Run-D.M.C. – "Raising Hell" Review: The Album That Took Hip-Hop Mainstream
- Daniel Rasul
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
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
Album Details
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)
Final Verdict and Rating
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.
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