Hip Hop Fact: Rev. Run Started Out As A DJ...

As one of the biggest  Hip-Hop groups of all time, Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell, Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, collectively known as RUN DMC, set the mold for MC’s for years to come. From ground-breaking collaborations with rock legends like Aerosmith to being one of the first Hip-Hop acts accepted on MTV, the three guys from Queens set the standards for what Hip-Hop was meant to be. The funniest part is that the Run, often considered the lead MC of the group, started off as a DJ. He was taught the trade by none other than Kurtis Blow himself and began his path to legendary status as ‘DJ Run, The Son Of Kurtis Blow’, a name that stuck with him throughout his career according to a 2012 interview with the Hip-Hop great.

“And at the time, calling someone your “son” was a compliment, similar to calling someone your protégé,” said Blow during an interview. “And Run at one point was the “Son of Kurtis Blow”! [laughs] Right after I was signed, he was my DJ for a while too, actually. Rev Run was my disco son; we’d play music, and have big fun!”

Dust off your Adidas and pay tribute to Run DMC, arguably one of the most eminent groups in hip hop history, responsible for pushing the genre into mainstream popular music. Watch Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap, a tribute to the art form of hip hop, and continue the Black Music Month celebration with XFINITY’s xfinity.com/celebrateblacktv, a unique digital community built around the love of Black TV, film, sports, music and more.