Run‐D.M.C.

Run-D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York, founded in 1981 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-D.M.C. is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture and one of the most famous hip-hop acts of the 1980s. Along with LL Cool J, The Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy, the group pioneered new school hip-hop music. Run-D.M.C. was the first group in the genre to have a gold album (Run–D.M.C., 1984) and be nominated for a Grammy Award. They were the first to earn a platinum record (King of Rock, 1985), the first to earn a multiplatinum certification (Raising Hell, 1986), the first to have their videos broadcast on MTV, and the first to appear on American Bandstand and the cover of Rolling Stone. Run-D.M.C. was the only hip hop act to perform at Live Aid in 1985.