Raising Hell

: "For the video by Iron Maiden, see Raising Hell (video)"

Infobox Album | Name = Raising Hell
Type = Album
Recorded = 1986
Producer = Russell Simmons; Rick Rubin
Artist = Run-D.M.C.


Length = 39:46
Released = July 18,1986
Genre = Old school hip hop
Label = Profile/Arista Records
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:5r66mpz39f6o link]
*Pitchfork (7.7/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/21440/RunDMC_RunDMC_King_of_Rock_Raising_Hell_Tougher_Th 9/23/05]
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1195&name=Run-D.M.C. link]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/148182 9/5/02]
* The Source rating|5|5
Last album = "King of Rock"
(1985)
This album = "Raising Hell"
(1986)
Next album = "Tougher Than Leather"
(1988) |

"Raising Hell" is a 1986 album by hip-hop group Run-D.M.C..

Its breakthrough album, "Raising Hell" trumped standing perceptions of commercial viability for hip-hop groups, achieving triple-platinum status and receiving critical attention from quarters that had previously ignored hip hop as a fad.

Album information

Notably, "Raising Hell" features the well-known collaboration with Aerosmith, "Walk This Way". While the song was not the first fusion of rock and hip hop, it was the first one to make a significant impact in the charts. It became the first rap song to crack the top 5 of The Billboard Hot 100. "Raising Hell" peaked at #1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop Album chart, and at #6 on the Billboard 200.

The song "It's Tricky" would later be featured as the theme song of the game "SSX Tricky", and later redone by the band Bloodhound Gang.

The song "Dumb Girl" has recently been sampled for Jay-Z's single "Jockin' Jay-Z" for Blueprint 3.

The song "Peter Piper" was sampled for Missy Elliot's single "Work It."

Reception

It ranked fourth on Chris Rock's list of the Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums of all time, and the comedian called it "the first great rap album ever" [ [http://rateyourmusic.com/list/tha_flu/chris_rocks_top_25_hip_hop_albums Chris Rock's Top 25 Hip Hop Albums] ]

In 1998, the album appeared in "The Source" in a list of the 100 Best Rap Albums.

Q (12/99, p.162) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...the apex of pre-Public Enemy, beatbox-based hip hop, a monument of massive, crisp beats plus the genre-bending 'Walk This Way'."

Vibe (12/99, p.162) - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century. [http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1110114]

Uncut (11/03, p.130) - 4 stars out of 5 - " [An album] that forced the music biz to take rap seriously."

Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.126) - " [T] he pioneering trio took hip-hop into the upper reaches of the pop charts, introducing mainstream to a new urban thunder: rap rock."

AllMusic - 5 stars out of 5 - "...the music was fully realized and thoroughly invigorating, rocking harder and better than any of its rock or rap peers in 1986..."

In 2006, the album was chosen by TIME" as one of the 100 greatest albums. [ [http://www.time.com/time/2006/100albums/index.html "TIME.com" - The All-TIME 100 Albums] ]

Track listing

# "Peter Piper" – 3:25
# "It's Tricky" – 3:03
# "My Adidas" (McDaniels/Rubin) – 2:47
# "Walk This Way" (feat. Aerosmith) – 5:11
#* Features new vocal and guitar parts by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith based on their original 1975 recording, as well as a sample of the original drum intro during the second verse
# "Is It Live" – 3:06
# "Perfection" – 2:52
# "Hit It Run" – 3:10
#* Samples "Rocket in the Pocket" by Cerrone
# "Raising Hell" – 5:31
# "You Be Illin'" – 3:26
# "Dumb Girl" – 3:31
# "Son of Byford" – :27
# "Proud to Be Black" – 3:14

Deluxe Edition bonus tracks

# "My Adidas" (a cappella) – 2:32
# "Walk This Way" (demo) – 5:26
# "Lord of Lyrics" (demo) – 4:30
# "Raising Hell Radio Tour Spot" – 0:53
# "Live at the Apollo Raw Vocal Commercial" – 3:28

Charting singles

Billboard Music Charts (North America)

Awards

*1987 Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single for "Walk This Way" (jointly awarded to both Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith)

Vinyl Sleeves and Labeling

*There are at least two color schemes for this LP. One is a purple front photo with lime green writing and a red back photo with teal writing. Another is a green front photo with rose letters and a teal back photo and orange letters.

*There are some pressings that are mislabeled and both sides as side 2, though the grooves in the vinyl are etched correctly.

References