Run-DMC
Real Name: Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, Jason Mizell
Date of Birth / Formation: 1981, Hollis, Queens, New York
Age / Status: Active (hiatus since 2002 following death of Jam Master Jay)
Run-DMC are an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York, widely considered one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop music. Formed in 1981 by Joseph "DJ Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell, the group pioneered a harder, stripped-down style that brought hip hop into the mainstream. Their 1986 collaboration with Aerosmith on "Walk This Way" became a landmark crossover hit that bridged rock and hip hop. Run-DMC were the first hip hop act to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, the first to earn a Grammy nomination, and the first to have a platinum album. Their influence on fashion, culture, and music throughout the 1980s was profound and enduring.