King Of Rock

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Released less than a year after Run-D.M.C.'s tide-shifting, self-titled debut masterpiece, 1985's <i>King of Rock</i> reaffirmed and expanded the group's role as hip-hop's genre-crossing ambassadors to the world. Tracks like "King of Rock," "Can You Rock It Like Thi," and "You're Blind" all mix the group's pavement-hard rhymes with Eddie Martinez's metal guitar-shredding, a savvy crossover move that would anticipate and influence music for decade. The gambit paid off immediately with the success of the title track, which features chugging riffs alongside some of the most timeless boasts in history, with D.M.C. shouting, "I'm the king of rock, there is none higher/Sucker MCs should call me 'sire.'" The cheeky video had the trio bum-rushing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one year before it inducted its first class—and the song's success helped ensure that Run-D.M.C. would themselves become inductees nearly a quarter-century later. Still, <i>King of Rock</i> didn’t just establish Run-D.M.C. as rap's first rock star. It also helped push hip-hop into new territories and sound. "Root, Rap, Reggae" is a team-up between the reggae-loving band members and Jamaican superstar Yellowman, who was on tour when Run-D.M.C. was recording, and stopped by to freestyle his line. It's one of the first tracks to meld hip-hop with dancehall, laying the groundwork for future genre-blending artists like Beenie Man, Sean Paul, and Shinehead. Meanwhile, producer Larry Smith's cinematic synth work on "Darryl and Joe" makes it sound like he's inventing Run the Jewel. And the track "Can You Rock It Like This" was written for the group by a teenage upstart named LL Cool J—a guy who'd soon be creating his own landmark rap album. .

via Apple Music

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