Run-DMC on Receiving Rap’s First Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
When Run-D.M.C. said they “crash through walls, cut through floors, bust through ceilings and knock down doors,” it was no idle boast. They were the first rap group to do almost everything — to be certified gold, to be certified platinum, to have a Top 10 single, to cover Rolling Stone. This year they can add being the first rap act to get a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, when they receive their honor alongside Herbie Hancock, Jefferson Airplane, Celia Cruz and more.
The group retired the Run-D.M.C. name after the tragic death of Jam Master Jay in 2002, but they reunited for a handful of festival dates between 2012 and 2015. Reverend Run is currently in the spotlight again thanks to a pair of cable TV shows, Rev. Run’s Renovation on HGTV and Rev. Run’s Sunday Suppers for the Cooking Channel. DMC, meanwhile, has co-founded his own comic book line, DMC Comics, and is currently working on two new albums that lean heavily on the guitar-driven rock music that soundtracked his childhood. Rolling Stone caught up with the devastating mic controller to ask about his past, present and future.
Run-D.M.C. were the first rap group to do so many things. What was it like to hear the news that you were the first to get the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award?
Well, I mean, for me, personally, who gives a fuck about a goddamn Grammy, like Chuck D would say. That was the first thought. Like Ken Stabler said — rest in peace, Ken Stabler, Oakland Raiders — about whether or not he gets inducted into the Football Hall of Fame: “Doesn’t change the way I wake up and tie my shoes.” Now that being said, I was like, “Oh, they’re gonna give me a Lifetime Grammy when they shoulda gave me a real Grammy when we was nominated for it four times or whatever.” The first to be nominated for it, but they didn’t even have a rap category so they didn’t know what to do with me, so now you wanna come give me one now?
But that being said, because of all the legendary previous honorees, it’s a cool thing. … Initially I said this: I don’t wanna get no awards until American Music Awards, the Grammys, MTV, VH1, Viacom stop acknowledging me and Run-D.M.C. — ah, well, Run can speak for himself — but don’t acknowledge Run-D.M.C. until [you] give that award to Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation for “Planet Rock.” Give that award first to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s a damn shame that nobody in hip-hop knows that, you know what I’m saying? Acknowledge the real pioneers of this genre.
But, you know, I guess it’s cool ’cause — and I’m talking from my egotistical rap microphone stage right now — they shoulda gave it to me in ’86 when even Michael Jackson said there was nothing in the world more popular, not even him. When I met with Michael Jackson, he was like, [in high-pitched voice] “You guys shoulda got all those awards in ’86. I was travelling globally and you guys were in every living room. Y’all was a movement!” [Laughs.] He actually bowed to us. Me, Run and Jay saying, “Michael, don’t do that,” but he was serious.