Quick Verdict
Raising Hell arrived on May 15, 1986, and is the album that took hip-hop from a genre with growing mainstream awareness to a cultural phenomenon capable of crossing every demographic barrier. Run-D.M.C.’s third album produced the first rap song to receive extensive MTV airplay, the first rap album to be certified platinum, and the template for every rock-rap crossover of the subsequent decade. “Walk This Way,” featuring Aerosmith, became a top-five pop single and introduced hip-hop to millions of listeners who had not yet encountered the genre. “It’s Tricky,” “Peter Piper,” and “My Adidas” are three of the most influential and widely recognisable tracks in hip-hop history. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went triple platinum. Rolling Stone ranked it #99 on their 2003 all-time list. Rating: 9/10.
At a Glance
| Category | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 9/10 |
| Best Song | "Peter Piper" |
| Weakest Song | "Perfection" |
| Best Feature | Aerosmith |
| Best Beat | "Peter Piper" |
| Main Sound | Old School Hip-Hop / Rock-Rap / Hollis Queens |
| Replay Value | Very High |
| Recommended For | The album that took hip-hop from a genre to a cultural force |
Album Details
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Artist | Run-D.M.C. |
| Album | Raising Hell |
| Release Date | May 15, 1986 |
| Label | Profile Records |
| Producers | Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons |
| Featured Artists | Aerosmith, The Beastie Boys |
| Number of Tracks | 12 |
| Chart Position | Debuted #3 Billboard 200 — triple platinum |
| Rolling Stone Ranking | #99 all-time (2003) |
| Final Rating | 9/10 |
Context: The Album That Took Hip-Hop Mainstream
By 1986, Run-D.M.C. had already released two foundational albums — their self-titled debut (1984) and King of Rock (1985) — that had established them as the most commercially successful and formally innovative act in hip-hop. Raising Hell was the album that took the genre from cultural phenomenon to mainstream commercial force. Rick Rubin’s production — built on hard rock guitar samples, compressed drums, and an aggressive sonic minimalism that gave hip-hop its most confrontational mainstream sound — had been developing across the two previous albums; on Raising Hell it reached its fullest and most commercially effective expression. The decision to record “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith — bringing back Steven Tyler and Joe Perry to perform the original 1975 track alongside DMC and Run — gave hip-hop its first top-five pop single and its first sustained MTV rotation. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went triple platinum, making it the first rap album to achieve this certification. Rolling Stone ranked it among the finest popular albums ever made. “My Adidas” — in which Run-D.M.C. promoted Adidas without a sponsorship deal and then negotiated a million-dollar contract on the strength of the fan reaction — created the template for every subsequent hip-hop brand partnership.
Track-by-Track Review (Key Tracks)
| Track | Quick Review |
|---|---|
| Peter Piper | The album's finest and most formally inventive track. A Bob James sample over DMC and Run's most technically precise and playfully competitive verse exchange. Essential. |
| It's Tricky | The album's most energetically hard and immediately anthemic track. Rick Rubin's production is at its most stripped and confrontational. One of the most recognisable productions of the 1980s. Essential. |
| My Adidas | The track that created the template for hip-hop brand partnerships. A celebration of Queens street style that led directly to a million-dollar Adidas sponsorship deal. Culturally one of the most consequential tracks in hip-hop history. Essential. |
| Walk This Way (ft. Aerosmith) | The most commercially consequential track in hip-hop history. The first rap song with sustained MTV airplay. The collaboration that introduced hip-hop to a mainstream rock audience. Essential. |
| Is It Live | The album's hardest and most confrontationally pure hip-hop performance. Run and DMC at their most competitively declaratory over Rubin's most minimal production. Essential. |
| Dumb Girl | The album's most socially explicit and tonally sharp track. Less formally inventive than the surrounding material but an honest reflection of the album's Queens street perspective. |
| You Be Illin' | The album's most playfully comic and accessible track. Run and DMC at their most relaxed and conversationally entertaining. One of the most purely enjoyable performances on the record. Essential. |
| Raising Hell | The title track and the album's most explicitly religious and philosophical track. Run addressing his faith and his street identity with the directness of someone who has reconciled them. Essential. |
| Hit It Run | The album's most energetically competitive and technically focused extended verse performance. Run at his most formally concentrated. Essential. |
| Perfection | The album's most commercially polished and least formally essential track. A capable performance but less characteristic than the surrounding material. |
Final Verdict and Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Production | 9.5/10 |
| Lyrics | 9/10 |
| Flow & Delivery | 9.5/10 |
| Features | 9.5/10 |
| Cohesion | 9/10 |
| Replay Value | 9.5/10 |
| Overall | 9/10 |
Raising Hell is the album that took hip-hop from a genre with growing awareness to a mainstream cultural force. “Walk This Way” gave the genre its first sustained MTV rotation and its first top-five pop single. “My Adidas” created the template for hip-hop brand partnerships. “Peter Piper” is among the most technically precise and musically inventive performances in 1980s rap. A 9/10 record of enormous historical consequence.
Final Rating: 9/10
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Raising Hell Run-D.M.C.'s best album?
Raising Hell is Run-D.M.C.'s finest album at Rap Reviews Daily — a 9/10 record that debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went triple platinum, the first rap album to achieve that certification. It is the most historically consequential album in their catalogue.
What are the best songs on Raising Hell?
The five essential tracks are: "Peter Piper," "Walk This Way," "It's Tricky," "My Adidas," and "You Be Illin'." Peter Piper is the album's finest track. Walk This Way is the most commercially consequential track in hip-hop history.
How did Walk This Way change hip-hop?
Walk This Way was the first rap song to receive sustained MTV airplay and the first rap single to reach the top five of the pop charts. The collaboration with Aerosmith introduced hip-hop to millions of rock-audience listeners who had not previously engaged with the genre and opened the mainstream commercial door that made subsequent crossover successes possible.
What is the rating for Raising Hell?
Rap Reviews Daily rates Raising Hell a 9/10. Production and flow both score 9.5/10. It is the most historically consequential album in hip-hop's mainstream crossover and the record that created the template for every rock-rap collaboration that followed.
References and Further Listening
Stream Raising Hell on Spotify