Even though Run-DMC identified proudly with its native New York borough of Queens, Chicago hip-hop artists considered Jam Master Jay one of their idols and joined the music world in grieving for him.
“He and Run-DMC were like the beginning,” said pioneering Chicago rapper Twista, who has performed at the Rosemont Horizon on the same bill as Run-DMC. “[Jam Master Jay] helped create the sound of what hip-hop music was going to sound like.”
With their 1983 singles “It’s Like That” and “Sucker M.C.’s [Krush Groove 1],” rappers Run and DMC and their deejay, Jam Master Jay, established themselves as a major hip-hop force. The group’s third album, 1996’s “Raising Hell,” became a multi-platinum success thanks in part to the Aerosmith collaboration “Walk This Way.”
“When I first heard Run-DMC, that was really my first introduction to hip-hop,” said Chicago producer NO I.D., who has worked with Chicago rapper Common and others. “That’s the one thing that we really focused on … getting the new Run-DMC albums.”
Jam Master Jay, for his part, helped give fans an idea of the B-Boy, the prototypical hip-hopper, who was identifiable by his dress, his attitude and his demeanor. “He was like the king of deejays,” Twista said. “He was one of the main deejays that set the standard for what it was to be a dope deejay in rap music. For me, that’s one of the pioneers. We basically lost a superstar.”
On the web
For more Run-DMC tributes and history, check out:
http://thadweb.com/rundmc/
http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/run-dmc/artist.jhtml
http://www.tjbeatrice.com/rundmc/code/MUSIC.html
http://bancodeprofissionais.com
