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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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Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Peter Millius, Engineer - Andy Wallace, Engineer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Peter Millius, Engineer - Andy Wallace, Engineer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Jason Mizell, Composer - Jason Mizell, Lyricist - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Rick Rubin, Composer - Rick Rubin, Lyricist - Jay Burnett, Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Peter Millius, Engineer - Andy Wallace, Engineer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Rick Rubin, Composer - Rick Rubin, Lyricist - Jay Burnett, Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Steve Ett, Engineer - Joe Perry, Guitar - Joe Perry, Composer - Joe Perry, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - RUN-DMC Featuring Aerosmith, Performer - Steven Tyler, Vocal - Steven Tyler, Composer - Steven Tyler, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer
(P) 1986 Arista Records, LLC
Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Sam "Sever" Citrin, Composer - Sam "Sever" Citrin, Lyricist - RUN-DMC, Performer - Jason Mizell, Lyricist - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Jason Mizell, Composer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Joseph Simmons, Composer - Joseph Simmons, Lyricist - Sam Sever, Drum Programmer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Steve Ett, Engineer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Peter Millius, Engineer - Andy Wallace, Engineer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Joseph Simmons, Lyricist - Joseph Simmons, Composer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Peter Millius, Engineer - Andy Wallace, Engineer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Jason Mizell, Composer - Jason Mizell, Lyricist - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Joseph Ward Simmons, Composer - Joseph Ward Simmons, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Daniel Shulman, Acoustic Bass - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Steve Ett, Engineer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Rick Rubin, Guitar - Rick Rubin, Composer - Rick Rubin, Lyricist
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Raymond White, Composer - Raymond White, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Peter Millius, Engineer - Andy Wallace, Engineer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Jason Mizell, Composer - Jason Mizell, Lyricist - Joseph Simmons, Composer - Joseph Simmons, Lyricist - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Andy Wallace, Engineer - Peter Millius, Engineer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Joseph Simmons, Composer - Joseph Simmons, Lyricist - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Lyricist - Russell Simmons, Producer - Russell Simmons, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Rick Rubin, Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Peter Millius, Engineer - Andy Wallace, Engineer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - Joseph Simmons, Composer - Joseph Simmons, Lyricist - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Jay Burnett, Engineer
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
Andre Brown, Composer - Andre Brown, Lyricist - Joseph Ward Simmons, Co-Producer - Peter Millius, Engineer - Andy Wallace, Engineer - Jason Mizell, Co-Producer - RUN-DMC, Performer - Howie Weinberg, Mastering Engineer - Russell Simmons, Producer - Darryl McDaniels, Composer - Darryl McDaniels, Lyricist - Rick Rubin, Producer - Daniel Simmons, Lyricist - Daniel Simmons, Composer - Jay Burnett, Engineer
(P) 1986 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) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:39:45
- Main artists: RUN DMC
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Arista
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
(P) 1986 Arista Records LLC
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