The Groundbreaking Success of Raising Hell Helped Bring Hip-Hop Culture into Mainstream America
This year and month, American hip hop pioneers Run D.M.C celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of their third studio album Raising Hell. Released on May 15th, 1986, it is largely considered one of the most influential hip hop albums made.
1986 was a year that would see the release of several landmark albums from Control by Janet Jackson, True Blue by Madonna, Rapture by Anita Baker, and Word Up by Cameo. For Run D.M.C, the Queens, New York based rap group was part of a new wave of hip-hop that was embracing other genres of music, along with fellow rap groups DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, The Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy.
Hip-Hop’s Breakthrough Into Mainstream America
Writer Michael Leonard, in his article for Classic Pop, “Making Run-DMC’s Raising Hell”, writes, “The plan was simple – to make the toughest Run-DMC album possible. The band’s infectious bravado and minimal, punchy beats were already there: a bit of ‘reduction’, and they could help move rap away from the discotheque and back onto the streets… Musically, fashion-wise, culturally… the effect of Raising Hell was explosive. It was true to the band’s hardcore roots yet crossed over into a pop realm… Raising Hell’s more significant achievement was taking hip-hop into middle- American suburbs and the bedrooms of white teens.”
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How “Walk This Way” Changed Music Culture
This crossover was palpable in the groundbreaking collaborative single “Walk This Way” with American rock group Aerosmith. Hip-Hop and Rock & Roll are more alike than they are different. Much of the dynamics of sound followed by the industry dynamics and fan followings presents a seamless amalgamation. “Walk This Way” proved to be an unexpected hit that put Run D.M.C on a trajectory that would cement their status as icons of hip-hop and rap. A Top 10 Billboard hit, it would find its place at number 293 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time. It would also birth the hip-hop / rock formula that would pave the way for collaborations such as Jay Z and Linkin Park as well as the genre nu-metal.
Today both the album and Run D.M.C are long standing fan favorites to not only a generation of hip-hop listeners but also future of hip-hop, influencing artists such as Eminem, Common, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler The Creator, and even Jack Harlow.
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