King of Rock

On their sophomore album, King of Rock, Run-D.M.C. expanded their musical palette. The album's title itself was equal parts warning, statement of purpose, and legitimate boast. The album signified the group's intentions to pull hip-hop out of the periphery and onto center stage. It was a golden era in the evolution of contemporary music; a time and place in which hip-hop was called "rap", MTV defined "rock", and Run-D.M.C. were kings of both.

The music on the album was created by Larry Smith's group Orange Krush using the drum machine Oberheim DMX and Jam Master Jay's scratches mixed in a guitar riff. D.M.C. once commented on this fact: "People forget about Larry Smith, but Larry Smith owned hip-hop and rap. He produced our first two albums, and he produced Whodini. The rock-rap sound was Larry Smith's vision, not Rick Rubin's. Rick changed the story, but Larry was there first. Actually, me and Run were against the guitar."{{cite book |last1=Tannenbaum |first1=Rob |last2=Marks |first2=Craig |title=I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution |date=2011 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=9781101526415 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrBolXPYq40C&pg=RA4-PT1 |access-date=May 29, 2019}}

The name for the album came up with Corey Robbins, co-owner of Profile Records. He said: "I don't take any credit for the song title, but I did come up with the idea of calling the album that, based on the song title, and keeping it singular. It was so outrageous then-that rappers would call themselves kings of rock, instead of kings of rap. That would've been the obvious title, because they were the kings of rap. They certainly weren't considered rock – yet. Which is why it turned out to be such a cool title: it turned out to be true. They did become rock and roll, in a way; they did get played on rock radio. King of Rap or Kings of Rap would have done nothing for them. King Of Rock was outrageous."{{cite web| url= https://www.discogs.com/Run-DMC-King-Of-Rock/release/7334934|title=Run-D.M.C. – King Of Rock (2005 expanded deluxe edition) | website=discogs.com|access-date=May 3, 2019}}

"Slow and Low" was recorded as a demo during the sessions for this album, Beastie Boys had the demo on a tape and decided to record a version after learning it wasn't going to be on King of Rock. Included on the Beastie Boys album Licensed to Ill (1986). Run-D.M.C.'s version was not officially released until 2005, as an inclusion in the Deluxe edition of King of Rock.

The song "Can You Rock It Like This" was written by a 16-year-old LL Cool J.{{cite book |last1=D |first1=Chuck |title=Chuck D Presents This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History |date=2017 |publisher=Running Press |isbn=9780316430982 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3hQUDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT52 |access-date=May 29, 2019}}

"King of Rock" featured a popular music video, which became a fan favorite on MTV. It featured Calvert DeForest, also known as Larry "Bud" Melman of NBC's Late Night with David Letterman fame.{{cite web| url= https://www.laweekly.com/music/why-david-letterman-sidekick-larry-bud-melman-was-a-hip-hop-icon-5592512|title=Why David Letterman Sidekick Larry "Bud" Melman Was a Hip-Hop Icon|website=laweekly.com|date=May 20, 2015 |access-date=May 3, 2019}}

Three songs from this album were featured in the 1985 Warner Bros. film Krush Groove: "King of Rock", "Can You Rock It Like This" and "You're Blind".{{cite web| url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089444/soundtrack|title=Krush Groove (1985) – Soundtracks – IMDb| website=imdb.com |access-date=May 3, 2019}}

• NME – no. 44 at "50 Albums Released In 1985 That Still Sound Great Today" (2015){{Cite web| url=https://www.nme.com/photos/50-albums-released-in-1985-that-still-sound-great-today-1432721 |title=50 Albums Released In 1985 That Still Sound Great Today | website=nme.com |date=February 13, 2015 |access-date=May 3, 2019}}
• Rockerilla – no. 12 at "Best Black Music Album 1985" (1985){{Cite web| url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rockerilla.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223023834/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rockerilla.htm | url-status=usurped | archive-date=February 23, 2006 |title=BEST BLACK MUSIC ALBUM 1985 | website=rocklistmusic.co.uk |access-date=May 3, 2019}}
• Ego Trip – no. 8 at "Hip-Hop's Greatest Albums By Year 1979–85" (1999){{Cite web| url=https://genius.com/Ego-trip-magazine-hip-hops-greatest-albums-by-year-annotated |title=Hip-Hop's Greatest Albums By Year| website=genius.com |access-date=May 3, 2019}}
• XXL – "40 Years of Hip-Hop: Top 5 Albums by Year" (2014){{Cite web| url=https://www.xxlmag.com/news/2014/01/xxl-lists-best-hip-hop-songs-albums-last-40-years-xxl-issue-152/ |title=40 Years of Hip-Hop: Top 5 Albums by Year| website=xxlmag.com |date=January 9, 2014 |access-date=May 4, 2019}}
• Complex – no. 50 at "The Best Rap Albums of the '80s" (2017){{Cite web| url=https://www.complex.com/music/50-greatest-rap-albums-1980s/ |title=The Best Rap Albums of the '80s| website=complex.com |access-date=May 3, 2019}}

{{track listing

|headline = Side one

|title1 = Rock the House

|writer1 = Russell Simmons, Joseph Simmons, Larry Smith

|length1 = 2:42

|title2 = King of Rock

|writer2 = J. Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, L. Smith

|length2 = 5:14

|title3 = You Talk Too Much

|writer3 = Daniel Hayden, McDaniels, Jason Mizell, J. Simmons, R. Simmons, L. Smith

|length3 = 5:59

|title4 = Jam-Master Jammin{{'-}}

|writer4 = Run-D.M.C.

|length4 = 4:20

|title5 = Roots, Rap, Reggae

|note5 = feat. Yellowman

|writer5 = Run-D.M.C.

|length5 = 3:12

}}

{{Track listing

|headline = Side two

|title1 = Can You Rock It Like This

|writer1 = Rick Rubin, James Smith, L. Smith

|length1 = 4:30

|title2 = You're Blind

|writer2 = Antonio Lucien Herrera, McDaniels, R. Simmons, L. Smith

|length2 = 5:31

|title3 = It's Not Funny

|writer3 = Run-D.M.C.

|length3 = 5:35

|title4 = Darryl and Joe (Krush-Groove 3)

|writer4 = McDaniels, J. Simmons, L. Smith

|length4 = 6:39

}}

{{track listing

|headline = 2005 deluxe edition CD bonus tracks

|title10 = Slow and Low (Demo)

|writer10 = J. Simmons, McDaniels

|length10 = 4:27

|title11 = Together Forever (Krush-Groove 4) (Live)

|writer11 = McDaniels, J. Simmons

|length11 = 3:35

|title12 = Jam-Master Jammin' (Remix, Long Version)

|writer12 = Run-D.M.C.

|length12 = 6:45

|title13 = King of Rock (Live, from Live Aid)

|writer13 = J. Simmons, McDaniels, L. Smith

|length13 = 7:26

}}

The album spent 56 weeks on the U.S. Billboard album charts and reached its peak position of number 52 in early March 1985.{{Cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1985-03-02 |title=Billboard 200: March 2, 1985 |date=2016 |publisher=Billboard |work=Billboard.com |access-date=August 7, 2016 }}

Notes:

• ¹ – Charted with "Darryl and Joe (Krush-Groove 3)"

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Platinum|relyear=1985|certyear=1985|artist=Run-D.M.C.|type=album|title=King of Rock}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.discogs.com/Run-DMC-King-Of-Rock/master/63336 King of Rock at Discogs]
• [https://genius.com/albums/Run-dmc/King-of-rock King of Rock at Genius.com]

{{Run-D.M.C.}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1985 albums

Category:Run-DMC albums

Category:Profile Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Larry Smith (producer)

Category:Albums recorded at Greene St. Recording