242 - Run-D.M.C. - (eponymous)

This and the next album are great examples of why I wanted to go through and listen to all of the albums on the Rolling Stone Top 500 albums. I heard Raising Hell and King of Rock back when they were released, but I had never made the effort to listen to the group's debut. It got stuck on the backburner through the years.

Hip-hop before Run-D.M.C. was a lot different from hip-hop after Run-D.M.C.. The MCs were frequently smooth characters that served rhymes praising their skills. Run-D.M.C. added a toughness that had previously been missing for the most part from rap. The two of them didn't split songs into Run's verse and DMC's verse, they swapped back and forth constantly. Jam-Master Jay's sampling was also a departure from the typical sounds. The samples wre sparer, the use of rock samples was unique, they focused more on a thumping beat as opposed to a groove.

Social justice and "rap as reporting" also is introduced in Run-D.M.C.'s lyrics in this album. Despite the toughness of the samples and rap delivery, the lyrics encourage the listener to stay in school and to work hard to get out of the projects and become successful.

Songs I Knew I liked: None

Songs I Now Like: "Hard Times," "Sucker MC's," "It's Like That," "Wake Up," "30 Days," and "Jay's Game"

Songs I Can Go the Rest of My Life Never Hearing Again: None