Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Funky rap. Good but not my usual music
this album was so fresh! the second run d.m.c. album i've heard, and their focus shifted from just hip hop and rap to, well, hip hop and rap but also with rock thrown into the mix! it was indeed a welcome and fun change of pace. their version of "walk this way" is iconic! the original song is good as it is, but run d.m.c.'s rapid, back and forth rapping compliments aerosmith's song so well. the sampling of "my sharona" subtly in the background of "it's tricky" was unexpected but exciting. and the periodic guitar riff in the background of the title song! damn, that was an excellent touch of the rock genre and showcases that rock and rap blend. finally, raising hell made me realize those beastie boys and run d.m.c. both dabbled in the sampling, hip hop, rock area in the mid-eighties. never quite made that connection before.
Even better than their debut! At this point, Run-D.M.C. has settled into their sound and know exactly what they're doing. The energy is HIGH on this album, and it is simply put, just really fun. Yes, it's a little cheesy, but that's okay. No it doesn't sound brand new, but it still sounds surprisingly fresh to me, all things considered. Where their debut album began the change of course for hip hop and hip hop infused music, this album was the mic drop on that movement. I think this rates a high 3 for me, so it's getting rounded up. Definitely an album that has earned its accolades, regardless of how you feel about the music or the genre.
groovy sound!
It’s McDaniels, not McDonalds These rhymes are Darryl’s, those burgers are RONALDS
Iconic.
Classic tunes
This took me right back to 1986, but I had never listened to the entire album until today.
Sure, it sounds a little dated, but this is one record that doesn't need to justify itself. The trade-off rhyme style is crazy fun, the energy is hype, and it's part of the reason that rap is so huge today. Favorite tracks: "It's Tricky", "Walk This Way", "Dumb Girl"
😈
Undoubtedly a great album that, unfortunately, sounds a bit outdated today. I guess it will survive being played worldwide for its historical importance, but I also think many hip-hop albums influenced by them surpassed its songs in quality. The curse of pioneers, I guess.
Find RUN DMC a bit overrated overall, their flow isn't great. However it's powerful music and the album is so good and absolutely rammed.
A huge improvement over their debut album, with beats never feeling empty between lines, and the flow between the two is also much improved. My only issues is that sometimes you can tell they found a soundbite they lacked and spammed that shit, and the fact that some lines are still ridiculously cheesy and outdated, although that does add to the charm in a weird way. Anyway, very enjoyable, so many hits here that are all deserving of such, and it feels like a soundtrack to a skating game from the PlayStation 1. Although, it is incredibly funny to me that they didn't actually want to collab with Aerosmith, and it was kind of forced on them. See? Even people profitting off Aerosmith don't like them.
classic record with many great songs!!!! its 4.5 imo
One complaint is the vocals just sound very distant, especially for a lyric driven rap album. Sounds like they were recording across the room from the mic at times Simple and sparse beats work well with the overlapping lyrics, big time hits spread throughout
Probably the first truly great rap album a bit front loaded but really good
4 Run-D.M.C. has some great tunes, but I didn’t realize they were all on the same album - and man, what a solid album. Right out of the gate, Peter Piper comes in swinging with a great showcase of the duo’s spark and synergy, but the true punch of the album follows with the trio of It’s Tricky, My Adidas, and Walk This Way. I’m not sure now it’s possible to dislike these songs, though I will admit It’s Tricky and My Adidas in particular hold a special place in my heart due to appearances in SSX Tricky and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, respectively. And Walk This Way? Come on, these guys make Aerosmith bearable, which is an achievement in and on its own. There’s a slight lull in the middle of the album with Is It Live and Perfection (though there’s something really cool to me about the boys rapping solely against a drum kit in the latter), but holy cow this album brings the heat again with Raising Hell (pun intended). As someone who had never heard the track before, I think it may have become my new favorite by the group. What the hell was their label on when they issued You Be Illin’ as a single over this? Not that there’s anything wrong with You Be Illin’ - it’s funny and I appreciated it topically just being about people playing themselves - but Raising Hell it’s miles ahead in every way. The album hits a low point with Dumb Girl, which is what I would consider far and away the worst song on the album, but finishes strong with Son of Byford, a song aware of the length of its charm (28 seconds), leading into the profound anthem Proud to Be Black. As a white dude, I’m aware this can’t probably resonate with me exactly the same as it would a person of color, but the song is such an effective reflection and celebration of black history that I think it can (and should) be enjoyed by anyone. Across the board, the production on this album is insane (shoutout to Rick Rubin), and I loved how just about every track seemed to be set against some form of live instrumentation. Admittedly, I don’t feel like it was particularly strong lyrically, especially for a hip hip album (I thought it was kind of funny they liked the lyric “These rhymes are Darryl's/The burgers are Ronald's” so much they used it on two different songs), but there’s no denying how insane the the flow and beats are, making this an overall very enjoyable listen. There are a couple misses that made me consider a 3.5, but I really don’t think the magnitude of the great tracks here can be understated, let alone the album’s impact on all hip hop music to come. I know we’re not grading on influence here, so I won’t take that into account, but if I were to do so I could very much see this being a 5.
You be Illin - best song on album
Overall a surprising nice album. It's early hip-hop and I liked it. I didn't know that tricky was on here. I liked how they incorporated the electric guitars. Walk This Way cover was fun good album overall
Far far better than the debut Run-D.M.C. album I got previously. A full realization of their sound that has 3 of the most famous hip hop songs of all time on it. 4/5
Run-D.M.C. is one of those formative hip-hop groups that I have heard of, but have never directly made a point to listen to. Peter Piper has a solid lo-fi beat. Digging the bells during the interlude, and the scratching. Interesting nursery rhyme interpolation to fit the theme. Its Tricky -- had no idea that this was Run-D.M.C.. Classic hip-hop song; solid energy that has that 80s rap cheese factor. Is It Live has some GoGo like vibes to it with the drums. Very fun. Raising Hell is a jam -- feels a lot like No Sleep Til Brooklyn with the guitar heavy beat. Lost focus through the last few songs, but they sounded okay.
Probably the first great hip-hop record, it's hard to hear as groundbreaking in a world shaped by what this crew put together. Spotify has a deluxe version that included some flow without instrumentation and I loved those bonus tracks
Loved this one. There’s so much classic hip-hop I’ve never heard
i really liked the first song
Nice
Lean and crisp and full-on legit. First few cuts make this a classic in the genre.
Great
What a cracking album. I loved it. It's Tricky reminds me of getting to know James. I think he introduced it to me and I listened to it so much and I still know all the words. It's a really fun album and balanced mix of more trivial songs and those that haveore depth
-this feels so much like beastie boys but. better -like. DAMN -TRICKKYYYY -HAD NO IDEA IT WAS BY THEM!!!!!! -favorites:it’s tricky, -walk this way is sick as hell -love a good screamy sing in a song -
classic that brings back great memories.
Really good. It’s Tricky and the Walk This Way remix are both incredible songs. I like all the rock they incorporated into their beats. 8/10
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Peter piper, It’s tricky, Walk this way, Proud to be black
So good!
Another fun album, like Beastie Boys in that sense. Hard to know how many songs I recognised compared to how many samples. Good album though, enjoyed it. Proper 80s. Not sure how fast Id be returning to this but enjoyed it nonetheless
Most of the beats sound like default settings on a casio keyboard and the lyrics are largely corny but the flow is decent and they are lovely lads who don't do drugs and respect women, so that's got to be worth a star or two. Plus tricky is class and walk this way is probably good but I've heard it too many times on kerrang in my youth to be sure anymore.
I guess I lied earlier when I said I didn’t listen to rap before 2004 because I played a lot of SSX Tricky back in the day so I’ve got some nostalgia swirling around this one. This album is just a lot of fun, the chemistry between all group members shines immediately and I really like the beats on here. Sure some of the bars would look super corny on paper today, but they’re delivered with such charisma it just feels like everyone had a good time making this. The transition from my adidas to walk this way is super clean. The beatboxing on hit it run is absolutely ridiculous in headphones it feels like I’m getting spit in my ear. Cover Art: 8/10 I’m a sucker for some cool colors
Was one of the first rap album I have listened when I was a teenager. Still enjoying listening it.
this is what I've been waiting for - an album worth listening to. Yes this was good.
A classic of the genre. Really did a lot to get me into Aerosmith.
3.5
It's insane this is just 6 years before the chronic, this sounds way older and simpler. However, this album is just fun. The rhymes are fun, full of tongue twisters and jokes. The rhymes are kind of simple but good. I just generally enjoyed the whole thing as a feel good piece. Shout out to SSX tricky for introducing me to the best track of the album at age 10!
I can't even guess who the target audience of this is
This is lots of fun and if has Walk this Way and best song It's Tricky on it.
it survives the test of time
this was party!
It's tricky to rock a rhyme that's right on time...
Aw great stuff. I really like this album and miss the days when rap was slow enough so that I could understand what they were saying
4.5 Classic. This was so fresh and original when it came out. Still holds up today. Classic sounds!
I respect this album for what it is. Which is what the 4 is for. The first half I really enjoyed. After the second half it just was not great for my ears. Dumb girl isn’t ideal. They maybe could’ve gone a different direction with that one. This would not be an album I would bring to a deserted island with me.
Honestly, a jam. It's Tricky and Walk This Way are instant classics. The bassline on "You Be Illin" is fuckin sick. Very nice of them to name their 10th song after Evelyn. Mad Respect. 4 stars.
Good album but generally not my style.
love the energy at the beginning of the album but the ending is so bleh all their hits are here
I didn’t know that I knew half the songs on this album. What an 80s trailblazer
The beginning is fun, lots of bangers. It gets a bit bland and boring in the middle but ultimately comes back around towards the end.
Just feels like two guys messing around and making goofy tracks and I love that. The humor is on point throughout and the beats and bars are awesome too. Loved it on first listen and hoping it grows on me even more! 8/10
This is a second Run-D.M.C. album I’ve got through this challenge. The only song I heard before was “It’s Tricky”. A very repetitive album, but with good sounds. Saved tracks: It’s Tricky, Is It Live, Raising Hell, You Be Illin’
Uhhh, I very much like it😎
Excellent combo between the two rappers. Love the interplay.
NOW YOU’RE TALKING! Awesome album! Love a bit of Run D.M.C! Excellent, excellent hip hop! Truly excellent. Lyrically impressive, the beats are brilliant and the scratching is awesome! Loves it I does!
Landmark album, and this album is a big one! This record had a huge influence and really paved the way for Hip Hop to the mainstream. It had a couple hit songs that are great but half of the record is a bit lackluster. The songs have huge energy and always make me smile! Key tracks: Peter Piper, It's Tricky, My Adidas, Walk This Way, Hit It Run, Raising Hell, You Be Illin', Dumb Girl 7 out of 10
Fun! Repetitive in one listen, but still a good time.
Great album
Highlight: It's Tricky PS. Chains is in a pickle! (Is that a Payday 2 reference?)
gitówa
Catchy beats, ill rhymes, this is a lot of fun. Implementing the electric guitar was a great idea and pulled off well. Lyrics are whimsical at times and poignant at others and nearly every song is quite catchy. A couple duds, but overall quite an album. Standouts are "It's Tricky" and "My Adidas."
Totally forgot about this album. Pretty nice.
A different sound that has good flow
Its tricky
Essential hip hop/rap Album starts strong with some amazing songs but fades to mediocre towards the end. The rap seems quite simple and basic in comparison to modern rap. Drum tracks are super tight and quintessential hip hop Lyrics wise it really shows its age on some songs
Famosa: Walk This Way (feat. Aerosmith) Le daré un 4, aunque son un poco pesados.
still has a rawness and naivety to it. 4.
Yea, the delivery can be a bit repetitive throughout a full album but they’re clever and this is fun. There is some good variety with the beats to keep things fresh. I liked this a lot 4 stars
They did the rock rap thing first and best. Fun record.
Kind of repetitive but cool, I like the guitar vibe on a rap record. I think it’s actually Rick Rubin playing guitar on the title track. Raisin hell and you be illin are my favs. 3.7
I love the percussion on this album. I love You Be Illin'. 4
Is it blasphemous to say that the inclusion of Steven Tyler is detrimental to "Walk This Way"? It is clear that it was recorded about a decade past Tyler's peak. Regardless, this is a fun album, full of wall-to-wall bops. There are moments of cheesiness that I would make fun of modern rappers for releasing, like the fairy tale allusions in "Peter Piper" and the Adidas namedropping on "My Adidas," but it's also nice when an artist isn't afraid to be cheesy. It's a fine line to walk. The album does get a little repetitive, and it's hard to distinguish between what feels derivative just because everyone else has copied it and what has genuinely aged poorly. However, it's still a great album. Standout tracks: It's Tricky, Hit It Run
This album is very important to the history of hip hop and as such it is an essential listen. It comes during the New School period and heralds the golden age of hip hop in the late 80s and early 90s. The biggest drawback is how dated it sounds. Nevertheless, the style is explosive, almost combative and unafraid to mix with rock.
A couple of duds but overall this record slaps.
Classic record. Defines the late 80s hip hop era in terms of production and rap flow. Very straight, breaks and hooks. Love the lyrical content and delivery. The energy is undeniable. Couple of hits towards the start of the record but loses me for the most part after track 5. Can hear Ric Rubin’s production influence. Minimal FX processing. Samples and drum machine. ‘It’s Tricky’ Classic. Love the My Sharona sample. Can hear the AMS reverb all over this record. ‘Walk This Way’ Epic rap rock crossover. Groundbreaking for the time. Another Rubin influence. ‘Is It Live’ Flex track. Great beat. ‘You Be Illin’ I like this one. Interesting, the pop culture references. Adidas, Kentucky Fried, Big Mac…
Hji
Real good songs Nice rhythm and drums
A pretty awesome rap album with a little bit of rock. There are some great classics on this album like it’s tricky. I feel like rap like this was very unique to the decade but can’t be replicated anymore. Run dmc are one of the best rap duos and this album is at the top. 7.8/10
A super influential and important album for hip hop as a musical genre and culture, but from 2022, the beats feel a bit empty, lacking melody and bass, focused solemnly on percussion and drum samples, and vocals. The rapping however is confident and powerful.
I’m pretty picky about rap and hip hop but Run-DMC is one of a handful I do actually like.
First time hearing it. Definitely a great album. It's crazy how much it got referenced and sampled since. It's mind blowing how culturally important this album is. It shaped so much of the popular music that came after it. I found it very entertaining. I had a smile on my face the whole time. It has a lot of attitude. I had already heard "Tricky" before and I like it. But some of the other songs I also enjoyed are "Walk This Way", "You Be Illin" and the drums on "Perfection".
Classic with some memorable songs!
I have this album in my collection, thanks Columbia house for this one. The fact that they teamed up with Aerosmith, one of my favorite band, helped me got into rap music.
5-star beginning + 3-star finish = 4 stars
geile tracks, ein paar absolute banger zu wenig für eine 5
Raising Hell is my favourite Run DMC album. It's something I appreciate much more than I did at the time. Tricky and My Adidas still hold up well for me, as does, obviously, Walk This Way.
I have a lot more appreciation for this album than I did in the time it was released. Walk This way was fun for me, but I had no idea Run DMC would end up affecting one of my favourite games to play SSX Tricky. Loved making that track play in the game. Great song too. Most of these I don't know though and they are early and genre setting in a way... My Adidas is timely, right Kanye? 3.5 stars but saying 4.
Classic hip-hop.
A classic that I feel holds up but I’m looking at it from the perspective of discovery as it was release so there is a positive memory bias.
It’s an amazing rap album (even with the Aerosmith cover (who I really don’t like)). Every song is on point and flows perfectly into each other he just needs to learn how Adidas is pronounced. It’s honestly brilliant though pretty much every track of it high 4/5.
Classic old school hip-hop. These boys were pointing the way to the future even though it may sound a tad dated now production wise, the tracks are just as strong as they were originally. Best Tracks: It's Tricky; My Adidas; Walk This Way (feat. Aerosmith)
What an album. Loved it.
Pretty damn primitive by today’s standards for hip-hop- in some ways, it’s really closer to rock than rap, and I don’t even mean just “Walk This Way”- but it also feels like a refinement of the first wave of rap. Like a peak of the classic style, a sign that it was time to let the music grow. Full of bangers that I think would still get people hyped today, even if it’s firmly a product of its time. A-
Yoo this is fresh and tricky
It definitely deserves to be here due to its influential style of rapping vocals and combining it with some great riffs on those who ruled the scene in the 90s. As an album itself, enjoyed half of it a lot while the rest was ok.
This album's a blast, very funny, a lyrical treasure. The drum machine + rock song doesn't always sound great, tho.
Didn't realize this album had SO many bangers, especially in a row. Very cool and interesting production as well.
Raising Hell is the third album by the American hip hop group Run-DMC. It was the first platinum and multi-platinum hip hop record - being certified platinum in 1986 and triple platinum in 1987 - and ushered in the golden age of hip hop. The most famous single from this album is the collaboration with Aerosmith "Walk This Way", which was the first rap rock song and brought hip hop into the mainstream when the single charted in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. One can argue that this album was the first great rap album, and made everyone in the music industry take hip hop seriously. I enjoyed listening to a few of these Run-DMC songs for the first time, and learned that their more popular songs were actually on this "first great rap album". This is your father's hip hop - and that's not a bad thing!
It's really cool getting to see the albums that helped rap transition from what it was in its early days to what it had become by the time I started hearing it. Run DMC seems to be one of the axes around which rap history turned. This album feels more mature than the last Run DMC album I got on this list (I think their debut album). A lot of that comes from advances in the music production side, as their lyrical style was mature pretty early on. Rick Rubin produced a lot of albums that I really like, and this is no exception. It's easy to see why this album was the first hip-hop album to break through to the mainstream. It's tough to overstate the influence of Run DMC on hip-hop, and this album is the clearest proof of that. The suburbs had to find out about hip-hop at some point, and we can be grateful that it was Run DMC that made that introduction 4/5
호호
Otro disco bueno de cuando el Hip hop/Rap empezó a hacerse mainstream y llegó a oídos de los blanquitos. Peter Piper, It's tricky y por supuesto la mezcla valiente de Walk this way.
8/10
7/10
Good gym bangers
Break beats are great. Love the flow
Enjoyed it. A bit too old school for my regular listening playlist, but good beats and rhymes.
Buenas canciones. un estilo muy marcado. 7/10
Didn't know I knew most of the songs from here. Pretty good album for a hip-hop thing
ALBUM GRADE: B ALBUM RATING: 3.87 TRACK RATINGS: 1. Peter Piper - 4.0 2. It's Tricky - 4.0 3. My Adidas - 4.0 4. Walk This Way - 4.0 5. Is It Live - 4.0 6. Perfection - 3.5 7. Hit It Run - 4.0 8. Raising Hell - 4.0 9. You Be Illin' - 3.5 10. Dumb Girl - 3.5 11. Son of Byford - 3.0 12. Proud to Be Black - 4.0
Fun classic hip hop. Has strong Beastie Boys vibe with regards to instrumentation and rapping style. Hints of the rock/rap collaborations that would take place in the future weee evident on this album.
Ooooold skool! The album starts very strongly but does run out of energy on some of the latter tracks, but it definitely set the foundation for much that followed, and OF COURSE it broke down barriers and that's a great thing. 3: for the music 5 for the barrier breaking = 4 stars
Classic
This is a great album. An absolute classic. "It's Tricky" and "Walk This Way" are amazing songs. "Walk This Way" might be the best cover song/collaboration song of all time. Not all the tracks are classics, but every one of them is worth hearing.
I don't really need to hear "Walk this Way" ever again, but it's a solid album.
This is some of the funkiest shit I've ever listened to, very very good, can't stop moving my head to the beat, and the rhymes are great
Good fun
dope
1 point off for a lack of variety but still great.
Come one, come all. It's time to learn the story of Rick Rubin. Rubin started making music in the early 1980's primarily in the punk scene. During this time he started Def Jam, which would go on to be a force within the music industry. But for now, it's a means to get his own stuff out there. His punk band had broken up by 1984, but he had already found a new love: hip hop. Rubin had learned hip hop production techniques and started working with other guys in the east-coast scene. I cannot stress enough how excellent of a producer Rick Rubin is. He's mastered simplicity and knows how to wield dynamic range for harder-hitting moments (save for his atrocities in the loudness war). So, in 1986, he'd be credited for his standout production work on on Run-D.M.C.'s album Raising Hell, their best yet. He was also a producer on Slayer's Reign In Blood that same year. I'm sure I'll get to talk about that album later though. For now, I will say that Rubin's hard-hitting production on Raising Hell has given Run-DMC the edge they needed to stand out. They were already fantastic rappers to begin with, I just think this album cements their hardcore style thanks to big, booming drums and complimentary sample hits on the first beat. Some things on this album don't work nearly as well, such as uncomfortable beatboxing on Hit It Run or the overly-long collaborative remix of Aerosmith's Walk This Way. Other songs easily make up for this though, as It's Tricky, My Adidas, and Raising Hell all earned their spot in the pages of hip hop history. Classic.
Just legendary. You can hear the samples used decades later. For me this is 5th and 6th grade in Dallas. I remember I had a friend named Skip who would back flip off anything. We would hang out at his house and rap and hip hop were always on. We would sit around and listen to this. LL cool j and beastie boys.
I think this album is why (subliminally) I love adidas.
“It’s Tricky!”
Not a go to listen to any day, but instrumental in hip hop and a great sound.
I have an interest in early rap, so it was a treat to hear an older classic in the genre. It hasn’t aged 100% well in terms of lyric but it has charm and a few hits on it
Not my fave style of hip-hop, but the immense influence on the genre is undeniable
Some great tracks on here. Reminds me of growing up with my older brothers. Was headed for a 5, but there were a few later songs that were like munching a driller’s bit.
Hell yea!
First four are awesome. Lost a little steam in the late middle, but pretty enjoyable and ends strong. One track #10 is real bad. Clever rhymes, plenty willingness to write about more than “how special I am” in contrast to many of the most successful rappers.
Groundbreaking with rap & rock.
Great!
Finalmente um disco de hip hop que funcinou para mim. Até porque tem a pegada mais de rock, inclusive com a participação de Aerosmish.
8/10. They say you can't imitate DMC the great, but the Beastie Boys definitely did.
Hot fire, one of the first mainstream rap albums and it's full of bangers
legends of hip hop, impeccable rapping, but musically very spare... i think i prefer a little more texture in the music
Rollicking, high-impact and true-sounding. Hard to resist the purity of the rhyming and the hooks and beats, which start big and keep getting bigger. One certainly wishes for less Aerosmith in the world generally and rap-rock is long since played-out, but the cover of “WTW” is pretty great fun, though borderline novelty and just barely makes the top 5 songs on the record. Considering all that’s happened in hip-hop in the 35 years (including the baleful emphasis on violence and the virulent sexism), this can seem quaint at times, but it holds up awfully well and remains a stone-cold classic for a reason, the definition of old-school hip-hop.
je me ferais pas l’album tous les jours mais vazi cest sympa
That's the way it is.
to rock a rhyme
Bit cheesy but good fun!
Obviously the rhymes are dated, but even for being almost 40 years old some of the bars are still pretty great. Classic use of actual instruments for the beat in Perfection. With Raising Hell and obv Walk This Way there's the obvious crossover between rock and rap--I guess trying to see where emerging hip hop could go.
now here is a classic hip hop album I've been waiting for. And we got the two songs I know with Tricky and Walk This Way. I used to watch Runs house with Stevie and Bryan back in the day and been a fan of them since. Very classic album and glad it's on this list.
Pretty fun, great old school hip hop. Love the Aerosmith collab (better together ;) ). Faves: Peter Piper, It's Tricky, Walk This Way, You Be Illin'
It’s tricky and walk this way are both awesome but I did get a little tired of the signature run dmc flow that emphasizes the last word in a bar after a while. Also enjoyed the title track
Some pretty popular songs on the album but I was never quite the fan of early rap though I can certainly appreciate this. 7/10
Un grand classique du Hip Hop. Probablement le plus grand succès du groupe grâce à Walk This Way. Une petite révolution à cette époque. La touche Rick Rubin est aussi évidente puisqu’on est dans les mêmes sonorités que l’album Licensed To Hill des Beastie Boys paru la même année.
Really liked the album but got a bit repetitive at times. Def some absolute bangers on there tho. RDMC’s style is very fun and distinctive.
i should re-listen to this. I remember thinking. OH. this is where that's from several times. so let's say that's 4 stars.
I would love to mentally time travel and hear this sound with fresh ears. The production is perfection but inevitably sounds dated. To hear it in 1986 when this was the hardest, freshest sound would have been awesome. This still hits hard though. These drums are so tight, so crisp. And the shouted style of the rapping matches the intensity of the music (and vice versa). The use of guitar throughout is killer, especially on the title track. Rap and rock are fused beautifully (gotta love some Rick Rubin production) and “Walk This Way” is an inspired song to remix (cover?). Steven Tyler sounds insane here too. Great that they brought him in on the fun.
I had a writeup that accidentally got deleted so i'm summarizing: It's a really dope album that is definitely deserving of a spot on this list. Production is incredibly tight and the added layers of instrumentation are impressive, quirky, and really elevates the overall album.
It’s tricky. No it isn’t. It’s fabulous
Listened to on 3/22/22 4/5 Favorite song: It’s Tricky, Walk this Way Hip hop is not my cup of tea but there were too many classics on this album to not give it at least a 4 - hidden gems but definitely still gems
This album had three really famous songs from Run DMC and was a decent listen all the way through. It’ll get a 4 based on the merit of those songs and the overall listenability of the album, but not a 5 since I didn’t LOVE anything.
A beaut!
Decent
Wow this is excellent and good thank you for this. Still think that their Walk This Way cover is kinda weird. Front half has all the hits, but back half of the album might be better?
One of my favorite albums from when I was a kid.
love it
Scheisse habs vergessen
Some brilliant tracks - It's Tricky, Walk this Way, You Be Illin'. A fun listen
Not really my genre
This has been my favorite hip-hop album so far, and it's not even close to the second. Some classic tracks, and no tracks that made me want to turn it off like most of the other hip-hop or rap albums that I've gotten so far.
Full of bangers. This album has got to be one of the most accessible hip hop albums of all time. Great stuff.
Definitely loved the first five tracks. I was hypnotized by the guitars, lyrics, and the beat. After the song wit Aerosmith, it started to sound a little bit repetitive. Overall, I would say that this is a great gateway between rock and rap. Will listen to these songs I the future, for sure
Day 2
Loved it. Very fun.
It’s not wonder these guys are considered all-time greats. The record sounds dated but that works as both a positive and deterrent. I personally love it!
Provavelmente já escutei em alguma trilha sonora de algum filme. Não é meu estilo preferido, mas não é ruim.
This was great!
Pretty good! Very glad I listened to it. A bit too energetic to really wanna listen to all at once, but it's got some great songs.
very refreshing, can't remember much about it anymore but a few bangers
Hell raising and trail blazing. Sounds a little dated, but rock solid.
This is very Fun-D.M.C. Massive beats, catchy, and the first rock/rap crossovers. Easy to see why this is considered the first classic hip-hop album and how it brought the genre to a new audience. 4/5.
Nice but not my style.
The album cover is very 80's, the colors, typography, and layout. Of course I know (and love) the Walk This Way track, but not really anything else on the album, at least that I know of. I'm surprised there is only one song marked explicit. Let's listen... Starts out with Peter Piper which strikes me as to black men yelling cheerfulness. I've definitely heard the second song, It's tricky, which is also pretty fun. The album is certainly not without social commentary, but overall it is more upbeat than I was expecting. Each song is individually interesting, lots of the lyrics are clever, and the way the voices interweave creates a distinct rhythmic cadence that keeps the whole album driving forward. This is good. I wish I had listened more in the day. OK I just went and looked up the It's Tricky video and I'm glad I did.
Really love the mixed between rap and rocks here,solid stuff
Sixteen year old me loved this cassette to the point of wearing it out. Then I never listened to it again. Between this and "License To Ill", I might have just OD'd on the genre. So this was an interesting revisit. The "Walk This Way" mash-up/re-make/cover remains essential. In fact, the beats overall hold up incredibly well. It's the misogynist lyrics that have become cringe worthy. But it's still quite a blast to listen to again. My flawed memory suggested "Mary Mary" was on this album, so I was a little sad to discover it was on their follow up album. I have a sneaky suspicion that "Raising Hell" holds up better than "License To Ill".
Brilliant. So many good tracks. Great energy
Pretty good! Very glad I listened to it. A bit too energetic to really wanna listen to all at once, but it's got some great songs.
Surprisingly fun. I wasn't aware I would be big as big of a fan of 80's rap. Songs all sound very similar but they were were enjoyable. 3.5/5
Really like some of the samples in here
I liked it :) I wonder how much of what I think about rap (not really digging it except isolated cases) comes from just...not liking what's been Top 40 in my teenage and young adulthood years? Stuff like Lil Wayne and 50 Cent etc. Because I found this album really enjoyable and didn't feel the need to skip anything (not that I would have, because I'm trying to listen to everything on this list straight through). Unsurprisingly I've been a fan of It's Tricky for a long time, but I found myself dancing in my chair at several points during the album, and I didn't expect that :) And songs like Peter Piper remind me of the lyrical dexterity needed to rap well, and I appreciate that as an art form :)
Bangerzzzz
I was in the car recently and triple j played NWA. It was probably the most exciting thing I've heard on triple j in at least the last decade. It was startling to hear how fresh, vibrant and exciting it still sounded. It still sounded like the future. It's pretty much the same experience listening to 'Raising Hell'.
Now that takes me back. Fun.
This was a fun surprise. Run DMC are definitely entertaining, and I was already very familiar with “It’s Tricky” and “Walk This Way.” Hearing those songs again was a lot of fun. Those two songs alone earn the album a place in my library, and the Aerosmith collaboration is an amazing highlight in the history of rap and rock. Some of the highlights from the rest of the album: “Peter Piper” was a fun opening! I liked all the nursery rhymes references and the clanging bell. It also had an advantage to be the first song, meaning all the bragging wasn’t played out yet… “My Adidas” was fun and I enjoyed it… at times I they used the singular ‘Adida’ but that wasn’t reflected in the printed lyrics I found. I loved the sound of a singular Adida and want to refer to an individual Adidas sneaker as such henceforth. The guitar work in “Hit It Run” made it stand out and was a refreshing addition. When I heard “You Be Illin’” I realized I had heard that one before. It’s pretty good. While the ground this album is built upon is well-trod today, in 1986 this was really exciting and new. There’s a lot of boasting and some misogyny that could be throttled back a bit for my taste. Some of the songs wear a bit thin and likely will not attract me to future listens, but overall this was appealing. The highlights more than make up for the deficiencies of this album.
Classic. Didnt age well but it was the start of something.
Besides "Walk this way" which is an absolute classic Tricky is one of my favorite all time songs. Perfect mix of rock and hiphop. This album is a bobber... 4/5
A classic
Cheesy and bombastic, with some really corny stuff at parts. Nevertheless, this album is a DEFINING moment for music, and so that pulls it from the monotonous muck into a strong 4.
8/10 pretty fun album
Interesting. Not sure I understand exactly why it is on the list. Perhaps it is because was ground braking, and everyone else sounds the same little
Slick.
Seminal. Incredibly strong A side!
Nice beats
Classic hip hop. Instantly recognizable. Catchy vocals.
4.5. fantastic fantastic hip hop. The length is perfect too. I thought I'd be annoyed at Walk This Way since it's so so popular and played so much, but nope. It stays just as good as it's always been.
Liked most of the songs
Cool classic hiphop
Very fun, not exactly what I expected. More wholesome.
Groundbreaking hip-hop with hits, grit, and heart.
Good solid hip hop
I liked it! "It's Tricky" is a classic, "Walk This Way" is a bit unnecessary, overall a fun album.
This was so much better than I was expecting! I already knew ‘It’s Tricky’ and ‘Walk This Way’ of course, but I really enjoyed a lot of the other tracks, especially the title track. I kept thinking, “Oh this one is my top pick! No wait, this one!”. I think the album was a bit let down by the opening track but it really picked up after that. Do they use a fairly basic kick beat? Yes. Are they absolute classics? Yes.
Niceee vibe. Solide album avec leur stye bien à eux 4.65
7.5/10
Dated sound but relevant af and very skilled.
Excellent
One of the best in the Genre. Heard this many times when it came out. Was really glad to hear it again today. Still as good as ever. 4/5.
It's Tricky to rock around it's tricky.
Absolute trail blazers - great stuff. Hip hop has come a long way and so my one knock is that this does sound a little basic 35 years later. No denying its importance and impact though.
Quite enjoyed this. Liked its tricky and ovi the main one. Very good
Run DMC has some of the most fun throwback tracks out there. The openers are definitely the strongest, but the whole thing is pretty nice.
An absolute classic
I liked it more than I thought I would. A lot of the songs on the second half sound really similar, but the dustiness of the drums and the guitar made for a great combination for this record. Highlights: 1, 2, 4, 9, and 12.
This shit was dope but Dumb Girl was weird, felt a little slut shame-y. It was a different time I guess?
THIS is hip hop! A timeless classic.
Even though some of the lyrics obviously sound corny to today's ears, still a great listen.
Some good old 80s hip-hop. Favourite tracks were It’s Tricky and My Adidas
liked it more than i thought iw ould
Oh, such a fun album. Absolutely remember this spinning at many a party when it came out. One of the first rap groups I heard. Love the way they weave R&B, rock, and rap elements together.
Walk this way has always been a favorite of mine. 4
Rurururu
This was actually a lot more fun to listen to than I expected. Probably not one that I would actively revisit, but certainly a good experience in terms of broadening my perspective and appreciating music I wouldn't usually listen to. Rounded up from a 3.5 for that.
I forgot how much I liked this album!
So many memories of dancing at the clubs in the 80’s
I used to have this. I forgot that some of the songs on here were pretty good.
Love it! Not sure about "Hit it run", only.
Very cool
classic hip clzssic hop
I totally wouldn't have listened to this otherwise, but it was much better than expected. Perfect album for drawing a snail. And probably other things.
Classic old school rap. Beastie Boys had same record label and very similar sound at the same time. Hmm?
Really good. Hip hop/rock crossover works v well. So many tunes
I like back when you could understand all the rap words! GAWD I was 13... holy moley. This album is dope and deserves four Arwen's
An album with some absolute classics. And one that brought hip hop into mainstream culture. I didn't find it quite as enjoyable as Digital Underground but that's personal preference. Still a gazillion times better than Bon Jovi though!
Listened to today’s twice. Great stuff especially the first 4 songs. Couple of ones I didn’t like in the 2nd half of the album, but overall a cracker. Mad it came out 35 years ago. Might have to purchase!
Love their style, esp the drums. “Walk this way” arguably better than the original (hard to do).
Brings me back to the good old fourth grade days.
Decent, better than expected and doesn’t overstay its welcome
One of coolest old school hip hop record!
Famosa: Walk This Way (feat. Aerosmith) Le daré un 4, aunque son un poco pesados.
great album - LOVE it's tricky
classic rap album
I liked it much better than I expected, not really my taste though
false
3.5 | El primer album de hip-hop que fue un verdadero éxito gigante. Tiene mucha importancia tanto por el parteaguas comercial que abrió como musicalmente. Se siente realmente como el apogeo de ese estilo de rap ochentero que se arrastra desde las fiestas en el Bronx en los 70s; esa cadencia llega a su punto máximo aquí y se comienza a mezclar con una mayor variedad de ritmos incluyendo de manera importante el rock. A partir de aquí empezará a cambiar mucho la escena, esta ya por llegar Ice Cube a imponer otro nuevo estilo con el gangsta rap pero por estos momentos aun se puede sentir ese punto más alto de lo que era la "nueva escuela" del rap que estaba ahora enfilando su salida. En cuanto a sus detalles siempre he sentido que DJ Run musicalmente era competente en tanto que DMC era un excelente MC. Los ritmos se sienten clásicos de la época con creo en mi opinión 6 canciones que son espectaculares en su creatividad y el resto que aunque buenas pueden sentirse estándar. Esas 4 canciones iniciales serían muy difícil de mantener durante todo el disco pero el cambio de calidad si llega a sentirse un poco hacia el final. Un disco muy importante, vital no solo para entender cómo evolucionó el hip-hop sino mucha parte de la música en general. Siento tan puntual el disco que casi se me olvida hacer mención sobre como fue la razón de que Aerosmith reviviera y pudiera volver a tener una carrera importante siendo que ya se les consideraba en muchos aspectos una banda olvidada. Me gustaría poner más puntuación quizá pero he de aceptar que no ha envejecido de la manera más grácil y quizá para quien no gusta del estilo le puede parecer repetitivo en unos aspectos. De todas formas sin duda un gran disco que 100% pertenece a esta lista.
some great songs but pretty repetitive beats
Legends of rap. SSX Tricky.
an absolute classic.
Very raw with some dope old school beats. Lots of cool rock infusions too. Classic hip hop sound
Great album, not every song is for me, but a good majority so far are. They do have a same-y way of rhythm, but it works very well The title track "raising hell" is my favorite Nobody could write "you be illin" today, it wouldn't work, but because Run DMC have so much talent and charisma, it's one of the better tracks
really cool integration of classic rock with hop on a lot of the tracks, a ton of energy and personality coming from them to make it really fun to listen to lyrically and musically, some of it sounds the same from track to track but overall unique and clearly definitive of hip hop's golden age
Today's album is Raising Hell by Run-D.M.C from 1986. I was 12 years old when this album came out and I remember watching the famous video on MTV where Aerosmith bashes through the wall and becomes part of the track. For most of my life, Run-D.M.C was not a big part of my musical education. In my later life, I started working my way back through the 'golden age' of rap and learning how it all started. Boogie Down Productions quickly became a favorite artist, and I pretty much ignored the music put out by Run-D.M.C. After giving this an honest listen, I get how much they and Rick Rubin influenced hip-hop from the get go. It's like they were kind of a joke by the time I became aware of them. The Addidas and the blingy image, threw me off taking them seriously. If my Dad listened to rap at the time in the late 80s, it would have been his old-man music by the time I turned 18 in 1992. My Dad listening to rap is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. I also got turned off my reality TV and "reverend run" and all the sexual assualt allegations about his brother Russell. I appreciate this album and it definitely holds up. Stripping away all the context, and trying to pretend this is the first time I've ever heard this album - makes it really shine.
There are literally books written about the story and significance of the 3rd studio release by the New York duo Run-D.M.C. Going into this album I had already heard the first couple of tracks countless times. Growing up and recording "Walk this Way" on a tape was a proud moment when I finally got a good cut without radio announcer. Today I focused on the beats and lyrics of the album, and honestly beyond the significant singles you may already know, I wasn't too impressed with their "B-sides." A few throw away tracks like Perfection and Dumb Girl to me weighted the album down, although to be fair I could hear how these more fraternity raps would lead way to the Beastie Boys down the line. What really gives this album a homerun is the last track Proud to be Black. If the lines in Dumb Girl made me doubt their lyrical skill, Run-D.M.C. proves themselves with Proud to be Black. After all this album wasn't significant in the history of music solely for it's lyrics, but its combination of rock and hip hop. With Aerosmith at the peak of their career they shared the spotlight with two rappers out of New York, and the rest is history. 4/5
HYPE
3.5 pero redondea a 4 porque es viernes. Como de costumbre, no soy fan del Hip Hop, pero hasta en eso hay clases y honestamente este tiene varias cosas rescatables. Me gustó mucho la primera rola (Peter Piper) y por supuesto Walk This Way, que marcó época en más de un sentido. Me gustó todavía más la que samplea a My Sharona (It's Tricky) porque es mi casi-one-hit-wonder favorito. Por otro lado, no me gustaron nada las dos con las que cierra y eso le quitó el .5 que de todos modos le redondeé por barco.
If you’re going to pick hip hop/rap albums as the Mount Rushmore of influence, this album would be on there. Seamlessly melding rap and rock to create a hybrid that really had not been heard before, Run-DMC and Rick Rubin produced a sound that would be copied, chopped, skewed and scrambled into different hip hop records for years to come. This album may sound a bit dated, but that the time it was groundbreaking. Favorite song: My Adidas Least favorite song: I get sick of Walk This Way a lot
Pretty rad
Classic RUN-DMC! I enjoyed this album and to be honest I normally listen to this style of music. It was an awesome flash back to my younger years listening to this. If I had to recommend an album for RUN-DMC it would be this album.
Pretty good old hip hop. The white chicks song is in it.
A fun and energetic album from start to finish! This Aussie gives it 4/5 shrimps on the barbie
I like this album mostly for nostalgic reasons. Still a good album but not amazing.
Great album, has "It's tricky" and "Walk this way" which are pretty popular to this day and overall this album sounds good.
its tricky
The album that brought rap to the mainstream and it sounds like it. Rapping over rock guitars on the title track, and King of Rock from previous album, is still awesome, and better than the more famous Walk this Way. Some of the boasting gets repetitive, and some songs lean a bit heavy on the misogyny.
Classic early hip hop, pioneers of the early rap/rock movement
Nice rap
The music backing in early rap days is no joke. Samples used to this day
Good, have some iconic songs
Very good
They changed the game. Best track: Walk This Way.
Classic Hip-Hop. Definitely see its impact with the Rock & Roll genre, especially their collaboration with Aerosmith. Felt like the strongest songs were in the beginning though, and the latter half were alright.
Not actively bad Although I wouldn't listen to this on my own time, I wouldn't be dismayed if it came on the radio
Enjoyable if a bit stripped back. Has some good moments.
Sicher wegweisendes Hip-Hop-Frühwerk mit einer handvoll guter Songs. Ich bevorzuge allerdings den modernen Hip Hop, der ist irgendwie abwechslungsreicher.
Solid all the way through, the bigger songs are absolutes tunes (Raising Hell in particular)
It didnt aged the best but it got some catchy songs and beats. Sometime its just annoying(A "walk this way" cover by a 80's hip hop artist was never going to be good). Theyr not great rapper in my oppinion, just kinda fun. Only kinda.
Remembered from back in the day… did the Fresh Prince borrow from them or was it the other way around?
должно быть это легендарная вещь нужно понимать кто эти ребята и насколько они популяризировали хип-хоп или насколько их инструменталы продвинули жанр но я не понимаю, я просто не в контексте это просто позитивный реп, где чуваки по очереди читают есть хиты вряд ли переслушаю
Super fun! Tricky makes me very happy. Definitely some weaker tracks on here (looking at you, Dumb), but it’s easy to see why this was a breakout hit for rap.
Oh thank God. This is exactly what the Beastie Boys wanted to sound like and never could because their voices are like those of tiny whiny dogs. Run DMC sound like actual human dudes. And it's great. The stripped-down production is maybe a little too stripped down at times. More than one song is just them rapping over a beat, with no bass, sample, sound effects, nothing. And with the simplicity of their flow, that can make a pretty boring listen for modern ears. Overall I liked it, thought it definitely has some weaknesses. THREE STARS
Decent but not really my thing. And very dated
Some high highs (It's Tricky) and some low lows (Dumb Girl)
Not generally what I would reach for but still entertaining music.
Gold solid old school rap. And the one with Aerosmith is fun.
No onhan tässä sitä jotain, mutta jotain silti uupuu. Ehkä se Beastie Boys lähtee paremmin
Ihan kovaa kyntöä. Tässähän oli useampikin tuttu biisi vaikka nimet eivät mitään sanoneetkaan, tietysti Walk this way tutuimpana.
It’s fun to listen to, but quite samey. Not crap like modern rap sounds to me.
I find 80s style rap to be quite boring. Can’t deny the influence though. God is love, Rev Run.
The early days of hiphop, with only one cadence ba dada dada dah dah dada dada dah DAH It gets old pretty quick. I forgot how bad the sampling was on the Aerosmith collab, and the quality of the sample is terrible too - 12 bit sampler I am guessing? Still the best track on the album by a long way.
Meh, lots of classics. I’m glad I took the time to listen but I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the rhymes, they seemed a bit … on the nose? Idk. It was okay.
Rap is a genre that I absolutely appreciate, and on occasion like a lot,, but I need to be in a certain mood to go out of my way to listen to it. That being said, this is a pretty badass record with some bangers that I would love to shuffle on a hip-hop-oriented playlist. Will I listen through the album all the way through again? Like...definitely a couple more times at least, perhaps, maybe.....
Fun oldschool that i wouldn't have found myself +1
Listening to Run-D.M.C.’s *Raising Hell* today really highlights just how much rap has evolved, resulting in a mixed bag where the old-school flow feels incredibly dated with forced rhymes. The album definitely shows its age through skippable filler like "Son of Byford," a terrible beat on "Perfection," and the casual misogyny of "Dumb Girl"—even if that track serves as a familiar, cool showcase of early sampler tech. However, the high points are undeniable: "Walk This Way" is an absolute classic, "Proud to be Black" brings great messaging, and the loud-as-hell kick and snare on "It's Tricky" still slaps alongside the chill vibe of "You Be Illin'." While "My Adidas" feels like an early, blatant attempt at commercializing hip-hop, the album's precision and foundational grooves are so distinct that you can still hear its DNA in modern music, like Missy Elliott sampling the classic "Peter Piper." It’s an essential piece of music history, but because the lyricism feels so elementary by today's standards, it lands at a solid **3/5**.
muy buen álbum con grandes hits, mi canción favorita del álbum es Is It Love. 7/10
I knew "Walk this Way" from back in the day - the video is pretty awesome too. "It's Tricky" is also very catchy. The rest of the album is fine. They are pioneers but their style of rap now feels dated to me.