DMC of the legendary group Run-DMC was N.O.R.E., DJ EFN, and company's latest guest on their podcast, Drink Champs, and it was an unsurprisingly engaging conversation. Moreover, he spoke on the rap pioneers' history together, early career beginnings, and how they went on to shape the genre. After all, Rev Run and the Harlem-born rapper, plus their DJ Jam Master Jay, are one of the foundational artists in hip-hop lore. As such, he had a lot to say about his his experiences have aged with him, and what he can look back and be proud of. Of course, they still had time for some lighter topics, jokes, and debates.
Furthermore, DMC also spoke on the loss of the aforementioned Jam Master Jay, and how his murder went on to irrevocably shape Run-DMC's career post-2002. It was quite the heartfelt sentiment, and one that is always tough to reckon with no matter how much time passes in between. Not only that, but he also reflected on how Jay impacted music as a whole, as he is just as integral to the rap group's indelible cultural contributions. It's something that N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN deeply recognize, too, so it was a cathartic space to further process these tragedies.
Read More: Run-DMC's Greatest Hits
DMC On Drink Champs: Watch
In addition to that, DMC also reflected on his own struggles with alcoholism and depression, a topic he's been very vocal about in the past. "They didn’t listen," he told HipHopDX in May of 2022 about the glorification of substances and violence in rap. "The big problem is nobody in this current generation of rappers is constantly making records about the issues. Think about it. Out of all the top rappers, all of them, of this generation, did any of them make a message of self destruction? No. All of these successful dudes and girls, nobody’s doing songs about Peep, Mac Miller and Juice WRLD.
"Look at that void right there," he continued. "Imagine if Q-Tip, Big Daddy Kane and Rakim OD’d. Every artist from Ice Cube to De La Soul would’ve made records addressing the issue. So this generation is being silent. So I’m like, 'Yo. This is my culture. These are my people.' Their age don’t mean nothing. What I’m doing now, as the OG, I’ve been doing this since 1983. Nobody wants to step up and take the responsibility for making sure another Juice WRLD and Mac Miller doesn’t happen again. Then I guess that I was given a microphone for a reason." For more news and the latest updates on DMC and Drink Champs, come back to HNHH.
