HOME





Hard Times (Run-D.M.C. Song)
"Hard Times" is a rap song written by Jimmy Bralower, J.B. Moore, Russell Simmons, Larry Smith and William Waring originally recorded by Kurtis Blow for his 1980 eponymous debut album. A 1983 cover by rap group Run–D.M.C. was issued as their second single, and is the first track on their eponymous debut album ''Run–D.M.C. Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...''. Track listing ; 12" Profile - PRO-7036 (US) # "Hard Times" (D. McDaniels, J. Simmons, L. Smith, W. Warring) - 5:10 # "Jam-Master Jay" (D. McDaniels, J. Mitzell, J. Simmons, L. Smith, R. Simmons) - 3:21 # "Hard Times (Instrumental)" (D. McDaniels, J. Simmons, L. Smith, W. Warring) - 3:51 # "Jam-Master Jay (Instrumental)" (D. McDaniels, J. Mitzell, J. Simmons, L. Smith, R. Simmons) - 3:51 Chart position ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

New School Hip Hop
The new school of hip hop was a movement in hip hop music, beginning in 1983–84 with the early records of Run–D.M.C. and LL Cool J. Predominantly from New York City, it was characterized by drum machine-led minimalism, often tinged with elements of rock; rapped taunts, boasts, and socio-political commentary; and aggressive, self-assertive delivery. In song and image, its artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude. These elements contrasted sharply with funk and disco, novelty hits, live bands, synthesizers, and party rhymes of artists prevalent in the early 1980s. Compared to their older hip hop counterparts, new school artists crafted more cohesive LPs and shorter songs more amenable to airplay. By 1986, their releases began to establish hip hop in the mainstream. The somewhat broader era of golden age hip hop is applied to late 1980s-to-early 1990s mainstream hip hop, characterized by diversity, quality, innovation and influence, and associated with Public En ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Profile Records
Profile Records was one of the earliest hip hop labels. As well as hip-hop they released disco, dance, and electro records. History In 1980, Cory Robbins, who was 23 at the time and had worked briefly for MCA, wanted to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be a partner. They each borrowed $17,000 from their parents, purchased the little used Panorama Records subsidiary from MCA, and Profile Records was born. Their tiny office opened at 250 West 57th street in NYC on May 1, 1981. With the success of “Genius Rap” by Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, they escaped financial ruin by a mere $2,000. From there it was Gidea Park's “Seasons of Gold” that brought more commercial and financial success, becoming Profile Records’ first hit to make the Billboard Hot 100. In 1982 the fledgling label gained international recognition with the club hit " I Specialize in Love", recorded by Sharon Brown, licensed to Virgin Records in the UK. The label co ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Arista Records
Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainment, the North American division of German conglomerate Bertelsmann. Though the label was founded in November 1974 by Clive Davis, Arista in its current form was re-established in 2018. Along with Epic Records, RCA Records, and Columbia Records, Arista is one of Sony Music's four flagship record labels. History Background After being fired from CBS Records, Clive Davis was recruited by Alan Hirschfield, CEO of Columbia Pictures, in June 1974 to be a consultant for the company's record and music operations. Shortly after his hiring by CPI, Davis became president of Bell Records, replacing the departing Larry Uttal. Davis's real goal was to reorganize and revitalize Columbia Pictures' music division. With a $10 million investme ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Russell Simmons
Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' net worth was estimated at $340 million in 2011. After producing or managing artists such as Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Whodini, and Jimmy Spicer, Simmons joined forces with producer Rick Rubin to found Def Jam Recordings. Under Simmons' leadership as chairman, Def Jam signed acts including Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Jay Z, DMX, and Kanye West. From 1992 to 1997, he also produced the Def Comedy Jam television program. Simmons has promoted veganism and a yogic lifestyle. He also published books about healthy lifestyle and entrepreneurship. In 2017, Simmons was publicly accused of sexual assault by multiple women; he denied the allegations. Following these allegations, Simmons stepped down from his various business roles a ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Larry Smith (producer)
Lawrence Smith (June 11, 1952 – December 19, 2014) was a pioneering American musician and hip hop record producer. He is best known for his co-productions (with Russell Simmons) of Run-DMC's ''Run-D.M.C.'' (1984) and ''King of Rock'' (1985) and his solo production of Whodini's ''Escape'' (1984) and ''Back in Black'' (1986). It is a measure of Smith's creative range that he could work simultaneously with the decidedly dissimilar Run-D.M.C. and Whodini. The former was rock-oriented, the latter leaned toward R&B—or as the critic Tom Terrell suggested, "Smith envisioned Whodini as the luxe Cadillac Seville to Run-D.M.C.'s Electra 225 hooptie." Smith's work has engendered not just critical esteem, but popular success. In the month ending February 23, 1985, both ''Run-D.M.C.'' and ''Escape'' were certified gold by the RIAA, as was the Fat Boys' eponymous debut album, on which Smith played bass and helped to compose the hit single "Jail House Rap." These were among the first hip ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Jam Master Jay
Jason William Mizell (January 21, 1965 – October 30, 2002), better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was an American musician and DJ. He was the DJ of the influential hip hop group Run-DMC. During the 1980s, Run-DMC became one of the biggest hip hop groups and are credited with breaking hip hop into mainstream music.The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time: 48) Run–DMC
''''. Published April 15, 2004.


Early life

Jason Mizell was born in



It's Like That (Run–D
"It's Like That" may refer to: * "It's Like That" (Run–D.M.C. song) (1983) * "It's Like That" (Mariah Carey song) (2005) * "It's Like That (My Big Brother)," a Redman song (1996) * "It's Like That," a song by Pete Rock & CL Smooth * "It's Like That," a song by Evan Taubenfeld Evan David Taubenfeld (born June 27, 1983) is an American singer and musician, best known for being Avril Lavigne's lead guitarist, music director and frequent collaborator. Taubenfeld's debut album, '' Welcome to the Blacklist Club'', was rele ... * "It's Like That," a song by Little Jackie from their album '' Queen of Prospect Park''. {{disambiguation ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Rock Box
"Rock Box" is a song by the American hip hop group Run-DMC. The song was produced by Larry Smith and Russell Simmons and released by Profile Records in March 1984. Following the popularity of their previous two singles " Hard Times" (1983) and " It's Like That" (1983), Profile Records head suggested to the producers and group that they should attempt to record an album as they already had four songs ready, and releasing a few more would not hurt them. Despite speculating low sales from the label and the group not feeling that hip hop was a genre appropriate for a full-length album, they were given an advance to start recording. This led to Run-DMC members Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels going through their rhyme book to develop new songs, one of which would become "Rock Box". After having to wait for the heavy metal band Riot to finish their studio time so the group could record new tracks, the group and producers were influenced by their loud guitar sound an ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Kurtis Blow
Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959), professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, b-boy, DJ, public speaker and minister. He is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label. " The Breaks", a single from his 1980 self-titled debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song. Throughout his career he has released 17 albums and is currently an ordained minister. Early life, family and education Walker was raised in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. He attended CCNY and Nyack College, studying communications/film and ministry. Career In 1979, at the age of twenty, Kurtis Blow became the first rapper to be signed by a major label, Mercury, which released "Christmas Rappin'". It sold over 400,000 copies, becoming one of the first commercially successful hip hop singles. Its follow-up, " The Breaks", sold over half a million copies. He released ten albums ove ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Kurtis Blow (album)
''Kurtis Blow'' is the debut album by American rapper Kurtis Blow. It was released on September 29, 1980, by Mercury Records. The record includes the song " The Breaks", which was often sampled later in hip-hop records, mainly for its introduction made by Blow's ''a cappella'' vocal, and for the drum break, giving a wordplay dimension to the title. "Rappin' Blow, Pt. 2" was issued as a single that had a do-it-yourself B-side, the instrumental version. "Takin' Care of Business" is one of the first hip hop and rock ’n’ roll crossover attempts. The album was placed at number 71 on ''The Greatest 80 Albums of 1980'' by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Track listing Side one # "Rappin' Blow, Pt. 2" (Kurtis Blow, Robert Ford, Miller, J.B. Moore, Larry Smith) 4:41 # " The Breaks" (Kurtis Blow, Ford, Moore, Russell Simmons, Smith) 7:41 # "Way Out West" (Moore) 7:40 Side two # "Throughout Your Years" (Kurtis Blow, Moore, Waring) 5:17 # "Hard Times" (Jimmy Bralower, Moore, Russell Simmons, ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012. The chart is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, rock and roll, soul, and funk, it is today dominated by contemporary R&B and hip hop. Since its inception, the chart has changed its name many times in order to accurately reflect the industry at the time. History Beginning in 1942, ''Billboard'' published a chart of bestselling black music, first as the Harlem Hit Parade, then as Race Records. Then in 1949, ''Billboard'' began publishing a Rhythm and Blues chart, which entered "R&B" into mainstream lexicon. These three charts were conso ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]