Customer Reviews

Raising Hell

5 star:		(10)
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This album really set it off in a major way back in the era of 1986-87. Everybody who's currently a fan of Bad Boy and No Limit needs to check out this album for some true school originality. Now that Dee, Run, and Jay have been signed by Arista Records, they have a new album due out this year- Their back catalog was also picked up by Arista- and it's bound to be re-released!!!

The best cd of all time with no doubt.They've reached perfection.True legends 4ever

RIP Jam Master Jay

I think that "Raising Hell" by RUN DMC should be a part of everybody's musical library, especially if you are into hip hop. They were the pioneers of mainstream hip hop because they took rap music to that next level where it would be appreciated by all walks of life. From the streets of Harlem and Brooklyn to Long Beach, without Run-DMC, rap music probably would have taken a much harder road to where it is today. This album started it all for me and for millions of other fans! Keep it real!!

Simply stated, Raising Hell is one of the greatest albums of all time. People who are new to hip-hop, just don't know what true hip-hop is until the have heard this and other classics. Current artists could use this as a lesson on originality. Please get more copies---I want one!

An inarguable rap classic, although I prefer the debut. It's still packed with incredible tunes, though. The first four songs are some of the best of early hip-hop: the brilliant Jam Master Jay showpiece "Peter Piper," "It's Tricky," a fantastic example of the group's "rap with heavy guitars" thing; "My Adidas," a shoe commercial that's nonetheless incredibly funky and loads better than the similar designer commercials that pass for rap hits these days (you know, that stupid "apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur" song? The one that really blows? Whoever it's by, they're not very good), and the rap-rock breakthrough "Walk This Way." That's my pick for the best rap tune ever, by the way. Note how, rather than simply sampling the main riff and the chorus and adding a rap over it, as most of today's rappers would do, they actually collaborate with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and they have Joe Perry play the actual riff of the actual song, and add a really cool guitar solo. And it was a great choice for a rap group to cover, because Tyler was pretty much rapping the song in the original version, and it's a good song to begin with no matter which version you're talking about. Even the more clichéd boasting tracks are good: "Is it Live" has great turntable rock; "Perfection" has a solid beat. Okay, so "Hit it Run" isn't too interesting, but it's made up by the riff monster title track, "You be Illin'," a funny song with nice horn blasts and a good bass line; and the social comment "Proud to be Black." Despite a few songs that overuse annoying gimmicks ("Dumb Girl"), this is still an excellent release.

Arguably one of the most important Rap acts to ever grace a Mic, Run DMC where largely credited with taking rap music, which at that point, was largely considered the domain of the streets and small clubs, and managing to cross over to the mainstream. This, their third (and unarguably most important) album, was the moment when the trio, found themselves at the forefront of the MTV generation. And although 2002's "Greatest Hits" album cherry picks the biggest moments in their career (i.e. The most popular Singles) this album is probably a better overview of the immortal Run Dmc's output. If any of their albums could be stood up as their greatest achievement with the late `Jam Master Jay', and Cement, Run Dmc's Place, in rap history as Hip-Hop's ambassadors....then this is it!! With the tongue twisting raps of "Peter Pier", with it's energetic bravado and uncompromising swagger, this was a exactly the sort of track that endeared them to both underground rap fans, and the chart buying public. As the first track on this album beautifully leading straight into the superlative "It's Tricky", with it's stuttering bass/beats and playful rhymes, not to mention a superbly playful video to accompany the single release. Run Dmc began the gradual crossover appeal of Hip-Hop. But to purely mention just Run Dmc in this review would be unfair, not to mention a unsung pivotal figure in their success....the production genius of "Rick Rubin" that toughened their sound, and give the rudimentary production of their first two albums, a more polished and accessible edge. And nowhere is this better exemplified then, when the phenomenal Aerosmith/Run Dmc pairing "Walk This Way" rolls into view, it skilfully mixed rock dynamics, with the cool loops and beats of Hip-Hop, and although it's now been played to the point of over-familiarity, there can be no arguments as to how influential it was, in taking Hip-Hop/Rap from the underground and to a much wider audience. As a group, Run Dmc where always smart then the average rap act, firstly by affiliating themselves with the `Adidas' shoe company (Hence the "My Adidas" track). Their sound has always been one of Confident street smart and the Brash ("Dumb Girl"), and more importantly by being louder and more invigorating then their rivals, but in such a way as to not scare of potential new listeners. Compared to the sort of lyrical delivery of more contemporary acts (Nas, Jay-Z, Gza), or the leap and strides made in Production (Madlib, Kayne West, Dj Premier), this album can sound a little dated on occasion. but this album was (and still is) Run Dmc's Crowning Glory and Paved the way, for future acts, and it's importance in Hip-Hop simply cannot be underestimated.

Please re-release this. I cannot find a copy of it anywhere..

This album awoke the world to rap in 1986. It can be compared only to other rap classics like BDP's "Criminal Minded", Slick Rick's "Great Adventures of Slick Rick" and Eric B. and Rakim's "Paid in Full."

This album defined rap forever. People still rip off this album to this day.

This CD started a new wave of rap music and musical beats. Peter Piper is most definitely the best beat of all time at the point in which this came out. And with all the recycling of music I'm surprised it have not been used again. This is a very well rounded CD which can still be played today. From rock (WALK THIS WAY) to yesterday beat box (HIT IT RUN). Even socially conscience, self awareness cuts like Proud To Be Black. My Addidas is the first rap endorsing hip hop's beloved shoes the shell toes. I recommend this for those young kids who don't know what true hip hop was!