Run DMC - Raising Hell

YOURZ

This is why I like old-school hip hop so much.  The beats are fat and strong, the samples aren't buried under layers of effects and the flow is clean and consistently tight.  It really doesn't get much better than Raising Hell.

Then there's Walk This Way, which not only acknowleged that rock and hip hop could be a match made in heaven, it even invited the rock stars into its fold, turning the adversarial nature of the two genres into an iconic video clip and proving that music can make wonderful bedfellows out of the even the oddest of pairings.  This track, more than anything else, is also credited for resurrecting Aerosmith's flagging career. 

And who else could write such a song as My Adidas and make it sound so cool? 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

I do tend to prefer my rap music with a musical background, and generally a whole album of it is just a bit too much.  Raising Hell is no exception, despite the inclusion of some world-class songs.

Therefore while I love It's Tricky, Raising Hell, You Be Illin' and of course Walk This Way, the rest of it's a bit shouty for me. 

I have no major moments to share with you regarding this album, as it's not mine.  And while I'd cherrypick the abovementioned tracks to punch up my playlist on the GymPod, it's not a CD I'd put on to while away a rainy day.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

For more information: http://www.rundmc.com/

Run-DMC - Raising Hell

YOURZ

Of all the hip hop albums I own, Raising Hell is probably my favourite of them all.  For me, it's as close to perfection as you could hope to get.  Even if you don't like hip hop, listening to this will elevate you.  Its simplicity, its massive rhythms and sharp, shaped MCing, coupled with the biggest crossover hit of its genre in 'Walk This Way' (and doing Aerosmith a huge favour at the same time), guarantee its iconic status.

Having done The Ramones yesterday and following up with this is is a task of sweet, musical pleasure.  Similarly driven and similarly maverick, both bands stood on the edge of their prospective peer groups but ended up showing 'em all what it's really about. Like The Ramones, Run-DMC not only defined the sound but the look and lifestyle as well. 

As much as I liked 'Walk This Way' when I first heard it, this is merely the sugary icing on a very tasty cake. It is tracks like 'It's Tricky', 'Raising Hell' and 'You Be Illin', heavily relying on samples cut with huge beats, that are the real stars of this set.  You can blame these songs for every crap MC trying to rhyme over rock riffs.  The difference is Run-DMC do it right every time.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

It's fun and all, and I do like that this is hip hop done smart.  But just like the Beastie Boys, I prefer their songs dropped into a DJ set. You see, I just can't listen to someone shouting at me, song after song after song.  It literally gives me a headache.

It doesn't help that the hip hop album that's just a short jump away alphabetically is my favourite (and hopefully we'll review this later) Neneh Cherry's Raw Like Sushi.  It's so easy just to take that jump... and the shouting stops.  It's so lovely when it stops!

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

For more information: http://www.rundmc.com/