Rock & Roll Biographies: RUN DMC

Run-DMC, who were East Coast contemporaries with the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy put rap music on the map in a larger, commercial way after the genre was founded in the parks of New York City and brought to life by artists like Grand Master Flash, KRS-ONE, Kool Herc and Rakim. Run-DMC released their debut self-titled LP in 1984 and then became the first hop-hop act to achieve a gold record. Their sophomore release, King of Rock, was quickly certified Platinum, making Run-DMC the first to achieve that monumental feat. In more firsts, the group was the first hip-hop act to have its music played on MTV. Their aesthetic was almost as famous as their rhymes.