Run-D.M.C.
Raising Hell

LA RECENSIONE

The Hip-Hop was very popular on the streets of New York, but there was still no one to shake up the scene. There was no one to launch Rap to the masses, captivating a university student or a lawyer with the genre. Hip-hop also needed to break out of the United States and to be known worldwide as a movement and culture.

Run-Dmc had already released two albums, "Run-Dmc" and "King of Rock", and had already established themselves on the scene, recognized as a pioneering group. However, the release of this album changed everything. "Walk This Way", a track originally by Aerosmith and remade by Run-Dmc in collaboration with the rock group, was the first Rap video to air on MTV. In "My Adidas" they launched Hip-Hop fashion, which began to trend even outside the New York ghettos. "It's Tricky" and "You be Illin" were the most loved tracks by the b-boys. In "Peter Piper" they sampled an old Jazz-Fusion record, and the sound of the cowbells resulted in something new within the Hip-Hop scene. Absolutely fantastic is also the guitar in the titular track "Raising Hell", the pinnacle of an ageless album.

The album sold six million copies, and during the following tour, they recorded staggering attendances, not only in the States but also in Europe. The production of the album was entrusted to Jam Master Jay, the group’s producer, and the legendary Rick Rubin.

Hip-Hop radically changed after this album, and it began to be respected and listened to by fans of other genres as well. If there's anyone who above all has revolutionized Hip-Hop, well, those are the Run-Dmc!