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By their third album, Run-D.M.C. were primed for a breakthrough into the mainstream, but nobody was prepared for a blockbuster on the level of Raising Hell. Run-D.M.C. and King of Rock had established the crew's fusion of hip-hop and hard rock, but that sound didn't blossom until Raising Hell, partially due to the presence of Rick Rubin as producer. Rubin loved metal and rap in equal measures and he knew how to play to the strengths of both, while slipping in commercial concessions that seemed sly even when they borrowed from songs as familiar as "My Sharona" (heard on "It's Tricky"). Along with longtime Run-D.M.C. producer Russell Simmons, Rubin blew down the doors of what hip-hop could do with Raising Hell because it reached beyond rap-rock and found all sorts of sounds outside of it. Sonically, there is simply more going on in this album than any previous rap record -- more hooks, more drum loops (courtesy of ace drum programmer Sam Sever), more scratching, more riffs, more of everything. Where other rap records, including Run-D.M.C.'s, were all about the rhythm, this is layered with sounds and ideas, giving the music a tangible flow. But the brilliance of this record is that even with this increased musical depth, it still rocks as hard as hell, and in a manner that brought in a new audience. Of course, the cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," complete with that band's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, helped matters considerably, since it gave an audience unfamiliar with rap an entry point, but if it were just a novelty record, a one-shot fusion of rap and rock, Raising Hell would never have sold three million copies. No, the music was fully realized and thoroughly invigorating, rocking harder and better than any of its rock or rap peers in 1986, and years later, that sense of excitement is still palpable on this towering success story for rap in general and Run-D.M.C. in specific.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer, Composer, Lyricist - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - ANDY WALLACE, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Rick Rubin, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Simmons, Co-Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - ANDY WALLACE, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer, Lyricist - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Rick Rubin, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Joseph Simmons, Co-Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - ANDY WALLACE, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer, Lyricist - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Aerosmith, Associated Performer, Featured Artist - RUN-DMC Featuring Aerosmith, Associated Performer - Steven Tyler, Composer, Lyricist - Joe Perry, Composer, Guitar, Lyricist - Russell Simmons, Producer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Joseph Simmons, Co-Producer - Steve Ett, Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records, LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Steve Ett, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Sam Sever, Drum Programmer - Sam Citrin, Composer, Lyricist - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Simmons, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - ANDY WALLACE, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Simmons, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Simmons, Co-Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - ANDY WALLACE, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Rick Rubin, Composer, Guitar, Lyricist, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Joseph Simmons, Co-Producer - Steve Ett, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Daniel Shulman, Bass Guitar - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - ANDY WALLACE, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Joseph Simmons, Composer, Lyricist - Raymond White, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Russell Simmons, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - ANDY WALLACE, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Simmons, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Jay Burnett, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - ANDY WALLACE, Engineer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Simmons, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - ANDY WALLACE, Engineer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Andre Brown, Composer, Lyricist - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Daniel Simmons, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer, Lyricist - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 2005 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Steven Tyler, Composer, Lyricist - Joe Perry, Composer, Guitar, Lyricist
(P) 2005 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Composer, Lyricist - Joseph Simmons, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 2005 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Not Applicable, Author
(P) 2005 Arista Records LLC
RUN DMC, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Not Applicable, Author
(P) 2005 Arista Records LLC
Album review
By their third album, Run-D.M.C. were primed for a breakthrough into the mainstream, but nobody was prepared for a blockbuster on the level of Raising Hell. Run-D.M.C. and King of Rock had established the crew's fusion of hip-hop and hard rock, but that sound didn't blossom until Raising Hell, partially due to the presence of Rick Rubin as producer. Rubin loved metal and rap in equal measures and he knew how to play to the strengths of both, while slipping in commercial concessions that seemed sly even when they borrowed from songs as familiar as "My Sharona" (heard on "It's Tricky"). Along with longtime Run-D.M.C. producer Russell Simmons, Rubin blew down the doors of what hip-hop could do with Raising Hell because it reached beyond rap-rock and found all sorts of sounds outside of it. Sonically, there is simply more going on in this album than any previous rap record -- more hooks, more drum loops (courtesy of ace drum programmer Sam Sever), more scratching, more riffs, more of everything. Where other rap records, including Run-D.M.C.'s, were all about the rhythm, this is layered with sounds and ideas, giving the music a tangible flow. But the brilliance of this record is that even with this increased musical depth, it still rocks as hard as hell, and in a manner that brought in a new audience. Of course, the cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," complete with that band's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, helped matters considerably, since it gave an audience unfamiliar with rap an entry point, but if it were just a novelty record, a one-shot fusion of rap and rock, Raising Hell would never have sold three million copies. No, the music was fully realized and thoroughly invigorating, rocking harder and better than any of its rock or rap peers in 1986, and years later, that sense of excitement is still palpable on this towering success story for rap in general and Run-D.M.C. in specific.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 00:56:24
- Main artists: RUN DMC
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Arista - Legacy
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
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