In Buddhism (No I’m not a buddhist) Ignorance is defined as one part delusion and one part confusion.

We don’t perceive the truth of how things actually are directly,without distortion or illusion.Instead we insist on seeing thigs as we would like them to be.
Lama Surya Das - Awakening The Buddha Within

It’s time to face facts “The Digger’s Vault” has been a failure. It’s been akin to being a person telling a bar full of patrons the evils of alcohol. Truth indeed but wrong message,wrong time and wrong place. So I decided to end “The Digger’s Vault” on eastofla.com. Instead I will refocus my efforts on posting new music rather than classics and gems from the past.

Truthfully 99% of what the music industry releases is straight garbage. However, there are many independent artists producing quality music. I intend on bringing something new, or relative new, every week to EOLA. Unlike now where I would occasionally post something new weekly.

Now for this week’s and the final Digger’s Vault. We leave at the beginning with Hip Hop first mainstream superstars. The highly influential and most respected group in hop hop history….

For alot of younger heads when it comes Run DMC you simply had to be there to understand. Before mainstream or even “urban” radio, before MTV or VH1 decided to play Hip Hop videos there was one group known throughout Hip Hop culture worldwide as the “Kings Of Rock”.Three guys from Queens, a borough at that time not known for producing any Hip Hop greats, were the first to bring the raw and ruggedness as well,dare I say, swagger (I hate that word) to Hip Hop’s growing subculture.For certainty other groups were known at the time The Cold Crush Brothers, Fearless Four, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five but none like Run DMC along with Jam Master Jay captivated the Hip Hop masses as they did.

They had a special chemistry and a sound unlike other groups of the time. Their stripped down bare essentials sound represented the street not a slick marketable product.

Other groups at the time still were experimenting with tweaking disco-like music and rapping over it.Yet others preferred to experiment more with new equipment and sounds. However Run DMC and their producers, the “King of Rap” himself, Kurtis Blow and Davy DMX blended musicianship (both Kurt & Davy are talented musicians) with a raw stripped down sound. The end result of Kurt’s and Davy’s production was something hypnotic and even addictive.

Jam Master Jay’s influence on Hip Hop Deejays, myself included, cannot be matched be anyone with exceptions being Grandmaster Flash, Grandwizard Theodore & DJ Qbert. For many he was the first DJ to actually seen scratching live.

The first nationwide Hip Hop tour called The Fresh Festival aka The Fresh Fest in 1985 brought Hip Hop heavyweights Whodini, Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow and Run DMC to many cities throughout the US. For many this was not only their first Hip Hop concert but first concert experience period.

The excitement of seeing people who you viewed as like yourself perform live and perform incredibly well (unlike most performers today) was as good as it got. Whodini’s DJ Grandmaster Dee stole many a show from headliner Kurtis Blow. Most nights, however, Run DMC and Jam Master Jay’s skills on the turntables stole the show and ultimately the tour.

Until his murder of 2002 Jay was a figure who every Hip Hop deejay had as their blueprint or role model of what could be. A kind of Obama for Deejays. It may sound funny but believe me when I say back in mid 1980’s Jay created that kind of excitement and enthusiasm Obama created but for Deejays and those wanting to become one.

As lyricists Run & DMC weren’t the best but what made them standout above all others were their delivery & chemistry. Their tag team style of rhyming though done before was never done with so much style. The MC’s who used this tag team style before, most memorably The Cold Crush Brothers,  were entertainers while Run & DMC were rappers.

They weren’t so much as trying to entertain you but as to spit rhymes over beats. This was evident in their aggressive delivery.

All in all Joseph Simmons,Darryl McDaniels, Jason Mizell better known as RUN DMC and Jam Master Jay craved out a place not only in Hip Hop history and the music industry but in US history as the ambassadors of a culture that change the world.

Now I have something special for you courtesy of 238 Beats I have a recording of Run DMC live on Mr. Magic’s Radio show in 1986.Download Here

And I have the Run DMC - Greatest Hits for you as well.

Download Here

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Related posts (Script Generated):

1. The Digger’s Vault | Run DMC | Final