Run DMC are a group of trailblazers. From their involvement with now legendary producer Rick Rubin to bringing the Beastie Boys on tour, DMC has a lot to be proud of.
But now, the Recording Academy will be honoring them with a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sadly, Jason Mizell, aka Jam Master Jay, isn't alive to receive the award, but Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels and Joseph 'Rev Run' Simmons couldn't be more excited to be recognized in this way.
The Recording Academy's GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award is given to those the Academy determines have made a long term, giant effect on the world of recorded music, and Run DMC is up there with previous winners.
In the past, artists like Ella Fitzgerald, the Beatles, Herbie Hancock, the Beach Boys, and Earth, Wind, and Fire have won.
[anad]
For years, hip hop has been in the spotlight of headlines, film, fashion and culture on the whole. It's an art form that's crossed barriers and permeated cultures once considered to be taboo. But why is that?
In a large way, we can thank Run DMC, whose eponymous 1984 debut was the first Gold-certified rap album in the United States.
redbullmusicacademy Congratulations to Run-D.M.C. for becoming the first rappers to be honored with a lifetime achievement Grammy. 📷 Ricky Powell #rundmc #grammys
Though Run DMC did not invent rap, by any means, they're often considered the group that brought the art form into popular American culture in the most pervasive way.
Once notified they'd won the award, Rev Run tweeted, "They shocked me! We're the first rappers to get this award! Shocked! Grateful! God is good!"
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[via The Guardian]