Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Boring and repetitive. Not for me.
A couple of big tracks on here. It was better than I thought it would be, only let down by that ancient drum machine, which I suppose was a mid range model back then. Those electro hand-clap sounds running through most of the songs got very wearing and dated the album to the mid-80's.
A giant leap forward in production, a big step back for rapping. One of the first albums to have that huge drum machine sound. I love the guitar samples on this. And of course, this is the first step toward hardcore hip hop. That, however, is still a long journey ahead. Where this falls flat is the one place they're not innovating, the flow and technique.
I'm not a big Run D.M.C fan. I know that they pioneered alot of the music I love today, but the slow drum beat, slow chopped lyrical delivery is a format that isn't for me. 3/5.
I don't really like hip-hop but this album is different.
Already listened.
fuck yeah
Surprisingly I feel the same about this as I did about Buddy Holly - clearly very important and influential, but also incredibly dated and not actually that fun to listen to. Another 3 for importance
Again a little out of time now, but clearly influential and some all time classics.
I especially like Wake Up
So minimal, my nearest frame of reference is probably Suicide. Must be the same drum machine or something. A game changer. Do I prefer Tougher Than Leathers more maximalist approach? Yes. But the latter wouldn't have been possible without this first.
exceedingly repetitive, still pretty old school
Very 80s. It gets boring. Seminal album though.
Hip hop pioneers deliver the goods.
A great example of classic early hip hop. Unfortunately, the music feels very dated, but it's still good to revisit and parts still work. 'It's Like That' is the stand out track by a large margin, though it's not as good as the fantastic Jason Nevins remix.
Definitely dated but also definitely an album that should be on this list due to their influence. Love Run-DMC!
I really didn't expect to find this somewhat boring, but I did. It is definitely of historical interest, though.
Old school hip-hop? Yes, please! Although this is right up my alley, I had never given it a listen. I am glad that I have now experienced it, but it will not be a favorite of mine.
Run-D.M.C. is fun and they've got a unique sound. It's good.
I can do another old-school rap album… might get a little same-y but the runtime keeps things moving along nicely.
An album so influential that it kind of sounds cliche and boring, even though it was the originator
Dated. Influential and groundbreaking but dated. Interesting document of an era and I guess I did needed to listen to it before dying, but won't be listening again.
Actually preferred this to a lot of the more contemporary and heavily produced hip hop.
I understand the importance of this album and the influence it has had on people. That being said, I found it boring and repetitive. Listen to if you are a hip hop fan! But for someone like me, all the songs seemed to sound exactly the same somehow. I appreciate the messages behind some of the songs, but the same style of vocal delivery gets old after a while. 2/5
Saturday Afternoon Classic Hip Hop Listening Party is a hit. Enjoyed this one, good production. Like a lot of music that was groundbreaking 40 years ago, the hardness has been eroded by the changing context, and I can't access that past.
It strikes me that to this day every time white people try to do an ill-advised rap song about like how to check out books from a library or why Jesus is cool to try and relate to kids they are still entirely influenced by Run. I can’t wait for the day that a municipal water conservation effort tries to bring awareness to itself via rap but instead it’s like dirty south hip hop as an influence instead
This was generally pretty good! Tbh I didn't really listen to a ton of the lyrics, but "Rock Box" sounded cool. It never got annoying, and although the beats were very simple, the songs always ended right as they were about to become too repetitive for me.
still gestating here but an amazing debut nevertheless
I loved this old school rap, the rhythms and the energy. It's a very influental album that started everything. But it sounds a bit dated here and there.
Shite
Ne
kinda all sounded the same.
It's hard to put oneself in the context of hip-hop of 40 years ago, knowing how far Run D.M.C came after this. Having said that, I really appreciate how this is them pretty much stripped to their essence, and I really like the anger and vindictive spirit of this album, and the sort of "pulp" sound is something that really hits the spot for me. In summary, even the songs that aren't as good have me engaged and entertained so it pretty much has all I ask for in a hip-hop album.
I get it. Pretty revolutionary. I enjoyed Raising Hell more.
see on demo mitte plaat
Some solid pioneering rap n rock beats. Hearing it now, their rapping feels so slow. Probably not appeciated nearly as much as should be.
Stakkato beatz and so is the MC-style. Bone dry and minimalist. Mostly too monotone but has its moments.
Shout out to the old heads.
Amazing the divide between this and public enemy. I used to mix these guys up all the time, but the difference is stark - Run DMC is firmly in the old school. Sillier by a lot, but still with social concsiousness, other rap standards. The back and forth rapping feels almost clunky sometimes! Though sillier - it is a lot of fun! and give this a thought. The next time someone’s teaching why don’t you get taught?
Aged like milk
Good golden age rap but dated in places
Not my jam, but the influence of Run-D.M.C. can not be denied.
Decent oldschool album, not familiar with any of these songs. I enjoyed their later “Raising Hell” album more but knew some of those songs. Definitely pioneered some of the hiphop genre
Hip hop grew up so fast. Got so much better... And worse oddly. But this is really fun to listen to now. So simple.
I never listened to this before now, so it's tough for me to think of it in context. But this came out in 1984, wow! Has to be one of the first new school hip-hop records of the 80s. It's a fun listen for sure.
I tend to get less out of "primitive" hip-hop than I do out of the origins of other genres, but these guys were clearly still so far ahead of the game. Even if some of their flows and rhymes sound elementary to our modern ears, their subject matter and lyrical intelligence are certainly next level compared to many of their contemporaries. Both Run and D.M.C.'s timbres work so well with Jay's beats, and their interplay is pretty clever as well. I currently have Raising Hell at a low 3.5 stars; this one could potentially get there, too. 3/5
Listened Before? N Absolute FIRE. These dudes are the real OG's of cool style and rap/rock crossover. What a time to be alive in the mid 80's with them, the Beasties and many others creeping around. All killer no filler here. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Rock Box
first listen imma be honest, i don't think this has aged well
Doesn't get more old school than this. I love how it is equally dark and fun at the same time.
The original Beastie Boys.
Released in 1984, but recorded in 1983. Incredibly before it's time. This album opened the door to a lot of hip-hop acts and help define the genre. It's fun and playful, but agressive and political at the same time. A very important album that deserves its place on this list.
Just not very good
Busy day quick review. Similar to your guy's takes on Africa Bambata before I joined. It's cool seeing the roots of Hip Hop, but I don't think I'd listen again.
Mood: excellent Setting: 74 degrees, biking along the Esplanade instead of working I listened to this right after I listened to the Tribe album which was a cool combo. Another classic hip hop album I had never listened to but thoroughly enjoyed. I don't know if I would really go back to this album since I would never choose a hip hop album to listen to out of everything, but I am really glad I listened. Are there any modern rappers anywhere near this good anymore? Maybe that's why I stopped listening to rap...
I've never listened to Run-D.M.C before, so I apologize if this is ignorant, but.... are Run DMC eating Beastie Boy's lunch? It sounds basically exactly like a BB album, down to the flow, the beats, and even their word choices? Who came first? Update: I had to look it up. They existed at the exact same time, in the same place, and were apparently great friends. They were both produced by Rick Rubin so maybe this was his doing somewhat? The album was fine, I probably wouldn't listen to it again. This sound isn't really for me. I can enjoy it for 1/2 songs, usually the hits, but then it just gets old. 5/10
Pleasantly surprised by this. You can draw a straight line from this to Bambata – and from there to Kraftwerk and 'Krautrock'.
So apparently I have completely misjudged Run-D.M.C. - their debut is catchy, creative and sometimes straight up industrial.
Run-D.M.C. came along with “Rock Box” and it changed everything.
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
Just not good.
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.
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.
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.
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🤷
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...
Just kinda shouting into the microphone with boring beats
“The next time someone’s teaching, Why don’t you get taught?” 😮
I think I heard the DK rap on there
no stand out songs
3.5
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
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.
Letkee ja päätä nytkyttävä. Toi piristystä työpäivään, joka on aina positiivista
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
Awesome early (1st?) hip hop/rap album by the kings. Good stuff!
This is what I expected when Raising Hell came up earlier in my queue. This album is corny as hell. I see exactly why this popped off. It's perfect for the time it's from but we can throw away this cheese now. It's moldy and smells funny. Let's be glad they made much better albums we can still enjoy to this day.
2.5*
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.
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.
Unique sound, but boring and not musically pleasing.
One of the first, one of the best
...uhhh, gruselig und einfach nur schlecht. Schade, dass man einen Stern vergeben muss, um den Vote abzugeben.
King of Rock is the better album but considering this one came before it might be more influential.
Classic hip hop album, some great tunes on it. Really cool record, a bit of old-school throwback, always nice to listen to.
No va.
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.
Kind of boring and monotanous - The first song was great but after that they all sounded alike. I like that it was short. 2 stars
It's like that, that's just the way it is
Incredibly not for me. Like looking back at early civilizations to see how they lived and finding I am thankful I don't have to live that way, Run DMC is that to me for hip hop. Cool to see where the roots of hip-hop started, but holy fuck do people still listen to this now? Crazy how popular their logo on t-shirts got. No way half those people are seriously going back and listening to this Run DMC.
I know this was a revelation in its time, but it felt so chaotic and overwhelming and yet really simplistic. It was hard to listen to straight through. It kept losing my attention and I hate that, because I love them.
Good
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.
Old school hiphop
Influential, but very dated.
Sounded pretty cool but I am not sure I’d ever choose to go back and listen again. Definitely prefer it to some of the more recent hip-hop albums I’ve gotten on here.
This is grandpa rap lol, I get it’s what broke into the mainstream but man is it a hard listen.
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.
I think this album has some very dated attitudes towards sucker MCs, and some of the sucker MC-phobic language is hard to listen to in 2024. I’m glad that in the 21st century, we are more accepting of sucker MCs thanks to those who have tirelessly campaigned for sucker MC rights.
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
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.
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.
Niet echt mijn vibe, maar opzich leuk
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
Just how many hip-hop albums are there in this list - too many in my opinion. Repetitive and boring.
Theme I'm noticing is that the first ones to do it sound corny to me, probably due to being copied due to their originality. Run-D.M.C sounds simple to me, basic even 4/10
Well it's hip hop
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.
Not aweful
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.
Famosa: Walk This Way (feat. Aerosmith) Le daré un 4, aunque son un poco pesados.
Their raps are kind of not that great. I don't wanna spread no hate. They won't sell out, or so they rap. Two albums later, Adidas ads. (probably not their best work but hey, everybody had to start somewhere. lots of love for these early Def Jam albums)
I appreciate the influence this album had on the evolution of rap music but this didn’t necessarily age the greatest for me. Found it to be just an ok listen, it got kind of boring.
This album has not aged well. I respect it for the impact that it had, but I am not a fan. The beats are paper thin, and their back and forth style is silly. 2/5.
Solid, not my fav
Too old shit
I don't think I'm a big fan of older rap styles.
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
It feels ike two friends having a great setup and having fun. I love it !
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.
It was important that somebody made a record like this around that time. Run DMC did it. Probably a big step in the evolution of rap music. But it sounds very outdated. Very bad by today's standards. If it wasn't such an important record, it would be a 1 star from me. There was one song that I didn't hate as much: Rock Box
Good classic rap album with solid beats and lyrics. Some rhyme schemes end unsatisfyingly but overall good listen. 4 stars.
It's weird.... I enjoyed Public Enemy, and I really respect early hip-hop. As a white boy, I'm most familiar with Run-DMC and Aerosmith teaming up. I expected to really love this, but it just didn't resonate. I can't place my finger on why. But even the hits didn't do it for me. I wish I had a reason, but listening to this one just fell flat for me.
Well this first RUN DMC Album was a snoooooozer. Rock Box was kind of innovative; mixing the rocking guitar lick with hip-hop, but the album as a whole was BORING.
Respect for paving the way for a new genre of music but it got a little boring for me
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.
3.4x enjoyable early hip hop, listened 2x
Ah, my college years.
True, early & raw. Perfect 80s hip hop if you’re looking for a benchmark or in the mood.
Way too much synthesizer drum machine for me
förstår att det här är gammalt och lite banbrytande så + 1 poäng för det.
These guys are good, but I don't really like rap! 3 stars
First steps to fame. Excellent debut.
I like the beat and lyrics.
Favs Sucker MCs - Like the flow here Wake Up - Like the piano melody and the wake up voice Good, but not sure I like the old-school hip-hop simplicity. I realize this is a forerunner, but need a little more complexity. I don't know much about Run DMC, but I know they have at least two songs where they mention their love of chicken and collard greens (Christmas in Hollis). I need to try classic collard greens.
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
5-
Los inicios del rap en un àlbum. Todos los tópicos están incluidos. No soy muy fan de este género, pero me hace recordar al Príncipe de Bel Air. Bastante repetitivas en mi opinión.
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. (⌐■_■)
Probably would have knocked a guy on his ass when it came out! Liked it about the same as the other one from this list, but they had definitely hit their stride a bit more on that one. Docking a star here and putting it on a Run DMC curve.
Sucks
Pfff. really old.
2 stars because it's not my thing but very important for the genre.
I like Run DMC but the raps and and breakdowns are a bit repetitive.
2/5 didn't like it
I get this album was revolutionary and there are some good tracks, but it gets repetitive and starts to sound the same pretty quick
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
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.
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.
A groundbreaking classic that still entertains.
Definitely on the better side of 80's hip hop, and more interesting than a lot of other hip hop in this list. Reminded me of the beastie boys.
was expecting more, but it was ok.
oof, idk if the problem's that this was an earlier album, or if the turnaround on being served another Run-D.M.C. album was just too short, making the novelty wear off, but I thought "Raising Hell" was delightful and that this one was really boring
Didn't listen, couldn't do it to myself - it was shite in the 80s, won't be any better now
3.5
Ok, this is sooooo dated but... it's pretty fun. 3.5 rounding up
Enjoyed the rawness and straightforwardness of the record. I'm not a rap fan, but I can appreciate the importance and significance of the release. It was groundbreaking for the time and opened the door for a wave of wannabe rappers. I can tolerate this in small doses.
Run DMC... old school hip hop.... 3 stars
Hard to believe this album is 40 years old. But then again, I'm old. So there you go. Anyway, this being the first album and one of the foundational albums of hip hop and rap, I appreciate the album... ...but the electronic percussion gets VERY grating. The keyboards don't help either. You want there to be more of a variation of that, but because of the limited technology, it just isn't going to happen. So the songs start to sound a bit same-y. But you have to hand it to Run-DMC, the song topics vary greatly. So the songs... _feel_ different. It was groundbreaking at the time, I remember it vaguely back when I was a teen. But it was the next few albums that I remember better. Songs I liked best: "30 Days," "Wake Up," "It's Like That," "Hard Times" And if you find that you don't like my ways Well, you can send me back in 30 days...
This is a big, pioneering album in rap and I love the combination of rap and rock like on the groundbreaking Rock Box (picture any Beastie Boys song and it can be traced to this song). But you can still hear the old stylings of typical 80s rap in the stilted way Run and DMC rap. And for as good as Jam-Master Jay is (particularly on the so-titled song), sometimes the beats are too simple and drum track oriented. I think Hard Times sort of captures those weaknesses, despite its quality lyrics and aims. It's Like That will always remain a classic and it does better than Hard Times at pushing lyrical and musical boundaries (rapping still a bit stilted). Other than the songs I already mentioned, Wake Up is the only other one I want to give a shout out to. I thought I would absolutely love this album but it's just good. Maybe 3.5 on its own but definitely rounding up for how it changed the whole rap genre.
I was a big fan of Run-DMC's Raising Hell growing up - listened to it a ton and will absolutely be giving that a 5 when it comes up on the 1001. This one shows they were moving in that direction early, but it's more sparse and undeveloped in comparison. Lots of rap history in the making on this album, but I feel it's a step below Raising Hell, fair or not. Favorite tracks: Hard Times, Rock Box (holy 80s guitar batman! But, again, it shows where they're going), It's Like That.
Such good craic
The more I listen the more it's growing on me, especially the heavy samples on Rock Box.
ich hasse run dmc und dieses album hat meine meinung nicht geändert kein flow fucking vanilla ice hatte mehr flow auf dem EINEN lied was erfolgreich war was zum teufel
Just because our ancestors eventually discovered fire and then roasted the first squirrel, unseasoned guts and all, does not mean that we can’t all agree that literally any cut of steak spoils that initial delight and massive advancement in human ingenuity. We can still appreciate them for taking that giant leap for mankind and embrace all that has come since.
Very good album. It was nice to listen to Run-DMC tracks that were new to me.
Fundamental listening when learning about hip-hop. Very influential. May seem dated today, but I’m glad I listened to it.
While elements of the sound do feel dated, can't deny that they changed the rap game, and set a course for rap to evolve into what we got over the coming decades. Still a great listen, takes you back to the golden days when rap began to get in your face.
Pretty decent
so like...fine I get they defined an era of music...and I get they are huuugely influential, but I just cannot get on with the style and formular of rap. I don't want to call is basic, but it feels very dated now. I wanted to enjoy this but I just couldn't
The originators! What would hip hop be without them? Run DMC is hip hop royalty. RIP JMJ
influential act in the early days of rap. while some of the songs do provide social commentary, the lyrics for other songs are kind of goofy. a fun listen, albeit very dated sounding.
Haha, this was a fun little time machine. I don't feel it aged particularly well, but it's not bad.
Not my style at all.
Mais um de rap, e Run-D.M.C já teve com o qual me interessava.
sentimental memories when we were young.., :))
Mindede mig en del om det andet album jeg lyttede til med dem.
I dig the rock influence in Rock Box. Makes me think of Beastie Boys. 2* for me; it's clear this album/group influenced much of hip hop going forward, but as an album I'm not sure I entirely dig it.
2.8/5 Damn, disappointing compared to the other one of theirs from earlier. Best track: Jam-Master Jay
no
"Run-D.M.C" is the self-titled debut album by American hip hop band Run-D.M.C. The genres are East Coast hip hop, hardcore rap and rap rock and the album is considered to be the first in a few of those categories. Sparse bears and aggressive rhymes. The band on this album was Jay Master Jay (percussion, keyboards), Darryl Mc Daniels "D.M.C." (vocals), Joseph Simmons "Run" (vocals) and Eddie Martinez (guitar). Commercially, the album hit #53 in the US and was the first certified gold hip hop album. A deep bass drum and handclaps open "Hard Times." They continue throughout the song. Synths in the background. Run and D.M.C. repeating hard times. The boys need a dollar everyday of the week. "Rock Rap" is considered the first rock rap song as Eddie Martinez lays down the guitar licks. More loud drums beats and bells added. They are masters of the mic. Run and D.M.C. deliver their best rapping on "Sucker M.C.'s (Krush-Groove 1) as they diss other M.C.'s. The first single released was "It's Like That." Slow deliberate beats with sparse keys. Considered one of the first hard core rap songs. A social protest song as they rap on unemployment and inflation. "30 Days" is more synth heavy. They are strutting their stuff and if you don't like it, you can send them back in 30 days. The album closes with "Jay's Game" and showcases Jay Master Jay with his beats, handclap percussion and especially his scratching. Compared to current hip hop production, some may consider this minimalist but to me this sounded fresh and relevant as ever. Aggressive and clear rapping. Deep, loud and deliberate beats throughout. Touching on social issues. Rightfully considered a classic and an album to definitely go back to.
Sounds a bit dated but nonetheless it slaps pretty good. The rhyme patterns and lyrics don’t jump off the page like that of their contemporaries but this’ll keep the party going certainly.
Pretty tame stuff, dated as well.
in 1984, rap was still at its very beggining and RUN-DMC was at the forefront of this emmerging mouvement. With this album they introduce hip hop to a larger audience with their very fashinable style and their rap influences The music was not really my kind but for the influence its a good album
V poho. Uspala som pri tom Dušu. 😉
What I love about this project: There are a lot of artists with the "big hits" like Its Like That. And I never listened to the rest of the record. It's nice to get some context to these hit songs.
So much fun to listen to rap as it should be meaningful and clean
That was a fun listen through. Lots of nostalgia, not mine mind you cause I never listened to this in my youth, but someone's nostalgia. 😂 It IS crazy to think what was coming later. Hip hop has had quite the evolution.
Wake Up!!
Has it's moments, sure it had more power on release than in 2024
This was actually pretty good.
These guys are probably the grandfathers of hip-hop and it's good to hear the early sounds of the genre. For me it's better than most of the new stuff I hear. I'm not going to say I'm the biggest fan but I know what I like and I like this.
Good beats. I'd listen again.
Woof. I was not expecting this to sound so dated. To their credit, this sounds like an album from 1992, so I guess they were ahead of their time (hence influential, hence why this album is on the list), but to me this one does not stand the test of time.
While this record is undeniably essential it doesn't scratch my hip-hop itch the way faster rappers do.
Production hasn't aged well but still a fun, enjoyable album.
Not my type of rap :/
I think you absolutely need to have a bit of nostalgia to enjoy this record. As important and groundbreaking as it is, hip hop music came a long way since then.
Not as cheesy as I thought it would be. Not every song was a banger for me, but they all at least had good beats, and I enjoyed the album as a whole. 7.2/10 Fav song - Rock Box
Fun, but very dated-sounding album.
An absolute classic. Run DMC was at the very beginning of Rap and hip hop. Basic sampled beats, some nice scratching and solid lyrics keep this album pumping from start to finish.
Kindafeel oblidged to give it a 3 despite it being quite a chore, but you really can hear the development of ideas that went on to build the genre.
Nothing wrong with a bit of Rundies in a play list but as an album it got a bit repetitive and samey.
Meh
Simple and fun!
Bit the same. Appreciate it was ground breaking at the time though
Respect. Loved it then and love it now. It’s Like That, and that’s the way it is.
I know this was groundbreaking in its day but I truly could not believe how corny and goofy this album sounds. If I heard this and nobody told me it was Run-D.M.C. I would assume it was a spoof of 90s rap.
Holy shit this feels so fucking dated, it’s incredible. Trying desperately to promote this new sound, but I just can’t take it seriously. I’m not saying it isn’t unique and original, but given what became of the genre, it’s hard to listen to seriously. 3/5
it’s about what it says on the label. pretty groovy.
Meh
1980s hip-hop can sometimes be heard to appreciate, because in many ways it sounds crazily dated compared even to the "golden age" of the 1990s. The beats tend to be a bit too clean and crispy, whilst the rhyming about your rhyme skills perfectly on the beat can seem corny in retrospect. Once you get over these things, damn this is a solid album. Jam Master Jay excels on really spacious production, where the electronic futurism of electro meets rock licks. "It's Like That" is a classic, but really everywhere you look there are little snippets of lyrics that echo down the halls of hip-hop almost four decades later in the form of countless samples and references and influences. But more importantly, the record just sounds fun and enlivening and maybe even fresh once you get over its anachronisms. 4*
Old school classic. Showing it's age, but still some grout breaking songs.
The start of one of the most inspirational groups in Hip Hop. It feels like they were still discovering their strengths and the flow is a bit janky at times. But still a good start and they improved it quite some on further releases! 7 out of 10
Ça sonne vraiment old school. Genre le premier album de rap ou ils ont découvert le drum machine. Pas encore de sampling mais beau de.drumbeat et de scratch. J'ai aimé mais.j'ai l'impression d'avoir écouté la même chanson pendant 40 minutes. 3.5
Whilst the rap vocal rhythms sound very dated now, in the mid 80s this must have been mind blowing. Relatively sparse, but varied, backing music and confrontational and socially conscious lyrics with a message promoting self improvement. Innovation runs through this record. 1980s Hip hop didn't sound like this. 'Rock Box' must be the first rock/rap crossover and 'Sucker M.C.'s' is apparently one of the earliest diss tracks. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: It's Like That Date listened: 02/10/23
Hip-hop rollazo. Un 2.
Famosa: Walk This Way (feat. Aerosmith) Le daré un 4, aunque son un poco pesados.
Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
Fun classic hip-hop album.
You can’t convince me this isn’t the height of cool, never to be reached again.
C’est une fois de plus pas ma tasse de thé, mais ça s’écoute bien. Un peu trop répétitif par contre
Not 100% my vibe but appreciate the guitar in "Rock Box", absolutely sick.
Another iconic album. Probably the actual one which made me understand just how close country and hip hop are in lyrical themes. Go to church. Stay out of jail. Be part of your community. Don’t have money? Get a job. Merle haggard, bill Monroe and hank Williams would approve. Nwa gets us to the other side of hip hop and country. (I can’t see a moral difference between ‘I put my gun against his head, said hey mofo, gonna shoot you dead' and ' I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die). But this is an important album and despite its flaws - some awkward flow and rhymes - hey, you invent a genre - is a worthy album for such a list.
A few historical and important tracks and shows their style. But is this their best album?
From the opening bars of Hard Times, you feel that this is gonna be special. It’s followed by Rock Box, which apparently broke new ground by mixing hip-hop with rock & doing it so well. I had not heard this album before, although I was very familiar with It’s Like That, which opens Side 2 & is so catchy. Such a great track. A really good record.
It's the first big hit album of new school rap (which sounds pretty old school these days). The minimal beats, occasional guitar and hard, staccato rapping style were massively influential and allowed Run DMC to cross-over to (white) rock audiences. It certainly worked for me. I was a white teenager in 1986 when Raising Hell was released. Walk This Way was the huge single and it caught my attention. I bought the 12" and the album which were amongst the first rap records released locally in Australia (other than a few singles that were almost regarded as novelty songs). I basically had Raising Hell memorized. I went to see Run DMC at Hordern Pavillion in 1988 (supported by Eric B and Rakim!), and they were awesome live. Run DMC's previous albums were basically unavailable in Australia for a looooong time, and so I never owned a copy of this, their first record, but I certainly was familiar with the classic tracks (Hard Times, Rock Box, It's Like That, Sucker MCs). How do I find the album as a listening experience these days? Well, a bit like I find the Beatles first record. It is exciting and important and massively influential, but not as compelling as their later work, especially when they had built their confidence in the studio. I _loved_ the minimal beats of this generation of rap in the 80s and their flow was hard, with the hand-offs between the Rev. Run and Darryl like precision clockwork (nobody really does that anymore). You can, however, hear how profoundly hip hop changed in the late 80s, with the increasing sophistication of sampling and the change in flow style (especially influenced by Rakim). Despite my love of Run DMC (who are the Beatles of rap), I'm not sure that this really holds up as a listening experience today. But massively influential and important, god bless Run DMC.
Den gode gamle hip-hop, indflydelsesrigt, blanding af politisk- og gangstertrap, oldschool
Som característico, hip hop e pa marcou uma época
I thought I was going to hate it. I, in fact did not. Pleasantly surprised. Still not really my jam, but better than I thought.
Hip hop not really my thing but run dmc are ok to listen to Seems a bit basic, little depth to the music. Only one song popped out "Like that" and I've heard better versions
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Rock box, It’s like that, Wake up
classic slice of old school hip hop. 4
Hip-hop changing debut album by iconic duo. Drum machine creates a new sound that is fairly minimal and repetitive but lets the duo's rapping be the centerpiece. Standout is "Rock Box", while "Wake Up" lyrics give an MLK-esque social commentary.
Pretty good early hip hop
Hip hop.. I don´t likør hip hop
An essential band for rap, even if this debut is no *Raising Hell*. As much as I am a fan of old hip hop, and as historically important tracks such as \"It's Like That\", \"Hard Times\" or \"Sucker MC's\" are, this record still sounds dated and pretty hokey in 2023, as other reviewers pointed out. Let's face it, 90s hip hop aged better. See A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul or Wu Tang Clan, for instance. And if earlier acts such as Public Enemy or NWA now also sound a little dated as well when it comes to the flows, their music and lyrics is still rich and sophisticated enough so as to elicit genuine interest, even from today's vantage point. Not sure you can honestly say the same miracle happens overall with Run-DMC, as well thought-out and crafted their legendary debut was. In other words, if hip hop was Michaelangelo or Da Vinci, a doodle drawn during its infancy would still remain a doodle compared to the Sistine Chapel's ceiling or Mona Lisa. Mad respect for the innovators that Run DMC were. But if this debut is a potential essential album, it will only be one found at the bottom of the final selection. 3/5 for the purposes of this list, translated to a 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5 + 2) Number of albums left to review: 451 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 256 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 132 (including this one, mostly for \"historical\" reasons) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 164
Okay much better stuff out there it's alright though
K so obviously run dmc was ahead of their time but…the bars sound goofy as hell by today’s standards lmao. Still gotta give 3 stars out of respect
Good album, especially the parts that didn’t get played on radio.
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.
A rosetta stone of hip-hop and a few cuts – especially "It's Like That" and – remain masterpieces (and master classes). They get lots of mileage out of a pretty simple palette and narrow toolkit. Remains powerful and a strong foundation for so much that was to come. Bonus points for historical significance, being first breakthrough in a major new genre.
Idk
Probably very influential, but not exactly my cup of Joe.
Hard to believe I didn't love this in 1983; I love it now. Happy birthday, Hip Hop! #HH50
This is definitely a piece of history and I can hear the influence that this album had on modern music. It’s still not a genre I enjoy, though.
Strangely wholesome and quaint
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.
Somehow I was more accepting of this album compared to ‘Raising Hell’. Not sure why, because it felt like it had less hits. But I think the annoying drum machine sounds were less prominent. Feels like a solid “in the middle“ album.
The second Run-D.M.C album from the generator and I really enjoyed "Raising Hell" a lot more than this . Still a pleasant listen but nothing more. There is something just fun with Run D.M.C and it carries through in this album too. Favourite song is "It's like that' which is just a step above the rest. But if you feel like listening to Run-D.M.C, go listen to Raising Hell for instead.
Awful. Probably inspired a lot of stuff I’ve subsequently like but I didn’t think much at all of the blue print.
Yeah I did not like that. Very samey structure and beats. You could listen to the first couple of tracks and get the point. Hard to believe this was once called 'hardcore rap'. Would have cut it more slack except Grandmaster Flash was around earlier than this and actually still sounds really good
Started off ok then got very repetitive reminded me of the offspring.
It started out good, but then for very repetitive. There were a few songs where the backing track was essentially the same, the lyrics were similar, and the flow/rhyming were the same.
Classic. Genius. Awesome. It all sounds the same after awhile tho, so I wouldn’t listen front to back too often. But can’t deny their talent.
Real cool
A hard decision, as stripped of context these sound like schematics of future bangers. Relentless, heavy, stark electronics, the rapping is glorious, but confusingly slow to today’s ears. Enthralling, but not entirely enjoyable. Intelligent minds forging something truly unheard: raw, earnest, bravely awkward.
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 just don’t like this kind of music
This is the only kind of rap that I actually like. Solid album
I'm to the point where I don't really want to revisit classic hip-hop albums because I'm afraid of how well they've held up. This one was a mixed bag. Best track: Rock Box
it was overall pretty good and not entirely what i was expecting and i think i enjoyed it more than thought i was of the impression it would be dissimilar to aerosmith because they were such a 'crazy' combination when walk this way was released and they were but they were not bad
Its aged really badly. Its a rough listen
I liked this
Own on Vinyl
Rock
Famosa: Walk This Way (feat. Aerosmith) Le daré un 4, aunque son un poco pesados.
I appreciate the simplicity of the production, and historical importance
Run DMC have always been sort of vaguely there in my life, but this is the first time I've listened to a full album. The beats are so stripped down! I found myself questioning who Run DMC are, because given the number of references to DJs and MCs you'd expect more turntableism - but I think what we have is maybe a couple of drum machines. Beats and flows is what this album is all about, and while I'm not super-fussed by some of the beats, the flows are always right up there. Run DMC are some of the rap pioneers, and still some of the East Coast's finest. Genre-defining and absolutely worth a place in the list.
Ganske chill
Good Hip Hop Album
Schöne trockene Oldschool Beats. Gut anzuhören, solange sie keine Gitarrensamples benutzen. 3-4
I really wanted to like this more than I did, but I just couldn't quite get there. There's some cool stuff for sure, It's Like That is a gem and Rock Box is a cool rock crossover song that seems to have been ahead of its time. That said, while I'm sure there's a lot of historical significance for what this did for the genre, it sounds really dated now. The thing where the two guys go back and forth like one line at a time and then sing some lines together just gets old quickly. One other nice/funny thing, the lyrics are almost hilariously wholesome throughout the album. Wake Up might be the most wholesome song I've ever heard, and they're also rapping about like going to school and not being prejudiced. It's a nice album overall with a couple of great parts, but altogether is not overly special to me. Favorite song: It's Like That Other: Rock Box, Sucker M.C.s (Krush-Groove 1)
Run DMC é o responsável pelo hip hop fodase
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 was quite excited for this one and even kept it to the end of a backlog... I was disappointed. It started well enough but after a few songs the lack of a different beat had begun to bore me. If I want inoffensive and shallow rap I know where to come now I guess...
It's kind of mad that this was considered a big leap forward for hip-hop, because it sounds every bit as dated Grandmaster Flash's debut. Neither the rapping style nor the production have aged well at all (except maybe Rock Box). I don't want to downplay its historical importance or some of the worthy lyrical messages but it's hard to hear this now and not just think 'how quaint!' 2.5
i get why this album is here but holy is it boring
Hard to listen to.
Great what a sequencer and something to say can achieve. Pretty good, and compared with more over produced records, very clean
Is what it is
Don't care.
Pretty good. Lots of songs sounded the same.
I get (and remember) the importance of the album at the time and the fact that this opened the doors for NWA, Wu-Tang, Tupac, etc. but the sound and songs haven't aged well.
Hip-hop rollazo. Un 2.
The creators of hippity hop