to listen to and has a ton more punch to it than the original. I love that they made this album. It's pretty incredible that we're here 40+ years on and so many of the lyrics are still relevant. I also agree that everybody should hear it as a crucial piece in musical history but in terms of pure personal enjoyment, I am not going to be choosing to put it on again in a hurry.
Some good songs.
У мене пісні не викликали не хороших відчуттів, не поганих. Та і жоден трек не запам'ятався.
This is clearly a blueprint for so much of what came after it, but it also sounds quite dated in a way that a lot of stuff that came after it doesn't. 3 defeated sucka MCs out of 5
They've hit on a great sound and are good lyricists but it's very samey
I wanted to like this more than I did. The minimalist instrumentals were a bit grating for me, but it's no doubt fundamentally influential 1980s hip hop. Feel bad giving this a 3 but it just didn't lure me back.
Is the algorithm front-loading us with early NYC hip hop, or does it just make up a huge amount of what we're going to listen to? Compared to De La Soul/Public Enemy I am both more aware of Run-DMC's full body of work, and less into it. Not to detract from the historic nature of this album (basically the first hit rap album, paving the way for diss tracks), but I think this is a 2, it's just too dated. If you're talking about the Wright Flyer flown at Kitty Hawk as a great plane, you mean that it was the first plane -- not that it was good at flying. Even Run-DMC were sounding more interesting than this a few years later. Rock Box is decent, though.
It's dated - but can't deny how ground breaking it was for the time.
I get that this is a pioneer album for rap, and though I like a lot of rap, I just found that this album doesn’t hold up. It’s not bad, it’s just not amazing. The raps are decent, but the beats are simplistic and repetitive.
Old school
..their rhymes might have gotten stale. Might be sending them back in 30 days 😭
имбаааа
B+
Not really my thing, I found it boring
5/10- The influence and the Adidas aura are not enough to make me come back to any of the songs. Salute on laying the foundation and making hip hop relevant and mainstream.
I respect this album more than I like listening to it. You can hear how influential this is, but I am not saving any songs off of it. 5/10
3.5 Cool to hear the influence that this would have for hip-hop going forward.
4.5 Not tricky to rate at all
Pretty good. 4 stars
So amazing!!! 5 *
3/5 - Great beats throughout and super important historically from what I can tell, but the lyrics and flow just don't hold up that well. Enjoyed the whole album, especially the dynamics with the vocalists, but not enough to listen to again
classic
At face value it would feel like this is a really straight forward and simple albums. Compare the mixing and rapping to what we have today and you might feel like this is a pretty rudimentary album, but if you dig into it you'll learn that this was a groundbreaking entry. It paved the way for how rap and hip hop was going to be made moving forward. What's interesting is that you can kind of imagine this sounding like Beastie Boys if you think hard enough. What's also interesting about this is you can tell in later tracks how much they grew up and matured their sound, but working with next to nothing to produce this is an incredible feat
Much better than i expected but very samey
unlistenable soz
Expected worse. Yes extremely dated but after a weak start soms great songs start to come up.
Great album and groundbreaking for rap music!
1: Wake Up 2: Its Like That 3: Jam Master Jay
ohh the clunkiness
Did not age well. 2/5
Pretty interesting to hear their oldest stuff, although I don't feel like they really hit their stride until Raising Hell a few years lady. Still, to this doc Run-D.M.C. is undeniable hip hop legends.
Dated, but it's cute how they rap. Just two best buds finishing each other's sentences 😀
This is not my faourite era of hip-hop as the beats and rhymes can be a little too rudimentary. Certainly the production dates it to that time as much 80s production did across music. But there's tunes here and theres no denying the influence they had throughout rap, moving into a harder street sound, and beyond as the first to combine rock and rap, on the early rap-rock and nu-metal artists.
Lyrically sound and important Musically like two teenagers with a casio and are really proud of finishing each other's sentences. I get that minimalism is the aim, but it's not for me. There are like three sounds total throughout this album. 4.5 / 10 Best track: It's Like That
This name brought back childhood memories of my dad taking me to elementary school. I vividly remember myself, my twin. And my dad is jamming out to It's Tricky. That's all I really knew about them and 'Walk This Way'. BUT after listening to this album, it truly made me miss the cleverness that past hip-hop artists had. Deadass, what is a doot doot?? love 6 7 but OHMYGOD PLEASE BRING RAP BACK TO ITS GLORY AGAIN! I was in the shower to the album, and I remember saying "Whoa, that's clever!" to one of the recurring lyrics in 30 Days. "And if you find that you don't like my ways. Well, you can send me back in thirty days." Anyway, a 5/5 solid album, like PEAK, and a shoutout to Queens, New York, for reproducing one of the greatest duos of all time.
Wake up, get up— vision of a world working as team, it was just a dream
Está bueno. Buenos ritmos de hip hop y rap, arreglos padres y en general un buen rato.
Suuuper dated rapping, but their voices sound great. And the beats/production is surprisingly great thanks to Jam Master Jay and producer Russell Simmons
This doesn't age well. As a product of its time, sure. But so slow and juvenile. Firmly believe they have a pass for Walk This Way.
So poor, except maybe It’s Like That
It's like that, and that's the way it is.
Honestly, this record and this era of hip hop is very hard to listen to. I know people are going to say “yeah, but they paved the way to where we are in music” - but to me, that’s like saying they are on the same level as a group like the Beatles. And that is just ridiculous to put the two artists on an equal pedestal. The phrasing hip hop had in this era is kind of laughable. I’m very happy this genre has drastically evolved. Even though it’s had a lot of highs and lows since… but this is just not fun to listen to. I’m not even a huge hip hop fan. I would honestly say I don’t really care for the genre outside of a few artists. I’m definitely not the demographic for this type of music but at least my review is honest. I was shocked that I liked a Kanye West record while doing this list. Hip hop isn’t completely hopeless for me. But this record is just boring, repetitive, and uninspiring. Each song sounds like the last.
This was fun although I feel like once you’ve heard one song you’ve heard them all. My favourite lyrics 😂 I'm gonna give you everything that you ever need If you need a pint of blood, then I'll even bleed If you're lookin' for a car, I will buy you two And if you're lookin' for a pet, I'll buy a kangaroo
Despite the fact that this is a foundational hip hop album, the rhymes are super dated and the beats are quite basic. Sucka MCs is the first diss track ever, but the lyrics are so generic that it feels corny.
As Rap albums go, this is a good kickoff for the genre.
non male la dinamica tra i due ma suona troppo vecchio, troppi bassi e troppe poche melodie per i miei gusti
As the history of hip hop goes, there was before Run-DMC first album and after. That’s how seminal this record was.
Pretty good
No świetne. Historia rapu. 5/5
p517. 1984. 1 star. I appreciate how influential it is, but at the end of the day it's rap, and I don't like rap. It's also badly dated.
I was annoyed by the first song, seemed very repetitive, but as the album went on I enjoyed it more. Not a huge fan but I understand how people enjoy it.
Definitely 1980s, and sounds the same after a while, but it's a good sound. Favorite track: Rock Box
I expected this to be more fun! I like Run-DMC, and I dig their chemistry. But the album didn't really do much for me. Run-DMC the artists get a 4; Run-DMC the album gets a 2.
I found this album quite pointless. It may have historical significance I'm uninitiated to, but I do know one thing: DK Rap. This album was probably ruined for me as it sounds intensely goofy if your mind is centered on a collection of polygon apes. It also didn't resonate with me very strongly on an emotional level. I feel no need to ever hear this agian.
This takes me back to the times when rap was known as electro in the UK . Thanks to the great albums electro 1-7. This is a good record but also feels a little sparse to what rap, sampling and scratching would become - Feels almost punk in places but I'm Not sure it is required in the 1001 albums . “It’s like that” is head and shoulders above the rest It could be a 3 to fit with my I like that enough to buy on vinyl ( I already do )- but I think I’m being generous It’s not a 2 as I like listening to early hip hip - check out the amazing Soul Jazz Records Presents YO! BOOMBOX - Early Independent Hip Hop, Electro And Disco Rap 1979-83. That’s good enough for 3 double albums but this is not as great as they will turn out to be.
5/10 Favourite: Rock Box Least Favourite: Hard Times
This one actually put me to sleep, it's like it's entirely composed of keyboard presets. No energy.
raw, minimal, powerful
Old school rap
Classic rap
I understand that for the time this was very innovative, but this is very dated. As someone who’s not a fan of hip hop, I can’t quite make the connection for artists that were likely influenced by Run DMC. Everything sounds the same, it’s not bad but just not great.
I think I've said this at least half a dozen times by now, but almost all the old hip hop (pre '90s, let's say) on this list is incredibly dated in how monotone the rapping is, and this is no exception. Crazy instrumentals on Rock Box and 30 Days are the only memorable parts of this, at the end of the day. (Thankfully instrumental versions of both exist on YouTube!)
I get that it’s foundational
it may sound old and far from what hip-hop sounds like today; but I actually found it refreshing
Great.
I never loved Run DMC, but it is fun to go back and hear the mail they made.
In 1984, this was seminal, and has influenced just about every hip-hop artist since. This is the original sound of hardcore hip-hop moving from the underground scene, and bringing it towards the mainstream. The problem is that the whole genre has developed so much since this album came out, that it sounds very basic, and totally of its time.
Very direct. Fun.
In the context of when this came out, it's incredible how innovative this sounds compared to the Message, which only came out a couple years before. The flip side is how fast the genre kept innovating that this record became dated only a few years later when Eric B & Rakim, De La Soul, etc came along. Still a great record, but it definitely serves more as a snapshot of rap at the time it was released.
Run D.M.C. may not be talked about as much as they should for their influence on Hip Hop in general, but these guys were truly pioneers far ahead of their time in helping craft one of the first blueprints of what Hip Hop would become today over 40 years later. Calling this album cheesy and a product of its' time is such a basic and yet completely correct complaint that I both shame anyone for saying but also nod in agreement. It sucks saying such an influential project is no longer a worthy piece of music to hear due to how poorly it has aged, but truly that is how it feels listening to Run D.M.C.'s self titled debut. I have a lot of respect for this album, but next to no patience with it in the year of 2026...
Never truly listened to a lot of their stuff but every time I hear them i rock out with it. These guys are true hip-hop masters.
My younger brother used to be a big fan of Run-DMC. I found one or two tracks quite interesting too. I couldn't find any of that on today's album. It's just hip-hop. I still can't get into it. 1/5
I totally get how seminal this was but it hasn’t really stood the test of time. I was wiggling my hips to the beat but the beat is pretty much the same in every track and it’s all a bit too shouty
good
It is interesting to hear the early outings of hip hop compared to what we hear today. Thoroughly inoffensive, heavy disc scratching, super cheesy lyrics, it’s just about as 80s as you get. It’s like the entire industry was still learning flow. Not sure why they introduced themselves in each song. They definitely felt a need to tell us it was, in fact, them on the mic. And, yes, I get it, you dislike “Succah MCs” and love rhyming “Queens” and “Greens”. I mean no disrespect as hip hop is not what it is today without Run DMC, but this album is painfully dated. This has a special place in history, but the early days of any newer media is often still trying to find itself, which leads to some defined growing pains.
Old. School. Unfortunately stylistically has aged terribly but it is charming
This is a weak 3. It’s hard to get really into this type of rap, since the beats are so simple and the raps aren’t all that different song to song. But it’s clearly incredibly influential and important so gotta give it respect.
It’s amazing to have been around for the creation of rap/hip-hop. Listening to Run-DMC’s debut album when it came out in 1984 must have blown people's minds….and made a lot of people angry. Hip-hop still tends to make people angry even today. Run-DMC was in the orbit of one Rick Rubin, who was both a hip-hop fan and a heavy metal fan. I’m convinced his pairing of rock guitar with rap made it more accessible to the white audience. It’s hard to hate on a rocking guitar riff. Rock Box is the big one off this album. The guitar playing on it was nice and heavy for the time and became the first rap video played on MTV, which is amazing. MTV wouldn’t even play Michael Jackson without a little blackmail thrown in. Then Michael Jackson, along with Madonna, made MTV. It certainly wasn't Mick Jagger and David Bowie. I digress. The first single off the album was It’s Like That. I’m quite certain I must have heard that at the time because it feels like I’ve always known it. Maybe I saw it on MTV as a kid. It got to number 15 on the Hot R&B chart. Yes, listening to the album now, it sounds quite corny. It sounds like what most black folks probably believe white folks sound like whn rapping. It doesn’t quite hold up to the advancements made in hip-hop, though I’d argue hip-hop has regressed to mumbling and ambient beats. But I’d wager that if you put these tunes on at a party, people would dance and cheer. This album is included on the 1,001 list almost specifically because of its historical significance. This album birthed hip-hop. Yes, the rhymes and beats are simple, for the most part, but at the time, no one outside of people in clubs and at block parties in New York City had ever heard rap before. I first discovered Run-DMC on MTV with the amazing Walk This Way with Aerosmith. It blew my mind. I was in middle school, and I ended up buying Run-DMC cassettes to give as gifts to a few friends. I did the same when I first heard Guns ‘N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction. Run-DMC were so good and so new, I wanted the credit for spreading it through Ohio County Middle School. In the end, this is an essential album to hear, though you must get into the right mindset. This was most of America’s introduction to rap and hip-hop; in fact, specifically, Rock Box was white America’s introduction to rap and hip-hop. This album belongs in the Smithsonian to be preserved for the rest of time. Now, will I be listening to it again? Probably not, I’ve got enough to last me for another 40 years.
Catchyyyyyy
can imagine this blowing peoples minds in the 80s
I have clearly not given Run-D.M.C. enough credit for how they shaped hip hop. My god this album is good, as was their other album on this list. They're good, solid rappers and have really catchy songs. I can guarantee I'll have "30 Days" stuck in my head for weeks. "It's Like That" is iconic, but "Hard Times" and "Rock Box" were great too. Not a weak track on the entire album.
4/10 весело було перші 2 хв потім я поняла що весь альбом буде звучати так і мені перестало бути весело
Great album even though not a Massive hip hop fan , however grea5 album which brought this genre more into the main stream , very listenable and good to dance to
Like the genre itself, I sort of went through a natural evolution with my hip-hop tastes, and that started with Run-D.M.C. I was obsessed with these guys when I was younger (mind you, we were WELL past the 80's at this point in time). Something about 80's hip-hop drew me in, and Run-D.M.C. specifically caught my ear with their simple beats and clean, yet tough, lyrics. One can argue that the rap rock genre fusion got its start here, with "Rock Box" representing the first big hit in that regard (and the highlight of this album for me). Lest I also forget to mention "Sucker M.C.'s" as being recognized as one of the first diss tracks in hip-hop too. Yeah, not hard to see why this is considered a landmark release in hip-hop ("Hard Times" to "It's Like That' is one hell of a run to start the album, I must add). Sure, I will admit that Run-D.M.C. sounds pretty primitive in multiple regards nowadays, and thus they might not get the respect they deserve as a result. Nostalgia can hit like a truck though, and while I don't find myself lsitening to these guys much anymore, they still hold a special place in my heart and in hip-hop as a whole.
Groundbreaking early 80's "hardcore" hip hop. A departure from the good time rap style of the day, more raw and streetwise. The beats are very machine sounding and a bit tinny compared to todays sounds. The blending of rock and rap were very forward thinking and an inspiration for many future bands. Overall it is very catchy and worth an add to any collection for the history of a genre.
Loving the grooves & beats on this album, and the old-school (some would argue out-dated) verses add a charm to the album that I feel adds to the listening experience. It’s got attitude, energy and a vibrance that ultimately makes it really fun to listen to, if you don’t take it too seriously. Despite a couple of moments where it maybe felt repetitive and a bit tired, it’s a strong 8/10 for me.
From the first few seconds I knew I'd enjoy it. Sure it's simplistic in hindsight, but it was ground breaking at the time. I'm only knocking it down to a 4 because they went on to make better albums.
2.5
This is a very clear 3.5 for me. The production, flow, and lyrics are all very dated. But this was the first album of the first intellectual rap group. Without Run-D.M.C., you don't get Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, or even something like Rage. They were so influential and ground-breaking it totally overcomes everything else. Influence 5. Quality 2. Intangibles 5. Hits 2. I respect my elders 4.
Beastie Boys took this style and ran. This doesn't age well, but it's not awful.
Old school hip hop
This wasn't really my genre, but I think I can appreciate old-school hiphip. I didn't love this, but I didn't hate it. It was better than average for the era, but it didn't blow me away and I was ready for it to be over at the end. Three stars.
I understand the historic significance of this album, I'm going to focus the rest of my words on how it feels to me. Because that choppy '80s sound usually bugs me, but there's something about the production on here that integrates really well with their Vocal Chore- Ogra- PHYYYYY I also find it cheesy, but as a founding structure of hip-hop, I can't hate on it too much. I appreciate it's a short listen, it's fun and packs a quick punch, just a spurt of energy. I'd buy this record. 3.3/5
6.0
Such a simpler time for hip-hop, but fun to listen to get perspective on how much it has changed since. Easy, quick listen.
Classic Rap/Hip hop. Good stuff.
You almost have to give this at least 4 stars based on its influence and because it (in my opinion) still holds up so well after 40 years. Yes, the beats and synths here are firmly rooted in the mid 80’s, but it’s striking how relevant the lyrics and vocals are to modern rap music. Several songs still slap musically: It’s Like Than and Wake Up are particularly strong tracks for me. It’s minimalistic and has a heavy focus on the vocals, which I think is great. There were better hip hop albums to follow, but this is an incredibly important part of the zeitgeist.
i didn’t like this one very much, i thought their other album was better
It's like that
Impact-wise this is likely a five star. But even within the Run-D.M.C. catalog it may not be their most exemplary work. Highly suggest listening to it but if you had to pick a single album from the,, it’s going to be Raising Hell. But then listening to this tells you where it all started.
I know that run dmc are like one of the main staples when it comes to artists that made rap and hip-hop mainstream but good lord this album is bad. I skipped through half of it because everything sounded the same. Kinda like when a kid plays with the toy piano. 2/10
This one wasn’t as good as the last Run-D.M.C. album. First half was ok.
I’m familiar with a lot of melodic rap or modern production in hip hop so seeing where it came from or the earlier stages of rap was enjoyable and fun
HA! I think I'll enjoy this album. Def never heard any of their albums front to back. Meh. 2 stars.
Not as good as their later stuff, but still half-decent. I like the classic hip-hop style and sound, and this album is the prime example. Yeah, it doesn't go anywhere exceptional, and sounds very dated listening 40 years on with 40 years of hip-hop gone by. The beats are basic and the flow is predictable, but still, doesn't mean it's bad. Decent enough.
This album is a pillar in the Hip Hop community. While they didn't spit the most dynamic verses, it's fun, house party music as the duo feeds off of each other. Favorite Track: "Rock Box".
6/10… hip hop / *1984
Primordial hip hop. Interesting from a historic perspective.
It's good for me, 'cause I like that hip hop shit. But it really feels outdated: the beats, the sounds. Huge respect to the guys anyway. 3/5 —————————————— Liked: — Rock Box — Wake Up — 30 Days
3 and only because of its historic relevance, because honestly it sounds pretty dated.
Raising Hell is the album I'm familiar with. I think this one is better. Of course it's dated. It's literally old school.
Great to finally hear this, I’ve known how influential this was for a while but never listened to it until now. I thought it was really good but definitely dated which is to be expected but still brings the album down a bit, for 1984 though it feels like it should have sounded more dated than it actually did. It feels very Beastie boys at times with the punchy rhythms and back and forth between the 2 mc’s (obviously inspiration to them). The political commentary was cool as well and I could see how this could have led to these themes being brought across into future hip hop albums, that and the concept of diss tracks and hardcore hip hop. The blend of rock elements with the guitar on Rock Box and the synths help keep it fresh although it did sound a bit plain sometimes with just drums and vocals but it did make it sound more punchy. Favourites: all. Overall: 8/10.
Did not like it lol
Hip-hip pioneers produce a record so 80s, you can see the neon leggings. But in a good way.
not my style, but i'm glad i listened to it
debut album of run-d.m.c., and it's a pretty important and early example of fusing rap with rock. in-your-face rhymes, guitar chugs to keep the rhythm and FAT drum machines make this an album perfect for blasting in your car. there's no doubt that these guys have lots of chemistry even from the get-go. and some of these tracks will literally make you bounce with every THUMP of the bass. this album is a little... dated. the earlier grandmaster flash levels of hip hop (which older generations call TRUE hip hop and not the vulgar evil stuff) to me, while engaging is a little corny. you can rag on how different and how r-rated 90s hip hop was, but i'll take cool beatflips and conscious, emotional vocals rather than some dude playing with a yamaha dx7 and a drum machine and going "hip hop! it's the hippest of hop! we hippity hop, we hoppity hip, we dance and we pop and we shoot some hoops! hippity hippity hop hop! ah ha ha, ah ha ha!" stop spamming the clap button. don't get the wrong idea though, this album is good.
Extremely outdated sound. I understand it was influential, but it's not pleasant now
Run DMC's music I think is one of, if not the best example of something that absolutely deserves respect for being so influential, but by today's standards has aged really badly. Just the whole style, the rapping, the rhymes, the production, everything. It's so dated and even a bit cringe at times, definitely something I'm glad to have heard for it's significance in the history of hip hop, but not something I would ever choose to listen to.
Not something I expected to be as creative as it was sonically. I don't know much about this style of music, it was certainly interesting to hear this album. I'm not sure it was something I would listen to again but if I did hear any of the songs I'm sure they would be just as enjoyable. The opening and closing songs were strong
Nostalgia! Man, listening to these jams brought me back to my bad ass youth. I felt so fucking cool listening to this album, although I does fee a bit dated.
Liked it, interesting to here the early beats of Hip hop
Loves me some Run-DMC
Bizarrely this sounds quite novel for today but it does test the patience. The same vocal style, deliberate I know, over various musical motifs, twiddle or crash bang.
Lovely
Torture... glad it was short
Hard times is still do relevant
No es mi tipo
I feel like I listen to a part of history. A vintage hip hop album for sure. A great listening 3/5
It's just like that. That's just how it is
I think 40 years of hip hop developing after this album being released hasn't done it any favours.
Pretty corny all around. No clever wordplay, no grooves, no interesting production decisions. Probably impactful at the time but doesn’t hold up.
Not normally my type of music but quite enjoyed this album
Fun ? Liked it overall but every song sounds the same. idk if that’s bad in this case because i don’t find it particularly annoying or anything
I didn't enjoy this one as much as their other album. The songs here sounded very dated 3 ⭐️
Have you ever had this ugly ass specimen of a classmate that grew up into a crazy hot chick? This album is that guy
This is so bad. I genuinely cant listen to this without every song sounding like different introductions in the DK Rap
Very, very dated. The call and response, ending each others sentences gimmick really grates after a while. This was clearly an important and influential album, but it ends up sounding very simplistic and old.
Best Track - "It's Like That"
An album I've been meaning to check out for a very long time, an early hip-hop staple that's considered to be revolutionary for the genre - and I'm not really sure how I feel about that sentiment. I do think golden-era hip-hop has a very unique and charming sound that wasn't translated at all into the '90s when the sounds of the genre shifted drastically, and this album partially encapsulates that. The beats here feel more deliberately programmed, clearly drawing from the sounds of rudimentary house and techno music that were growing alongside hip-hop at this time - especially on a song like 'Jam-Master Jay'. But the biggest thing is just the sheer lack of samples flying in and out on this thing, something that's usually an '80s hip hop staple that contrasts the more repetitive nature of '90s hip-hop production (which I love also, still). Run DMC deviates from groups like Public Enemy, De La Soul, and The Beastie Boys when it comes to sample selection. There's a satisfying level of simplicity behind the music here, and I'd say that Jam-Master Jay's production style falls more in line with the sounds of the earliest DJs and founding fathers of hip-hop like Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa. Some cool production moments here include the live-recorded electric guitar on 'Rock Box', the detuned, blaring synths and 808 of '30 Days', or those bright synth hits on 'It's Like That' - a super catchy tune. You'll still get samples and record scratching here, of course, most evidently on the closer 'Jay's Game', but it's certainly not the focal point here, with it taking a backseat to the keyboards and drum machines usually. The rapping is pretty basic, which is to be expected of this time, with the anthemic, bar-conscious, back-and-forth style that guys like the Beastie Boys loved. I enjoyed it for the most part, especially on the song 'Rock Box' which felt like a more slick and progressive take on that style. 'Sucker M.C's' was a nice break from the constant call-and-responses of the album, with the whole track spotlighting both MCs just going off on this simple drum-machine beat - it's an effective demonstration of how stripped-back this genre can get. Lyrically, it's pretty standard battle-rap type stuff, say for maybe the togetherness-anthem that is 'Wake Up' that I found only slightly annoying on the production front. So did I actually enjoy this? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did, the album just flew by, for one, and for two, I do think this album sticks out in the golden age hip-hop era and really highlights a time where hip-hop wasn't afraid to heavily draw from many adjacent American subcultures. I'd say this album and 'Licensed to Ill' show two different sides of that same coin, and that's always super cool to listen to.
Respect them for being hip hop trailblazers but this aged like milk. Sounds like 1 long song. Finishing each other's sentences for old real quick.
Another nostalgic fave. I love how simple and stripped down the music is. It may seem too basic in comparison to the rap music made today, but it’s an easy 4/5 from me.
I liked Wake Up
Klasse 80s Hip Hop aus dem so viel hervorgegangen ist und inspiriert wurde.
Proto-HipHop. Inzwischen etwas aus der Zeit gefallen für meinen Geschmack, aber natürlich revolutionär und teilweise gute Songs dazwischen. Scranton. What? The Electric City
Oooof just so old feeling
This is the first full Run DMC album I’ve listened to and I was happy to find it had the same fun energetic feeling as the songs I’ve heard. Would happily listen to it again.
Niektóre nawet git ale nie będę tego albumu ani piosenek słuchał.
“Rock Box” is great. The rest is okay.
I liked this one more than their later albums because it sounds fresher, prob cause it is. Everything else just sounds repetitive.
Too old skool, feels v synthetic.
Minimal, tough as nails, guitar samples - one of those records, like Nevermind, that made everything before seem old-fashioned.
I recognize the importance of this album to hip hop. I enjoyed it. But it got old fast.
This was really good. The 84 flow takes a bit of getting used to, but the beats are banging and the messages behind many tracks are on point. Will listen again.
It was a little goofy at times ngl… but I had fun!