Run DMC

Crown Royal

(Arista)

Back in the day, Run DMC epitomized rap. Run DMC was rap. But it’s not those days anymore, and Run DMC do not have the name power they once did; in fact, many people of my generation mistake the group name for a strange mixture of the movie “Run Lola Run” and DMX (spelled wrong). It’s about time they came back. Run DMC’s album Crown Royal is finally out, and it’s no wonder people only vaguely remember them: This is their first production in over seven years. Run DMC, who first introduced hip-hop in 1981 and incorporated their interpretation of rap into other genres of music, have returned, and they come with a conglomerate of stars to bolster the album’s prestige. While the likes of Kid Rock, Fred Durst, Sugar Ray, Nas, JD, and Jagged Edge may grace the album, the one thing most Run DMC fans hoped for is missing: Run DMC’s original sound. There is no doubt that this album has great songs; anything otherwise would be unworthy to carry Run DMC’s name. However, only the title track “Crown Royal” has the same gritty feel of Run DMC’s original music. In this track, Run DMC enters with the same majestic brass sounds and propagandistic speech they created in their prime. While the incessant preaching of their success is stereotypical of rappers of this age, Run DMC’s claims are true, and the almost soundtrack-like music actually mirrors their success. The majority of the other songs on this album sound like music from the respective guest stars. In “Them Girls,” Run DMC is overshadowed by the instrumentation and rapping of Fred Durst. In fact, Run DMC raps for less than a minute.

“It’s Over,” a song guest-starring and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri, may have the dramatics of Run DMC’s music, but is still powered by the percussive sounds and vocal special effects that are uniquely JD’s. Strangely, Run DMC’s rapping seems to adapt to this music, and Run DMC ends up sounding like one of JD’s protégés, not the other way around.

I was but a tiny toddler when Run DMC was on the pinnacle of their success. No doubt that during their time, Run DMC was something: first rap group to win a Grammy, first rap group to go gold, platinum, multi-platinum, first rap group to have their videos played on MTV, first rap group on SNL…the list goes on. But it is their 20th anniversary, and maybe their time has come and gone. Crown Royal proves their ability to make good music, but it still lacks the one thing that made them so popular: their original sound.