Rock The Bells, one of the most highly anticipated Hip-Hop festivals, is set to deliver an unforgettable lineup featuring iconic artists known for their lyrical and instrumental prowess.
The latest addition to the festival is none other than Hip-Hop royalty, Run-D.M.C. Joining the already star-studded lineup, which includes LL COOL J, these Kings of Queens are set to create a historic homecoming moment for Hip-Hop fans.
Adding to the excitement, The Roots will join forces with LL COOL J and Z-Trip to back his performance at the festival. This collaboration is expected to elevate the musical experience to new heights.
Last week LL COOL J said, “I’m doing this for Queens, for NYC, and for the HIP-HOP culture. There’s no better place for me to perform during this moment in Hip-Hop than my hometown. This isn’t just a Festival; it’s a testament to the power of the culture that changed the world. Get ready!! We are impacting history!! It’s time to Rock the Bells!”
In addition to these announcements, Rock The Bells has previously revealed an impressive lineup. The Native Tongues reunion will bring together Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and Black Sheep for a much-anticipated performance. Another highlight of the festival will be a special melody set by Queens of the Mic, featuring MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Sha Rock, Roxanne Shanté, and Monie Love, paying homage to the influential women of the genre.
The festival will also feature performances by legendary artists Ludacris, Method Man & Redman, Swizz Beatz with special guests, Salt-n-Pepa, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Slick Rick, Fabolous, and many more.
Co-presented by Procter & Gamble and Walmart, the Rock The Bells Festival will return to Queens, NY, on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at the iconic Forest Hills Stadium. With last year’s edition selling out, fans can expect a day filled with incredible performances, unforgettable moments, and a celebration of Hip-Hop culture.
37 years ago, amidst the explosion of crack cocaine in the inner cities, one of the hottest albums from the Hollis Crew came out and further solidified their status of royalty in the world of Hip Hop. Today Run-D.M.C.’s third album celebrates its born day.
Raising Hell was the album that exposed Run, D, and Jam Master Jay to mainstream America and made them household names. Songs like “It’s Tricky” and the monumental “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith were heard on both urban and top 40 stations around the country and the globe. As trendsetters, they made Adidas with fat laces and even no laces a worldwide fashion statement with the song “My Adidas”. This recognition earned the trio a multimillion-dollar deal with Adidas, which was unprecedented for musicians of any kind at the time.
TheSource.com salutes Run-D.M.C. for this piece of Hip Hop history!
On April 4, 2009, Run-D.M.C. became the second rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, after Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five who were inducted in 2007. This honor came well deserved after the illustrious career of the trio. Run-D.M.C. helped to build a musical cross culture as well as serve as the cornerstone artist of one Hip Hop most powerful empires, Def Jam Records. Run-D.M.C.’s brand is timeless and iconic and can be said to be one of the launching boards for Hip Hop culture as a whole.
From their music to their style, Run-D.M.C. has immortalized their image in music history. In honor of this crowning achievement, we have compiled a list of examples to prove as to why Run-D.M.C. is considered to be the icons that they are.
Style
It goes without saying that Adidas in and of itself is one of the most popular active wear brands around. Rivaled only by the titans Nike and Puma, Adidas has grown to become a household name in both fitness attire and style. In its early stages, Adidas’ popularity in the Hip Hop community can be largely attributed to Run-D.M.C. Everywhere Run-D.M.C. went they could be seen in head-to-toe Adidas with a gold rope chain and a black top hat. From the jewelry to the full sweat suits to the fat laced, shell-toe low tops, Run, D.M.C, and Jam Master Jay were undoubtedly fly. Their love for the Adidas brand mixed with their popularity in music soon brought them sponsorship dollars and eventually their own signature sneakers. Without their influence, it would have probably been a while before any sneaker brand became so popular in Hip Hop.
Cross Over Appeal
In the past, there have many icons in Hip Hop who have been able to stand the test of time and make it to legend status. Few artists however have been able to retain their respect as a rapper while being able to cross over genres and appeal to a broader audience. Run-D.M.C.’s ability to seamlessly transition between a rock and rap fan base is one of their greatest attributes. The hit single Walk This Way Featuring fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Aerosmith was one of the first of it’s kind. The genius concept to have two of the biggest stars in their respective genres led to a new sense of community in music. Like never before artists hailing from different genres began to collaborate and Hip Hop had finally broken completely into the mainstream. This single and style of rapping broke open the door for current rappers today to expand their support basis across genres.
Influence
The editor of Allmusic wrote that,
“More than any other Hip-Hop group, Run-D.M.C. are responsible for the sound and style of the music”.
It can and has been said that the group helped to move Hip Hop forward with the times. Their sound helped progress the genre out of that heavily funk and disco influenced sound and move toward a more hardcore style of rap. They helped the music transform from dance club-oriented songs like Kurtis Blow‘s “The Breaks” to more aggressive, hard-hitting tracks like their It’s Like That record. This transformation paved the way for the sounds the next generation of rappers such as Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and Wu-Tang Clan. Outside of rap, artists like KoRN, Rage Against the Machine, and Linkin Park all have styles similar to the one popularized by Run-D.M.C.
The career of this prolific group is instrumental piece of music history as a whole. Their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame only proves that they are important to not only the genre that they concentrated in but were loved and admired by music lovers as a whole. Take some time out today to appreciate the career of one of the greatest music groups of all time.
On this date in 1984, the Kings from Queens released their first self-titled album on Def Jam Recordings under Rush Management.
This monumental album put Daryl McDaniels (DMC), Joseph Simmons (DJ Run), and Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) on the map, and launched one of the most successful careers Hip-Hop has ever seen.
With songs like “Sucker MCs,” “It’s Like That,” “Hard Times” and “Rock Box,” the record was an accurate reflection of the lives of three ambitious kids from Hollis, Queens in New York City in a time before the crack epidemic.
Simmons and McDaniels used to hang around Two-Fifths Park in Hollis in late 1980, hoping to rap for the local DJs who performed and competed there. The most popular one just happened to be Mizell, then known as “Jazzy Jase” because of his flashy wardrobe and b-boy attitude. Eventually, Simmons and McDaniels rapped in front of Mizell at the park, and the rest is history.
As a group, they soon strapped on a pair of Adidas, threw on a rope chain and topped it off with a Kangol hat. Little did they know, they were crafting a signature style, one that has stood the test of time and is widely recognized around the world.
Run-D.M.C. went on to release six more albums, including 1985’s King of Rock and 1986’s Raising Hell. Tragically, Mizell was gunned down on October 30, 2002, at his recording studio in Queens. Countless fans left Adidas sneakers, albums and flowers for the legendary DJ outside of the studio, where the murder occurred. The homicide has yet to be solved.
Run-D.M.C. was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, making them one of only two Hip Hop acts given that honor at the time.
(SPOILERS for this week’s BMF episode will be found below.)
In episode six of season two of BMF, titled “Homecoming,” Meech and Terry are back home in Detroit. They completed their mission in Atlanta and they’re back home to get things back in order with BMF. The good news is that Terry is back in the crew after some time away, but the bad news is that their war with Lamar is far from over as he continues to terrorize Meech and Terry’s family and well as BMF. Elsewhere, Charles continues down the path of infidelity and B-Mickie’s double life comes to an end.
The aforementioned events in the sixth episode of BMF season two, titled “Homecoming,” are soundtracked by songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene. You can find a list of them belong as well as details about the scenes that they are heard in.
The following records were provided thanks to the Starz Public Relations team.
Run-D.M.C. — “Beats To The Rhyme”
We hear this song at the 0:20 mark as Meech and Terry are driving around neighborhoods looking for Lamar. The duo is strapped with firearms and this happens fresh off their return from Atlanta.
Stephie — “All Day A”
At around the 1:30 mark, Meech and Terry can be seee in the record shop base talking about Lamar getting to the Flenory house and B-Mickie’s whereabouts. Meech and Terry also give a vague update to the crew about their time in Atlanta and what’s next going forward.
50 Cent — “Wish Me Luck” Feat. Charlie Wilson
This is the theme song of BMF. It plays at the 3:30 mark in “Homecoming.” While it’s only 50 Cent and Charlie Wilson’s voices that are heard in this moment, the song also features Snoop Dogg and Moneybagg Yo.
Model 500 — “Future”
Model 500’s “Future” checks in around the 13:21 mark as Meech pulls up to the club to meet with the PA Boys. In this scene, we see a cameo appearance from Jalen Rose who plays himself and we see Meech jump into a fight with the PA Boys against their rivals.
Extreme — “He Is My Friend”
At the 20:07 mark, this record plays as Charles consoles Lucille as she sits at the dinner table upset over Terry’s decision to drop out of high school. To make things better, Charles says he’ll get dressed up and take Lucille out for dinner — something they haven’t done in a long time.
Dosey Doe — “Rock Your Body”
We hear this song around the 21:38 mark when Meech visits the nail shop that Nicole works at to get his nails done. He always uses the opportunity to make a deal with the owner and use the shop as a place to wash BMF’s drug money.
Oran Juice Jones — “The Rain”
This record plays around the 22:41 mark as Terry drives in the rain all to be followed by Detective Bryant and Jin because he ran a stop light. The stay behind him thinking he’s up to no good, all to see that he was only on his way to pick up Markeisha and her kids.
Extreme — “Les Is More”
At around the 25:43 mark, we here this song as Charles and Lucille are eating dinner together. It’s here that Lucille admits that she thought Charles was cheating on her. While we know she’s not wrong, she was wrong about who she think he’s cheating on her think
Solo D — “Right There”
We here this song around the 28:27 mark during a sex scene with Terry and Markeisha. In an opposite hotel Detectives Bryant and Jin are watching Terry in hopes of catching him doing something illegal
Marley Waters x Fredro — “The Code”
This record plays around 32:04 mark as Meech pulls up in a brand new car to meet with Terry and the rest of the BMF crew. Shortly after, Terry is confronted by BMF’s Dink about bad product which leads to a fight after Dink steps to Terry. It ends with Terry and Meech jumping Dink.
Francene — “Do You Remember”
Francene’s record can be heard around the 34:45 mark as Charles visits Mabel to inform her that their affair must come to an end. His attempt is a failure as he and Mabel end up having sex once again.
Arman — “Trouble”
This song plays around the 35:18 mark when Nicole enters the nail shop to see Meech and Hoop meeting with the store owner to give her some money to presumably help them wash their BMF earnings. Nicole takes issue with this with the owner, but the owner dismisses her worries.
Cite — “Some Of This”
This song plays around the 36:54 mark when Terry returns to the hotel that he was staying in with Markeisha and her kids. He comes back to find out that Markeisha left and did so with a note saying that she can’t be with someone who has other responsibilities and may not be as financially supportive as she needs.
Osinachi — “Claps”
We hear this song around the 38:06 mark when Meech reconnects with K-9 to get new product and get things rolling again. It’s here that Meech learns that K-9 owes a Colombian connect $20 million and refuses to pay up.
SAB — “Paul Bun”
Around the 41:10 mark, this record plays as Meech and Terry are discussing their next moves. Meech wants to take advantage of K-9’s issues with Colombian connect while Terry wants to work the product that B-Mickie is offering Meech.
Don Cabán — “Defend My Reputation”
This record plays around the 45:10 mark as B-Mickie meets Meech at the record shop to give him new product. Meech informs B-Mickie that he bought burial plots for his mother and that he is giving him his own territory to be in charge of. While this is all good news, it’s ruined as B-Mickie is actually there undercover for Detectives Bryant and Jin. Meech makes a run for it and B-Mickie follows him shortly after.
Don Cabán & EHart — “Live By The Gun”
The episode closes with the song playing, starting at around the 49:20 mark. The episode ends on a cliffhanger of sorts as B-Mickie is seemingly kidnapped as he looks to make a run out of the city.
New episodes of ‘BMF’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am EST and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm EST.
It’s been a while since Will Smith has been on a stage at an awards show, but allegedly, he was scheduled to make a surprise appearance at the Grammy’s this past Sunday night. However, his comeback performance was derailed due to conflicts with filming Bad Boys 4.
In the weeks leading up to the Grammy’s, host Trevor Noah had hinted that there would be surprise guest appearances, but had kept quiet about specifics. However, Questlove, who produced a 10-minute 50th anniversary of hip-hop tribute performance for the ceremony, let one no-show surprise guest name slip on the red carpet.
Questlove told a Variety reporter that he was going to give the spoiler alert away. “Will Smith was a part of the festivities tonight, but they started shooting Bad Boys 4 this week. There were a lot of preliminary shots that he had to do, so we had to lose Will.”
The show did, however, go on without Smith. Missy Elliott, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, The Roots, Big Boi, Busta Rhymes, GloRilla, Rakim, Ice-T, Lil Baby, GloRilla, Lil Uzi Vert, and more showcased their talents in a commemorative tribute to the genre.
Before the performance, Dr. Dre was honored with the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. He spoke about the impact that hip-hop had on him while saying that he was happy to be influencing the next generation of artists. The full performance can be seen below.
Questlove said that pulling off the show took a lot of hard work, telling the New York Times that “it was a lot of mountains to move to make this happen,” noting that Will Smith was not the only celebrity who couldn’t make it. Future and Lil’ Wayne also had toco cancel due to other commitments.
It’s been almost a year since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in March of 2022.
Hip Hop lost a great DJ over two decades ago, but in celebration of JMJ’s life today, his legacy will forever live on
On this date in 1965 in Brooklyn, New York, Jason Mizell, who later became Jam Master Jay, was born.
Jay was the DJ for the legendary Kings from Hollis, Queens, Run-D.M.C. His musical career took him all over the world and even expanded his talents into Hip Hop filmographies, such as Krush Groove and Tougher Than Leather. JMJ is also responsible for breaking several artists from his Jam Master Jay Records imprint, including Onyx, Chuck D of Public Enemy, and 50 Cent.
On October 30, 2002, Jay was tragically shot and killed by an unknown assailant in a Jamaica, Queens recording studio. To this day, no one has been charged with his murder.
The Source Magazine would like to send a super born day salute to this icon of our culture. He may be physically gone, but his legacy will never be forgotten!
The “Kings From Queens” dropped their sophomore LP 38 years ago today.
On this date in 1985, Joseph Simmons, Daryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell successfully avoided the sophomore jinx some three decades ago when they released the follow-up to their self-titled debut album with King Of Rock.
Produced by Run’s brother Def Jam founder Russell Simmons, this album was the project that catapulted the crew from rappers to internationally recognized recording artists. King Of Rock is historic in the sense that it was the first Hip Hop album to go platinum and ended up going double platinum. Singles like “King Of Rock” and “Rock It Like This” appeared in the cult classic flick Krush Groove, which is based on the rise of Run-D.M.C., Def Jam Records, co-starring Jay, Darryl, and Joe. Those two tracks and the comical “You Talk Too Much” all reached the Top 20 R&B charts.
Salute to Run, D.M.C., the Mizell family, the Simmons family, Rick Rubin, Larry Smith (RIP), and everyone at Def Jam and Profile who made this album happen!
On Independence Day in 1986, Daryl McDaniels, his partner in rhyme Joseph Simmons and their DJ Jason Mizell, who are best known as the legendary Hip Hop group Run-D.M.C., released one of the most successful singles of their career; “Walk This Way”, which guest stars rock n’ roll vets Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith.
The rap version of the single, which appeared on Run-D.M.C.’s third album Raising Hell, was a very groundbreaking track that helped pioneer the fusion of rock n’ roll and Hip Hop. The original song of the same name appeared on Aerosmith’s 1975 Toys In The Attic album.
