Run DMC'S Hit It Run

Run DMC is perhaps the greatest rap group of all time. They put out many great albums over the years, but perhaps their greatest was Raising Hell.

Raising Hell was released in 1986, and introduced Run DMC to the suburbs of America. It contained many of the trio’s biggest hits including 'Walk This Way', 'It's Tricky' and 'Peter Piper.' Soon everybody wanted to know more about Run DMC.
The Delorian Motor Car company had to hire extra receptionists to answer the phone and tell callers they 'weren't the SAME D.M.C., they didn't know Run, and Jam Master Jay wasn't actually made out of jam.

One of the other hits from Raising Hell was a cut called 'Hit It Run' (To listen to a sample click here.)




'Hit It Run' was a quintessential Run DMC track. It featured fun lyrics, a fast beat and the booming voices of Run and DMC. Let's take a look at those lyrics:

[D.M.C.]
Born to rock around the clock
You can't say I'm not
And in case you forgot
I'm the KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING, of ROCK!!

So, from birth he was destined to rock around the clock (TAKE THAT Bill Haley and your Comets.) Remember, you are NOT ALLOWED to say he wasn't born to rock around the clock!
So, I won’t be accusing him of NOT rocking around the clock, but I do want to examine the claim.
AROUND THE CLOCK!!! Wow. All day, and all night! No sleep. Hmmm. What would be the effects of 'rocking around the clock?'

According to the New England Journal of Medicine "With decreased sleep, higher-order cognitive tasks are affected early and disproportionately. Tests requiring both speed and accuracy demonstrate considerably slowed speed before accuracy begins to fail."

Not to mention the destruction that would be caused to the throat and lungs. Shame he rocks around the block, he would probably rock better if he took a break every 8 hours or so.

Then again, perhaps he just means that he rocks around a large clock.

I'm the devastating mic controller D.M.C.
And can't nobody mess around with me
I'm the king of rock, rap, and a rhyme
I deal what I feel and it feels fine

Wow! ALREADY twice they have announced themselves as the 'King of Rock.' WE GET IT!

If the girl's ?? chase then I will play
around with sound put down for the rhymes I say
Beats flow from Joe and never stop

Beats flow from Joe? AND NEVER STOP???? Maybe Joe needs to cut back on the fiber.

Better get yourself together let's rock, HIT IT RUN!


You, jump, watch you clock, while I rock your spot
I'm better known to the world as the King of Rock
I like to speak my piece when I'm on the mic
I'm the best, or at least, I'm the one you like
And when I serve you deserve to hear what I say
I throw a curve he got the nerve to make a triple play
Now how devastating can an MC be?
My name is Darryl, but you can call me D, HIT IT RUN!

"Watch you clock"??? What does that mean? Perhaps he IS just rocking around a large clock.

Note, this is the THIRD time he has proclaimed himself the King of Rock. He seems almost defensive about it at this point. Perhaps he ISN'T technically the King of Rock. Maybe ROCK isn't a monarchy at all. Perhaps Rock has a more democratic government and Run DMC were just freshman Congressmen trying to make a name for themselves.


Now how devastating can an MC be? I am dying to know!!! Maybe we should ask that owl from the Tootsie Roll commercials. You know, the one that says it takes only three licks to get to the center or a Tootsie Roll Pop. Then he could bite D on the nose.

Speaking of which, I am glad he has told us we can call him 'D.' This makes him my third favorite 'D' right after Dee Snider and Dee from What's Happening.

It's called, gangsta hard rock, non-stop hip-hop
And it's headed for the top by the rhymes I pop
For every race place color country county or creed
and all of the places that I emceed
B-Boy badness to the highest degree
And it can't be a boy unless you be D

And it can't be a boy unless you be D!!!
Hmmmm. So only D, Dee Snider and Dee from What's Happening were ever boys. Everyone else is forbidden by Run DMC from being boys. Remember that movie For The Boys starring Bette Midler? It should have been called For The D's.

You can't bust a cherry or crush a grape
and if you ain't got this tape you're in bad shape

You are in worse shape if your name aint D.

Beats flow from Joe and never stop
Better get yourself together, let's ROCK!

Do.. you.. really believe what's going on
I was conceived and I was born
I once was lost but now I'm found
Tell your bunch I'm boss I run this town
I leave all suckers, in the dust
Those dumb mother______ can't mess with us

Whoa! Where did THAT come from? I though we were having a good time here! Then he starts talking about being lost, and now being found- I though he was quoting scripture.

Jeez.

Beats flow from Joe and never stop
Better get yourself together, let's rock, HIT IT RUN!

I.. was.. straight from the start performin art
Climbin up the chart while others fall apart
The three outlaws in the music trade
We won't rob but our job is to get paid
Cause Run has fun if Jay will play

Facts revealed in the last verse:
He was 'straight from the start.' The man isn't gay.
He actually climbs the chart and they are outlaws.
He has seen other people fall apart (lepers???)
He is employed just to get paid. No wonder he has time to write this stuff.
When Jay is playing, Run has fun. Wheeeeeee! I wonder if they play on the teeter totter?

As I add one more rhyme to say
Now how devastating can an MC be?
My name is Darryl, but you can call me D, HIT IT RUN!


I was born
son of Byford, brother of AL
Bad as my mamma and Run's my pal
It's McDaniels, not McDonald's
These rhymes are Darryl's, the burgers are RONALD'S
I ran down, my family tree
My mother, my father, my brother and D
Run-D.M.C. and JAM MASTER JAY

His mamma is BAD? That is a strange thing to say!!! I am pleased to see that they don't run McDonalds, but I was pretty sure of that already.
Their job is to get paid, not run a multinational fast food establishment.