Rocktrospectiva: The Considered Rap's First Masterpiece "Raising Hell" Turns 40

Released on 15 May 1986 "Raising Hell" was the 3rd., studio album by the US hip hop group Run-D.M.C. The album was produced by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. Raising Hell was notable for being the first Platinum and multi-Platinum hip-hop record and it was widely considered to be one of the greatest and most important albums in the history of hip-hop music and culture.

Raising Hell peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums (at the time known as the "Top Black Albums") chart, making it the first hip-hop album to peak atop the latter. The album features four hit singles: "My Adidas", "Walk This Way" (a collaboration with Aerosmith), "You Be Illin'" and "It's Tricky".

It was "Walk This Way" the group's most famous single, being a groundbreaking rap rock version of Aerosmith's 1975 song "Walk This Way". It is considered to be the first rap/rock collaboration that also brought hip-hop into the mainstream and was the first song by a hip-hop act to reach the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. Raising Hell has been ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 1987, it was nominated for a Grammy Award, making Run-D.M.C. the first hip-hop act to receive a nomination.

Returning home to Queens in late 1985 after their extensive touring, they soon put themselves on lockdown at Chung King studios in Manhattan for three months. In place of producer Larry Smith, a cocky new maverick was brought in: Rick Rubin. Even though Rubin's and Russell's names were on the production marquee, the two non-group members oversaw and added to the music on Raising Hell more than created it. "Rick and Russell got production credit, but we [the group members] really did everything", DMC states. "We did that album in like three months. It was so quick because every rhyme was written on the road and had been practiced and polished. We knew what we wanted to do. Rick was all music and instruments. Jay was music and DJing. And me and Run was lyrics. We definitely had a game plan."

Raising Hell features the well-known cover "Walk This Way" featuring Aerosmith (largely the work of its leaders, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry). While the song was not the group's first fusion of rock and hip-hop (the group's earlier singles "Rock Box" and "King of Rock" were), it was the first such fusion significantly impacting the charts, becoming the first rap song to crack the top 5 of The Billboard Hot 100. Raising Hell peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart as the first hip-hop/rap album to do so, and at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

Selling more than three million copies, Raising Hell is credited with heralding the golden age hip-hop as well as hip-hop's album era, helping the genre achieve an unprecedented level of recognition among critics and mainstream audience.

 

Raising Hell Track List:  

 

1. Peter Piper

2. It's Tricky

3. My Adidas

4. Walk This Way

5. Is It Live

6. Perfection

7. Hit It Run

8. Raising Hell

9. You Be Illin'

10. Dumb Girl

11. Son Of Byford

12. Proud To Be Black

Rocktrospectiva: The Groundbreaking "King Of Rock" Turns 40

 

Released on 21 January, 1985 "King Of Rock"  was  the second studio album by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C. The album was produced by Russell Simmons and Larry Smith. Also became the first rap album to be released on CD, and was the third rap album to be certified Platinum. The album saw the group adopting a more rock-influenced sound, with several tracks prominently featuring heavy guitar riffs. The song "Roots, Rap, Reggae" features Yellowman, and was one of the first hybrids of rap and dancehall. The album spawned four singles "King Of Rock", "You Talk Too Much", "Jam-Master Jammin", & "Can You Rock It Like This."

It was the band's groundbreaking album, King of Rock, Run-D.M.C. expanded their musical palette. The album's title itself was equal parts warning, statement of purpose, and legitimate boast. The album signified the group's intentions to pull hip-hop out of the periphery and onto center stage. It was a golden era in the evolution of contemporary music; a time and place in which hip-hop was called "rap".

The music on the album was created by Larry Smith's group Orange Krush using the drum machine Oberheim DMX and Jam Master Jay's scratches mixed in a guitar riff. D.M.C. once commented on this fact: "People forget about Larry Smith, but Larry Smith owned hip-hop and rap. He produced our first two albums, and he produced Whodini. The rock-rap sound was Larry Smith's vision, not Rick Rubin's. Rick changed the story, but Larry was there first. A curious fact on that, because actually, Smith and Run were against the guitar."

The name for the album came up with Corey Robbins, co-owner of Profile Records. He said: "I don't take any credit for the song title, but I did come up with the idea of calling the album that, based on the song title, and keeping it singular. It was so outrageous then-that rappers would call themselves kings of rock, instead of kings of rap. That would've been the obvious title, because they were the kings of rap. They certainly weren't considered rock – yet. Which is why it turned out to be such a cool title: it turned out to be true. They did become rock and roll, in a way; they did get played on rock radio. King of Rap or Kings of Rap would have done nothing for them. King Of Rock was outrageous.

"Slow and Low" was recorded as a demo during the sessions for this album, Beastie Boys had the demo on a tape and decided to record a version after learning it wasn't going to be on King of Rock. Included on the Beastie Boys Album Licensed to Ill (1986). Run-D.M.C.'s version was not officially released until 2005, as an inclusion in the Deluxe edition of King of Rock. 

The album was a huge success, "King Of Rock" featured a highly popular music video who became a fan favotire on the MTV, peaking at No. 52 on the Billboard 200, it quickly gained critical acclaimed, also the single "King Of Rock" peaked on the UK singles chart, and even 40 years later, still sound great and timeless today.

King Of Rock Track List:

 

1. Rock The House

2. King Of Rock

3.You Talk Too Much

4. Jam-Master Jammin'

5. Roots, Rap, Reggae

6. Can You Rock It Like This

7. You're Blind

8. It's Not Funny

9. Darryl And Joe

Rocktrospectiva: The Funny "Ghostbusters II Soundtrack" Turns 35

 

Released on 12 June 1989 "Ghostbusters II Soundtrack" is the soundtrack album for the film of the same name released under MCA Records, the soundtrack includes two hit singles "On Our Own" by Bobby Brown" and the cover of Ray's Parker Jr., classic "Ghostbusters" by Run-D.M.C.

 

While its predecessor was a collection of soft rock and new wave tracks, the new album was an inspiration of the hot vibes back then, a blend of R&B, new jack swing and rap music featuring artists such as Bobby Brown, New Edition, Run-D.M.C., Doug E. Fresh and Get Fresh Crew, and some pop sound as Elton John and Glenn Frey appeared there. 

 

Indeed, the film's soundtrack is like a time capsule of radio in the late '80s., despite the soundtrack didin't an essential tune, is like a nostalgic time capsule for fans of the film and late 80's pop and new jack swing tunes. Ray Parker Jr., helped to develop an updated version of his hit "Ghostbusters" performed by Run-D.M.C., Bobby Brown performed the hit "On Our Own" in order to replicate the same success of the original soundtrack, Peter Afterman, the producer hire Bobby Brown to perform a song in exchange he offered the artist a role in the film, so he got a cameo as the mayor's doorman.

 

Other songs included were "We're Back", "Flip City" by Glenn Frey, "Spirit" by Doug E. Fresh and The Get Fresh Crew, "Love Is A Cannibal" by Elton John, and "Flesh 'n Blood" by composer Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo.

 

Ghostbusters II Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Track List: 

 

1. On Our Own

2. Supernatural

3. The Promised Land

4. We're Back

5. Spirit

6. Ghostbusters

7. Flesh 'n Blood

8. Love Is A Cannibal

9. Flip City

10. Higher And Higher