The voice on the other end belonged to Rick Rubin, the 22-year-old hip-hop producer and entrepreneur behind Def Jam, the fast-rising record label he had founded while still a film student at New York University. But even after their dissolution, acts like Eminem and Rick Ross have given them props on wax, ensuring that their legacy lives on for years after they're gone.W hen Aerosmith manager Tim Collins answered his phone one day in early 1986, he was, at first, confused. The group called it quits in 2002 when Jam Master Jay was tragically murdered at his Queens studio. The album was a victory lap that enlisted the talents of rap rockers like Limp Bizkit and Everlast and new rap legends like Nas and Method Man-all of whom owed a debt to Run-DMC for their innovation decades earlier. Run-DMC continued making music through the early '90s but went on hiatus due to personal issues until reuniting for 2001's Crown Royal. Raising Hell demonstrated the group's cultural peak: 'My Adidas' earned them the first non-athlete sneaker endorsement, and the Aerosmith collab 'Walk This Way' took their hard-rock mission statement to new heights for a genre-mashing addition to the zeitgeist of the '80s. hip-hop tour-and their album tours featuring acts like LL Cool J and Beastie Boys, Run-DMC were among the first to go on the road and prove that rap was commercially viable. Between their spot on the 1984 Fresh Festival lineup-the first major U.S. Still, they were undeniably hip-hop with their booming drums, lethal turntable scratches, street aesthetic and flashy fashion. They embraced the attitude of rock n' roll with their muscular personalities, loudly shouted rhymes and electric guitars. Rappers would call themselves rock stars as the culture blossomed over future decades, but Run-DMC lived it. Managed by Run's brother, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, they landed a deal with Profile Records, where they released three classic albums in as many years: 1984's Run-DMC, 1985's King of Rock and 1986's Raising Hell. But when Simmons injured his arm, he lost the gig, leaving him to form a group with his friend Darryl 'D.M.C.' McDaniels in 1981 and add Jason 'Jam Master Jay' Mizell later as the DJ. New York native Joseph 'Run' Simmons earned his stripes performing with '70s rap pioneer Kurtis Blow. Before hip-hop became a dominant cultural force, Run-DMC were steadily working to unlock its global potential.

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