Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin, and Redemption of Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay

I'm a big run dmc fan and this book told me more about this group then anyother book i have read. This book tells you how they met what got them started,what got russell started, i mean this book tells you evrything you would ever want to know about run dmc and jam master jay. I couldn't put the book down truly a great book you will really enjoy it.

my 1st love was rap music back in the late 80`s early 90`.rap was new, and ground breaking.on day a friend of mine came at my house with a new album he had baught.... raising hell from run dmc.this is one of my best album still today.this book explaines every thing, from russel simmons to rick rubin and from beastie boy to ll cool j (all of them was signed by or produce by def jam) i read this book in 2 days and when i finished, i almost cried.1st because i realised that im 34 years old and that all this music was going on at the same time i was groing up (i feel i was part of something) 2nd is that i realised (again) that rap today has nothing to do with run dmc public enemy etc etc. i still weir my addidas shell toes with pride.

I'm pretty perceptive when it comes to scoping out the right books to read (i.e. whether or not it's actually worth the time & money). This one was another great page-turner! Particularly for fans of hip hop music, those who came of age before the genre crossed over to the mainstream, and also for music fans who've probably heard countless great tales from the industry that are starting to come off like a broken record. "Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin and Redemption of Run DMC" is a book title that could very easily read "Raising Hell: The Reign & Ruin of Run DMC." I said that because for as much as I loved this group growing up and still love what they achieved circa-1985 and their place in moving the genre forward, the book did a lot to burst my bubble (so to speak) on what remains an iconic group. Without giving away the juicy details of the book, Run DMC should be credited for their historic, innovative stylings. Coming off the more glossy hip hop infancy of blinged out artists like Kurtis Blow, Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Master Flash & the Furious Five, it was Run DMC who made it cool to "just be yourself" without all the celebrity, wearing-your-wealth-on-your-sleeves images. It was Run DMC who (at the time) came with a more deviantly hardcore hip hop sound (read: not your commercially-friendly, R & B-type rap music). And it was Run DMC who helped the hip hop culture grow the most in the mid-80s by experimenting with a slight rock & roll flavor that became their signature sound while expanding hip hop's fanbase. Where this book may surprise you is hearing all the behind the scenes tales of (now Rev.) Run, DMC and Jam Master Jay -- at least it all surprised me b/c they weren't always true to their music images. Jam Master Jay (may he rest in peace) is presented as the cool, laid back brotha who stayed runnin' in the streets. You won't find out anything more than theories about who his killer might be, but just finding out he at least ran with more than his share of greasy cats even into his 30s will make you wonder if that didn't play some small part in his demise (i.e. He didn't deserve to die but this wasn't just some random act of violence as the media initially tried to portray it). Perhaps a little less surprising is the book's portrayal of Run (the group's leader) as this egotistical, control freak who refused to compromise and even as a born again Christian remains a shady, alcohol-overconsuming man of the world posing as a disciple of the Lord. DMC, my personal favorite of the group, comes off as perhaps the group member with the most issues. The book paints him as this slightly introverted pushover who stomached Run's ego trips back in the day during the group's run at the top and one who didn't grow a backbone until their best days had passed them by (thus all the tales of the turmoil, hatred and conflict that defined Run DMC's circa-2000 comeback). And yet with all of the aforementioned flaws (we all have some!),

now on the real I was more of a Whodini Fan back in the day than Run DMC,but having said that Run DMC was the first Mega SuperStar Rap Group & Act that truly was mainstream & made you take notice."Peter Piper",it's like that,King of Rock,Mary,mary & then later Down with the King were some of my jams from those Cats. they had there own Image.they were rocking Sneakers way before alot of NBA Cats had gotten Shoe deals.matter of fact they were rocking Adias right around the time Michael Jordan's Air Jordan's were just starting to take off.Run DMC was a rare act back in the day of Hip-Hop in that they were making albums after albums where as alot of Acts were ran off the road after a couple of albums.they were very influential.LL Cool J,Dr.dre,Ice Cube,Hammer,Nelly,Snoop,-Outkast,50 cent, all owe Run DMC alot of Props for paving the way.this Book takes you back to a time when Hip-Hop was still cracking into the mainstream & all the Politics involved.these cats were multi tasking back in a time period when alot of these Record Companys didn't know much about marketing Rap Music let alone product endorsing things.this is a must read all the way.