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(More customer reviews)I'm pretty perceptive when it comes to scoping out the right books to read (i.e. whether or not it's actually worth the time & money).
This one was another great page-turner!
Particularly for fans of hip hop music, those who came of age before the genre crossed over to the mainstream, and also for music fans who've probably heard countless great tales from the industry that are starting to come off like a broken record.
"Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin and Redemption of Run DMC" is a book title that could very easily read "Raising Hell: The Reign & Ruin of Run DMC."
I said that because for as much as I loved this group growing up and still love what they achieved circa-1985 and their place in moving the genre forward, the book did a lot to burst my bubble (so to speak) on what remains an iconic group.
Without giving away the juicy details of the book, Run DMC should be credited for their historic, innovative stylings.
Coming off the more glossy hip hop infancy of blinged out artists like Kurtis Blow, Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Master Flash & the Furious Five, it was Run DMC who made it cool to "just be yourself" without all the celebrity, wearing-your-wealth-on-your-sleeves images.
It was Run DMC who (at the time) came with a more deviantly hardcore hip hop sound (read: not your commercially-friendly, R&B-type rap music).
And it was Run DMC who helped the hip hop culture grow the most in the mid-80s by experimenting with a slight rock&roll flavor that became their signature sound while expanding hip hop's fanbase.
Where this book may surprise you is hearing all the behind the scenes tales of (now Rev.) Run, DMC and Jam Master Jay -- at least it all surprised me b/c they weren't always true to their music images.
Jam Master Jay (may he rest in peace) is presented as the cool, laid back brotha who stayed runnin' in the streets. You won't find out anything more than theories about who his killer might be, but just finding out he at least ran with more than his share of greasy cats even into his 30s will make you wonder if that didn't play some small part in his demise (i.e. He didn't deserve to die but this wasn't just some random act of violence as the media initially tried to portray it).
Perhaps a little less surprising is the book's portrayal of Run (the group's leader) as this egotistical, control freak who refused to compromise and even as a born again Christian remains a shady, alcohol-overconsuming man of the world posing as a disciple of the Lord.
DMC, my personal favorite of the group, comes off as perhaps the group member with the most issues.
The book paints him as this slightly introverted pushover who stomached Run's ego trips back in the day during the group's run at the top and one who didn't grow a backbone until their best days had passed them by (thus all the tales of the turmoil, hatred and conflict that defined Run DMC's circa-2000 comeback).
And yet with all of the aforementioned flaws (we all have some!), the most disgusting part of these behind the scenes tales all involve the way Run and DMC reacted to JMJ's murder.
The only specific detail of this book I will divulge is that Run and DMC came off as spiritually unchanged by their best friend's death and more concerned with how to exploit it for money in the same vein TuPac and Biggie's deaths were milked for cash.
Great read but depending on what perspective you're coming from and what image you have of this group, this may or may not be recommended material.
By the end of "Raising Hell," I can't say I lost any respect for them as a whole.
But I guess it's a lot easier to keep their immense accomplishments in context while also acknowledging their utter human qualities and inevitable sameness with most who survive to tell about their music industry experiences (i.e. drugs, sex, some good times & lots of shady dealings).
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