Get ready for Run DMC the Musical. Yes, the hip hop group that brought rap into the forefront of mainstream America, resulting in millions of white kids from suburbia spending their money on gangsta rap albums decades later, is bringing hip hop to Broadway…maybe. Joseph Simmons (Rev Run) and Darryl McDaniels (DMC) have talked to producer Paula Wagner of Mission Impossible fame about selling Run DMC musical tickets.
This would be an interesting development if the reported plans do in fact carry through from the conception stage to the development stage to the actual production stage. The Run DMC musical would most likely be a jukebox musical. The news is that the story of Rev Run, DMC, and the deceased Jam-Master Jay and their rise from the streets of Hollis in Queens to international stars and music icons that cross all genres.
The trio Run DMC rose from the ranks of local artists thanks to the success of Rev Run's brother, music mogul Russell Simmons. The younger Simmons began DJing for one of Simmons acts, Kurtis Blow before becoming a rapper himself. Simmons convinced friend McDaniels to start rapping and the addition of DJ Jay-Master Jay completed the group, which instantly clicked.
Run-DMC seemed destined to change the music landscape completely, hitting the stands with a hip hop sound that diverted from the funk and disco infused flavor of the time in favor of cocky, minimalist beats. The group even helped pave the way for the marriage of rock and rap with Rock Box and later a sampling of Aerosmith that helped re-invigorate the 1970s group's career.
