Raising Hell

Editors’ Notes Raising Hell is a showpiece for Run-DMC’s otherworldly rap skills: The rhymes flow fast and furious, starting with scratch-propelled opener “Peter Piper.” When they pose the question, “How devastating can an MC be?” the answer is as obvious as Jam Master Jay’s sharp DJ cuts. The jumpsuit-clad hip-hop pioneers are as adept mixing it up with rock ‘n’ roll (“It’s Tricky”) as asserting cultural consciousness (“Proud to Be Black”) on an album thick with clever jazz-funk samples and the illest 808 kicks and snares. The energy doesn’t let up for a minute, even as it climaxes on their Aerosmith collab “Walk This Way.”