raising hell tour dates

The 20 greatest hip-hop tours of all time

Our ranking, inspired by all the great rap acts on the road this summer, is 100% correct

L ook around and it might feel like we’re in a golden age of rap tours.

Rhyme greats De La Soul recently finished a European tour billed The Gods of Rap with the legendary Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan and Gang Starr’s DJ Premier. And the summer concert season is set to feature even more high-profile hip-hop shows.

West Coast giant Snoop Dogg is headlining the Masters of Ceremony tour with such heavyweights as 50 Cent, DMX, Ludacris and The Lox. Lil Wayne is doing a string of solo gigs and will launch a 38-city tour with pop punk heroes blink-182 starting June 27. Stoner rap fave Wiz Khalifa will headline a 29-city trek on July 9. The reunited Wu-Tang Clan continue their well-received 36 Chambers 25th Anniversary Celebration Tour, and Cardi B will be barnstorming through the beginning of August.

With all this rap talent on the road, The Undefeated decided to take a crack at ranking the 20 greatest hip-hop tours of all time.

Our list was compiled using several rules: First and foremost, the headliners for every tour must be from the hip-hop/rap genre. That means huge record-breaking, co-headlining live runs such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s On the Run II Tour were not included, given Queen Bey’s rhythm and blues/pop leanings. We also took into account the cultural and historical impact of each tour. Several artists, ranging from Run-DMC and Salt-N-Pepa to MC Hammer and Nicki Minaj, were included because they broke new ground, beyond how much their tours grossed. For years, hip-hop has battled the perception that it doesn’t translate well to live performance. This list challenges such myopic ideas.

With only 20 spots, some of rap’s most storied live gigs had to be left off the list. Many were casualties of overlap, such as Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys’ memorable 1987 Together Forever Tour and the Sizzling Summer Tour ’90, which featured Public Enemy, Heavy D & the Boyz, Kid ’n Play, Digital Underground and Queen Latifah. The 12-date Lyricist Lounge Tour, a 1998 showcase that featured Big Punisher, The Roots, De La Soul, Black Star, Common, Black Moon’s Buckshot and Fat Joe, also just missed the cut.

You may notice that Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. are missing from the list. But this was no momentary lapse of sanity. ’Pac’s and Biggie’s brief runs took place when rap shows were beginning to become a rarity, leaving most of their memorable stage moments to one-off shows. Dirty South royalty Outkast’s strongest live outing, when Big Boi and Andre 3000 reunited in 2014, was not included because it was less of a tour and more of a savvy festival run.

There are other honorable mentions: Def Jam Survival of the Illest Tour (1998), which featured DMX, the Def Squad, Foxy Brown, Onyx and Cormeg a; the Ruff Ryders/Cash Money Tour (2000); Anger Management 3 Tour with Eminem and 50 Cent (2005); J. Cole’s Dollar & A Dream Tour (2013); and Drake’s Aubrey & The Three Migos LIVE! tour (2018).

With that said, on with the show!

20. Pinkprint Tour (2015)

Nicki Minaj, featuring Meek Mill, Rae Sremmurd, Tinashe and Dej Loaf

The most lucrative hip-hop trek headlined by a woman also served as the coronation of Nicki Minaj as hip-hop’s newest queen. What made The Pinkprint Tour such a gloriously over-the-top affair was its seamless balance of dramatic Broadway-like theater, silly high jinks and a flex of artistic ferocity. One moment Minaj was in a black lace dress covering her eyes while mourning the loss of a turbulent union during “The Crying Game.” The next, she was backing up her memorable appearance on Kanye West’s “Monster” as the most wig-snatching guest verse of that decade. And the Barbz went wild.

Gross : $22 million from 38 shows

Kendrick Lamar performs during the Festival d’ete de Quebec on Friday, July 7, 2017, in Quebec City, Canada.

Amy Harris/Invision/AP

19. The Damn. Tour (2017-18)

Kendrick Lamar, featuring Travis Scott, DRAM and YG

When you have dropped two of the most critically lauded albums of your era in Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012) and To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), there’s already an embarrassment of riches to pull from for any live setting. But Kendrick Lamar understood that to live up to his bold “greatest rapper alive” proclamation he also needed populist anthems to turn on the masses. The Damn. album and world tour presented just that, as he led his followers each night in an elevating rap-along. It kicked off with a martial arts film, a cheeky nod to Lamar’s Kung Fu Kenny alter ego, before launching into the chest-beating “DNA.”

Gross: More than $62.7 million from 62 shows

Drake and Future performing on stage during The Summer Sixteen Tour at AmericanAirlines Arena on Aug. 30, 2016 in Miami.

Getty Images

18. Summer Sixteen Tour (2016)

Drake and Future

This mammoth, co-headlining tour was a no-brainer: Drake, the hit-making heartthrob, Canada’s clap-back native son and part-time goofy Toronto Raptors superfan. And Future, the self-anointed Atlanta Trap King, gleeful nihilist and producer, whose slapping, codeine-addled bars made him a controversial figure on and off record. The magic of this yin/yang pairing shined brightest when they teamed up to perform such tracks as “Jumpman” and “Big Rings” off their industry-shaking 2015 mixtape What a Time to Be Alive . When the smoke settled, Drake and Future walked away with the highest-earning hip-hop tour of all time.

Gross : $84.3 million from 54 shows

From left to right, Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton, DJ Spinderella and Cheryl ‘Salt’ James perform on stage.

17. Salt-N-Pepa Tour (1988)

Featuring Keith Sweat, Heavy D & the Boyz, EU, Johnny Kemp, Full Force, Kid ’n Play and Rob Base

It may seem preposterous in this outspoken, girl-power age of Cardi B, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, Kash Doll, Young M.A, Tierra Whack and City Girls, but back in the early ’80s, the thought of a “female” rhyme group anchoring a massive tour seemed out of reach. That was before the 1986 debut of Salt-N-Pepa, the pioneering group who’s racked up a plethora of groundbreaking moments and sold more than 15 million albums. The first female rap act to go platinum ( Hot, Cool & Vicious ) and score a Top 20 hit on the Billboard 200 (“Push It”), Salt-N-Pepa led a diverse, arena-hopping showcase that gave the middle finger to any misogynistic notions. And Salt, Pepa and DJ Spinderella continue to be road warriors. They’re currently on New Kids on the Block’s arena-packing Mixtape Tour.

Encore: Opening-act standouts Heavy D & the Boyz would co-headline their own tour the following year off the platinum success of their 1989 masterpiece Big Tyme .

16. Glow in the Dark Tour (2008)

Kanye West, featuring Rihanna, N.E.R.D, Nas, Lupe Fiasco and Santigold

Yes, Kanye West has had more ambitious showings (2013-14’s button-pushing Yeezus Tour) and more aesthetically adventurous gigs (the 2016 Saint Pablo Tour featured a floating stage, which hovered above the audience). But never has the Chicago-born visionary sounded so hungry, focused and optimistic than he did on his first big solo excursion, the Glow in the Dark Tour.

Before the Kardashian reality-show level freak-outs and MAGA hat obsessing, West was just a kid who wanted to share his spacey sci-fi dreamscape with the public, complete with a talking computerized spaceship named Jane. Even the rotating opening acts — topped off by the coolest pop star on the planet, Rihanna — were ridiculously talented.

Gross : $30.8 million from 49 shows

15. I Am Music Tour (2008-09)

Lil Wayne, featuring T-Pain and Keyshia Cole

Between 2002 and 2007, Young Money general Lil Wayne was hip-hop’s hardest-working force of nature, releasing an astounding 16 mixtapes. Then Weezy broke from the pack with the massively successful I Am Music Tour. The bulk of Lil Wayne’s 90-minute set was propelled by his career-defining 2008 album Tha Carter III , which by the show’s second leg had already sold 2 million copies. By the time T-Pain joined the New Orleans spitter for a playful battle of the featured acts, Lil Wayne’s takeover was complete.

Gross : $42 million from 78 shows

MC Hammer, performing on stage in 1990, had a large entourage for his Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em Tour.

14. Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em Tour (1990-91)

MC Hammer, featuring En Vogue and Vanilla Ice

With 15 background dancers, 12 singers, seven musicians, two DJs, eight security men, three valets and a private Boeing 727 plane, MC Hammer’s world tour was eye-popping. Rap fans had never seen anything of the magnitude of the Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em stadium gigs, which recalled Parliament-Funkadelic’s army-size traveling heyday in the 1970s.

Each night the Oakland, California, dancing machine, born Stanley Burrell, left pools of sweat onstage as if he was the second coming of James Brown. If the sight of more than 30 folks onstage doing the Running Man, with MC Hammer breaking into his signature typewriter dance during “U Can’t Touch This,” didn’t make you get up, you should have checked your pulse.

Gross : $26.3 million from 138 shows

13. Things Fall Apart! Tour (1999)

Each gig was a revelation. This was no surprise given that Philadelphia hip-hop collective The Roots, formed by longtime friends drummer Questlove and lead lyricist Black Thought, had a reputation for being unpredictable. Still, it’s ironic that a group known for being the ultimate road warriors — they were known for touring 45 weeks a year before becoming the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2014 — is represented on this list by one of their shortest tours.

But the brilliant Things Fall Apart club and hall sprint, which took place throughout March 1999, proved to be an epic blitz fueled by the band’s most commercially lauded material to date, Questlove’s steady percussive heart and the inhuman breath control of Black Thought.

Encore: Neo soul diva Jill Scott, who co-wrote The Roots’ breakout single “You Got Me,” gave fans an early taste of her artistry as she joined the band onstage for some serious vocal workouts.

12. House of Blues’ Smokin’ Grooves Tour (1996)

The Fugees, Cypress Hill, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Ziggy Marley and Spearhead

While gangsta rap was topping the charts, the hip-hop industry faced a bleak situation on the touring front. Concert promoters were scared to book “urban” acts in large venues. Enter the House of Blues’ Kevin Morrow and Cara Lewis, the booking agent who achieved mythic status when she received a shout-out on Eric B. & Rakim’s 1987 anthem “Paid in Full.” The pair envisioned a Lollapalooza-like tour heavy on hip-hop and good vibes. The first ’96 incarnation came out of the gate with Haitian-American rap trio The Fugees, multiplatinum weed ambassadors Cypress Hill, A Tribe Called Quest and Busta Rhymes.

Encore: The series, which has also featured Outkast, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, Gang Starr, The Pharcyde, Foxy Brown and Public Enemy, is credited with opening the door for a return to more straight-ahead hip-hop tours led by Jay-Z, DMX and Dr. Dre.

Kanye West (left) and Jay-Z (right) perform in concert during the Watch The Throne Tour, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in East Rutherford, N.J.

11. Watch the Throne Tour (2011-12)

Jay-Z and Kanye West

In better times, Jay-Z and Kanye West exhibited lofty friendship goals we could all aspire to, with their bromance popping on the platinum album Watch the Throne. Before their much-publicized fallout, Jay-Z and West took their act on the road for the mother of all double-bill spectacles.

Two of hip-hop’s greatest traded classics such as the ominous “Where I’m From” (Jay-Z) and soaring “Jesus Walks” (West) from separate stages on opposite sides of the venue. Those lucky enough to catch the tour can still recall the dream tag team launching into their encore of “N—as in Paris” amid roars from thousands of revelers.

Gross : $75.6 million from 63 shows

10. The Miseducation Tour (1999)

Lauryn Hill, featuring Outkast

In 1998, Lauryn Hill wasn’t just the best woman emcee or the best emcee alive and kicking. The former standout Fugees member was briefly the voice of her generation as she rode the multiplatinum, multi-Grammy success of her solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill . By February 1999, it was time to take the show on the road. Hill and her 10-piece band went beyond the hype, especially when they tore through a blistering take of the heartbreaking “Ex-Factor.”

Encore: Outkast (Atlantans Andre 3000 and Big Boi) rocked the house backed by some conspicuous props, including two front grilles of a Cadillac and a throwback Ford truck, kicked off their own headlining Stanklove theater tour in early 2001.

9. No Way Out Tour (1997-98)

Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, Lil’ Kim, Ma$e, Busta Rhymes, Foxy Brown, 112, The Lox, Usher, Kid Capri, Lil’ Cease and Jay-Z

The Los Angeles Times headline spoke volumes: “Combs to Headline Rare Rap Tour.” Combs, of course, is Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music, fashion, television and liquor mogul who Forbes estimates now has a net worth of $820 million. But back then, the hustler formerly known as Puff Daddy was struggling to keep his Bad Boy Records afloat after the March 9, 1997, murder of Brooklyn, New York, rhyme king The Notorious B.I.G.

But out of unspeakable tragedy rose Combs’ chart-dominating No Way Out album and an emotional all-star tour. Despite suggestions that large-scale rap shows were too much of a financial gamble, Puffy rallied the Bad Boy troops and a few close friends and proved the naysayers wrong. The No Way Out Tour was both a cathartic exercise and a joyous celebration of life. “It’s All About the Benjamins” shook the foundation of every building as Combs, The Lox and a show-stealing Lil’ Kim made monetary excess look regal. And the heartfelt Biggie tribute “I’ll Be Missing You,” which was performed live at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, had audiences in tears.

Gross: $16 million

Rap stars, from left, Redman, foreground, DMX, Method Man and Jay-Z join host DJ Clue, background left, in a photo session on Jan. 26, 1999, in New York, after announcing their 40-city Hard Knock Life Tour beginning Feb. 27, in Charlotte, N.C.

AP Photo/Kathy Willens

8. Hard Knock Life Tour (1999)

Jay-Z, featuring DMX, Redman and Method Man

Jay-Z stands now as hip-hop’s most bankable live draw. In 2017, the newly minted billionaire’s 4:44 Live Nation production pulled in $44.7 million, becoming America’s all-time highest-grossing solo rap jaunt. It’s a long way from the days of Jay-Z lumbering through performances in a bulletproof vest when he was last off the bench on Puff Daddy’s No Way Out Tour.

Surely the seeds of Jay-Z’s evolution as a concert staple were first planted on his Hard Knock Life Tour, which was documented in the 2000 film Backstage . This was a confident, full-throated Shawn Carter, and he would need every ounce of charisma, with Ruff Ryders lead dog DMX enrapturing fans as if he were a Baptist preacher at a tent revival and the duo of Redman and Method Man rapping and swinging over crowds from ropes attached to moving cranes. What a gig.

Gross : $18 million

Flavor Flav (left) and Chuck D (right) of the rap group Public Enemy perform onstage in New York in August 1988.

7. Bring the Noise Tour (1988)

Public Enemy and Ice-T, featuring Eazy-E & N.W.A. and EPMD

There has always been a controlled chaos to a Public Enemy live show. Lead orator Chuck D jolted the crowd with a ferocity over the intricate, combustible production of the Bomb Squad while clock-rocking Flavor Flav, the prototypical hype man, jumped and zigzagged across the stage.

DJ Terminator X cut records like a cyborg and never smiled. And Professor Griff and the S1Ws exuded an intimidating, paramilitary presence. Armed with their 1988 watershed black nationalist work, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back , an album many music historians consider to be the pinnacle hip-hop statement, Public Enemy spearheaded arguably the most exciting rap tour ever conceived.

Encore: Along for the wild ride was the godfather of West Coast rap, Ice-T, who was putting on the rest of the country to Los Angeles’ violent Crips and Bloods gang wars with the too-real “Colors.” N.W.A. was just about to set the world on fire with their opus Straight Outta Compton. Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and DJ Yella unleashed a profanity-laced declaration of street knowledge that was instantly slapped with parental advisory stickers. And Erick and Parrish were making dollars with their rough and raw EPMD joint Strictly Business .

6. Nitro World Tour (1989-90)

LL Cool J, featuring Public Enemy, Eazy E & N.W.A., Big Daddy Kane, Too $hort, EPMD, Slick Rick, De La Soul and Special Ed

But not even LL Cool J was ready for the monster that was N.W.A. The self-proclaimed World’s Most Dangerous Group completely hijacked the spotlight when N.W.A. was warned by officials not to perform their controversial track “F— the Police” at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. A minute into the song, cops stormed the stage and shut down Eazy-E and crew’s volatile set, a wild scene that was later re-created in the 2015 N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton .

Encore: A few months before the Detroit gig, N.W.A. was booed during a Run-DMC show at New York’s Apollo Theater. “We all had watched Showtime at the Apollo , so we all knew if it went bad what was gonna happen,” Ice Cube explained on the Complex story series What Had Happened Was … “We hit the stage, and as soon as they saw the Jheri curls, all you heard was ‘Boo!’ I mean, before we even got a line out, they was booin’. I guess they just wasn’t feeling the Jheri curls.”

Rappers Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Nolan of Kid ‘n Play perform onstage during “The World’s Greatest Rap Show Ever” on Jan. 3, 1992 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

5. The World’s Greatest Rap Show Ever (1991-92)

Public Enemy, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Geto Boys, Kid ’n Play, Naughty by Nature, A Tribe Called Quest, Leaders of the New School and Oaktown’s 3.5.7.

Props to the promoter who put together this awesome collection of hip-hop firepower for a tour that at least aimed to live up to its tagline. What stands out the most was the early acknowledgment of rap’s reach beyond the East and West coasts. The significance of including Houston’s Geto Boys, for instance, cannot be overstated.

Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill carried the flag for Southern hip-hop, winning over skeptical concertgoers with their raw dissection of ’hood paranoia, “ Mind Playing Tricks on Me ,” which had become a favorite on Yo! MTV Raps . Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince proved they could still rock the house with PG-rated material. (It helped that Will Smith had just begun the first season of NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. ) Queen Latifah busted through the testosterone with the empowering “Ladies First.” And Naughty by Nature frequently knocked out the most crowd-pleasing set of the night with their promiscuous anthem “O.P.P.”

Encore: The World’s Greatest Rap Show Ever made its Jan. 3, 1992, stop at New York’s Madison Square Garden less than a week after nine people were fatally crushed at a hip-hop charity basketball game at City College of New York. Before Public Enemy’s powerful message of black self-determination, Heavy D, an organizer of the doomed event, made a plea for unity. Fans were certainly listening. The gig was a resounding, peaceful triumph.

LL Cool J performs at the Genesis Center in Gary, Indiana in December 1987.

Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

4. Def Jam Tour (1987)

LL Cool J, Whodini, Eric B. & Rakim, Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, and Public Enemy

From 1986 to 1992, New York’s Def Jam Records was the premier hip-hop label. Its roster of artists, which included Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys, EPMD and Slick Rick, was unparalleled in range and cultural dominance. So when it came time for partners Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin to spread the Def Jam gospel on its first international tour, the imprint’s biggest star, LL Cool J, was chosen to lead the way. And he didn’t disappoint.

James Todd Smith strutted out of a giant neon boombox sporting a Kangol hat, dookie rope gold chain and Adidas jacket. Of course, that jacket would soon be thrown to the floor as a shirtless Ladies Love Cool James tore through his ’85 single “Rock the Bells” as if it were the last song he would get to perform.

For many overseas, their first taste of American rap also included DJ Eric B. & Rakim, who were killing the streets with their 1987 masterpiece Paid In Full . Almost overnight in Germany, France, Norway and the Netherlands, hip-hop became the new religion.

Encore: This was the first proper world tour for Public Enemy, who had just dropped their 12-inch single “Rebel Without a Pause.” Although they were the opening act, Chuck D and his posse stole the show, establishing their standing as global behemoths. The now-legendary show at London’s Hammersmith Odeon can be heard throughout It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back .

The Up In Smoke Tour in 2000 was a dream team bill, headed by producer Dr. Dre and featuring Eminem, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and more.

Photo by Ken Hively/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

3. Up In Smoke (2000)

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Eminem, Tha Dogg Pound, Warren G and Nate Dogg, and Xzibit

The multimillion-dollar stage design put the concert industry on notice that not only could rap shows attain the lavish production values of the best rock shows, they could surpass them. It was also an emphatic statement that the largely West Coast rap dignitaries knew how to throw a party. And there still isn’t another hip-hop song that matches the first 20 seconds of Dre’s “Next Episode” in concert.

Gross : $22.2 million from 44 shows

2. Raising Hell Tour (1986)

Run-DMC, featuring LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys and Whodini

There’s a reason Run-DMC is hailed as the greatest live hip-hop act of its era. They understood that less is always more. Because of their stripped-down beats and rhymes, the group amplified the genius of every aspect of their concert presentation up to 11. Jam Master Jay’s scratching was more thunderous than the other DJs on the 1s and 2s. Run’s pay-me stage presence commanded respect. And D had the throat-grabbing voice of God. They wore Godfather hats, black jeans and shoelace-less Adidas sneakers. The Hollis, Queens, crew was the personification of cool.

LL Cool J was just 18 during the Raising Hell Tour, but he was coming after Run-DMC’s crown every night. The hotel-wrecking Beastie Boys co-piloted rap’s bum-rush into Middle America, scaring parents wherever they landed. And Whodini brilliantly straddled the line between electro funkateers and around-the-way dudes representing BK to the fullest.

As “Walk This Way,” Run-DMC’s genre-shifting Aerosmith collaboration, exploded on the pop charts, vaulting the Raising Hell album to 3 million copies sold (the first hip-hop album to go triple platinum), ticket sales followed. The 45-city tour affirmed hip-hop’s cultural takeover.

Encore: The image of Joseph Simmons commanding 20,000-plus fans to hold up their sneakers during a performance of “My Adidas” at a New York show is still a surreal sight.

1. Fresh Fest (1984)

Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC, Whodini, The Fat Boys, Newcleus & the Dynamic Breakers, New York City Breakers, Turbo and Ozone

Ricky Walker had an idea: The concert promoter wanted to put together the first national rap music and break-dancing tour. In 1984, hip-hop had moved on from its underground beginnings in the Bronx. Run-DMC had just dropped their self-titled debut, and their “ Rock Box ” became the first rap video to received play on MTV. Breakin’ , the first break dancing movie to hit the big screen, pulled in nearly $40 million at the box office on a minuscule $1.2 million budget. Walker saw the future.

He called New York impresario Simmons to tap some of his Rush Productions talent, which included heartthrob Brooklyn trio Whodini , rap’s first solo superstar Kurtis Blow, the comedic Fat Boys and, of course, the hottest hip-hop act in the country, Run-DMC. But when it came time to promote the first show, billed as the Swatch Watch NYC Fresh Fest Festival , in Greensboro, North Carolina, Walker was laughed out of the room by a radio ad man.

Rap was still viewed by many record industry power brokers as a passing fad. In a 1985 interview with Billboard magazine, Walker recalled the salesperson pleading with him. “You’re a friend of mine,” he said. “Can’t I talk you out of doing this show?”

Walker’s instincts, however, proved to be dead-on. Fresh Fest moved 7,500 tickets in four hours. The tour, which also featured some of the best street dancers on the planet, such as Breakin’ stars Boogaloo Shrimp and Shabba Doo, as well as the synth funk-rap group Newcleus, not only did brisk business at mid-level venues but also sold out 20,000-seat arenas in Chicago and Philadelphia. Like the pioneering rock ‘n’ roll shows of the ’50s conceived by Cleveland radio DJ Alan Freed, the Fresh Fest proved that rap could be a serious and profitable art form. The rest is hip-hop history.

Gross : $3.5 million

Keith "Murph" Murphy is a senior editor at VIBE Magazine and frequent contributor at Billboard, AOL, and CBS Local. The veteran journalist has appeared on CNN, FOX News and A&E Biography and is also the author of the men’s lifestyle book "Manifest XO."

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Hugely influential hip hop artists, Run D.M.C. helped establish the sound of hardcore rap through their rock-infused samples in their classic albums from the 1980s.

Hailing from Queens, New York, US, friends Joseph Simmons (Run) and Darryl McDaniels (D.M.C.) decided to form a rap duo in 1982, before adding turntablist Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) to their lineup. The trio quickly got to work on creating their sound, eventually settling on a harder-hitting, tougher attack than predecessors such as Grandmaster Flash and Whodunit, adding heavy metal samples into the mix to create a grittier sound.

Their first single, “Its Like That/Sucker M.C.’s” appeared in 1983, immediately setting the group apart from other hip hp acts, offering up the first exposure to the ‘new school’ sound. The single became a Top 20 hit, with a steady string of successful singles following before their eponymous debut arrived in 1984.

Their second album, “King of Rock,” in 1985 was to be hugely influential in the rap world, influencing the next generation of young rappers, such as the gangsta rap legends, N.W.A. The album landed them a number of hits, as well as going on to feature in the film, “Krush Groove,” alongside the likes of Kurtis Blow, the Beastie Boys and the Fat Boys.

With their third album, 1986’s “Raising Hell,” Run D.M.C. managed to break into the mainstream charts, finding huge success with their cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” The crossover appeal landed them a number four hit, helping “Raising Hell” become the first rap album to reach the number one spot on the R&B charts and the mainstream Top Ten.

As one of the first hip hop acts to cross over into the mainstream pop world, Run D.M.C. looked set to continue finding success. Yet despite their huge popularity, 1987’s “Tougher Than Leather,” despite selling Platinum, failed to spawn any hit singles and the accompanying film was a commercial failure. The hip hop world had changed and political engagement was what fans were looking for, with Public Enemy ushering in another new era of hip hop.

1989’s “Back From Hell” became the trio’s first album not to go Platinum, with the members also encountering a number of personal issues at this time, throwing the band into disarray. Turning to christianity, they recovered from their problems, releasing “Down With the King” in 1993, an album that praised their religious conversion. Bolstered by guest appearances from Public Enemy, Naughty by Nature, A Tribe Called Quest, amongst others, the album became a comeback success, finding a Top Ten Hit and the album being certified Gold.

Taking a long break from recording new music, it was not until 2001 that an album of new material arrived, releasing “Crown Royal.” Run D.M.C. continued to be reignited, embarking n a US tour. However, tragedy struck, after Jam Master Jay was tragically murdered in a recording studio in Queens, US, at the age of 37. The news rocked the hip hop community, prompting widespread tributes for the band’s innovative producer.

The remaining members since disbanded the group, although they remained involved with music since. They have gone on to be awarded with a number of accolades, including being indicted to the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 2009, becoming the second rap act to be awarded this honor. Simmons and McDaniels also reunited for Fun Fun Fun Fest in Texas, US, before appearing at a number of summer concerts in 2013 and 2014.

Live reviews

Run-D.M.C. rap in the kind of freestyle that will make you want to drop from your feet and break dance to the beat. They have been regarded as one of the most influential rap groups of all time and were the first in their genre to have been nominated for a Grammy and to have a gold record.

Their live performances are always highly engaging and fun. The deep tones of the bass and drums resonate through the venue laying down a foundational beat for Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels to rap over. Run and D.M.C.’s alternating rapping is fast paced and highly dynamic creating for a captivating performance. Their performance is delivered with a great intensity, but is also presented in a very care-free and fun way. In songs like “It’s Tricky” the band sings the lyrics with great force, but they also sing them very playfully by trilling some of the words in the song.

When listening to Run-D.M.C. perform their songs you will most likely be thinking to yourself “this is so 80’s”, but this is why their performance is so fun and engaging. They are perhaps the quintessential 80’s rap group and to see them bust out their rhymes is a complete joy to see. The band acts in a very lively way while on stage, jumping around, strutting up and down the stage, and inciting the audience to wave their hands up in the air. The samples they use in their music are always fun to listen to as well. They are well known for collaborating with several artists such as Aerosmith with whom they performed a cover song of “Walk This Way”. Run-D.M.C. is one of the most critically acclaimed rap groups to have immerged and they have already been inducted into elite institutions such as, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Although Run-D.M.C. doesn’t necessarily present the most danceable music with their fast-paced, hard-hitting beats, they definitely know how to lay down a catchy tune and get their audience excited about their performance.

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Not many acts can claim to have genuinely revolutionised their genre, but then not every group has the kind of pedigree that Run-D.M.C. can boast; in the eighties, they signalled the beginning of a new world order within hip hop culture alongside the likes of Public Enemy and Beastie Boys. Like those groups, they embraced elements of rock and guitar music, most notably on their classic collaboration with Aerosmith, ‘Walk This Way’. Commercially, too, they proved a huge hit, with their finest hour with the critics - the seminal Raising Hell - also going triple-platinum. Their relevance began to fade as the years went by, regardless of how hard they tried; their final album, Crown Royal, featured ill-advised collaborations with the likes of Fred Durst and Kid Rock. In 2002, Jam Master Jay was shot dead in his studio, allegedly the victim of a targeted hit as retaliation for working with the then-blacklisted 50 Cent. That led to Rev Run and D.M.C. retiring the band’s name, but they’d eventually be persuaded to reform for Jay Z’s Made in America festival in 2012, where they delivered hit after hit during a high-octane early evening set, backed by two DJs and in front of a huge banner bearing their iconic logo. Having played two more festivals since, the duo are ruling nothing out as to their future plans; a UK appearance is by no means out of the question.

Anybody with even a remote interest in hip hop will know the name Run DMC well. Considered to be one of the influential artists in the genre's history who ushered in a new era of hip hop in the 80s as they were joined by the likes of Beastie Boys. The rock and roll hall of fame inductees have no problem getting the fans to the shows and they always leave satisfied with the performance.

The two remaining rappers have great ability onstage to whip the crowd into a suitable frenzy before dropping hits including 'My Adidas' and 'Walk This Way' from the hugely popular 'Raising Hell' album. Almost two decades later and the fans continue to bellow out the rap verses in an attempt to match the speed of the performers. The sentiment is appreciated as the bass is turned up and the party atmosphere truly gets going as the duo brings it home via 'Hard Times' 'Its Tricky' and 'Down With the King' which leaves the whole crowd screaming in adoration and excitement.

Rip rip rip rip rip to the member that that crazy Cow shot.rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip rip

100% best hip hop jam this year by a mile slick rick jam master jay son and run dmc wow they done a lot of classics got the crowd on there feet Carnt wait to see them again

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A SCENE IN RETROSPECT: Run-DMC – “Raising Hell”

In case you haven’t heard of Run-DMC , I’d really like to know what kind of stone you’re living under, because it sounds like a great refuge from the Internet age dumpster fire we’re all currently sweltering in. Jokes aside, the legendary rap group’s third album Raising Hell is turning 35 on May 27, so it’s only fair to include it here. And don’t worry if you really don’t know about Run-DMC yet – our own established hip hop duo Charles and David will show you the ropes.

Charles Stinson

When I first began listening to Run-DMC (I was about 13 or 14), Raising Hell was already 7 years old, and it sounded like it was 20. That’s how much hip hop changed between 1986, when Raising Hell was released, and the early 90s. In the interim, we got people like Rakim and Kool G Rap setting a new benchmark for lyricism, and digital samplers which transformed the possibilities of hip hop beats. Run-DMC were really the pinnacle of pre-golden age hip hop, and Raising Hell was not only their crowning achievement, but probably the first great hip hop album, period. And they remained culturally relevant.

We’d sit on the steps in the alley behind the pool hall, surrounded in graffiti, brandishing our laceless Adidas, and we’d listen to Run-DMC . We thought we were so cool, and that was the 90s. To this day you see their t-shirts everywhere, and those awful, stylized logos with anything that remotely rhymes with Run-DMC , bearing no cultural connection whatsoever. The music and the branding remain relevant 35 years on. That’s the legacy of Run-DMC .

Joseph ‘Run’ Simmons and Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels were childhood friends from Hollis in Queens, NYC, who began writing and rapping together as teenagers. They recruited their DJ, Jason ‘Jam Master Jay’ Mizell , while hanging out in Two-Fifths park, which was the hangout in Hollis for DJs and rappers to perform, compete, and hold cyphers in the early 80s. The trio became Run-DMC and released their first single “It’s Like That / Sucker MCs” in 1983, with their self-titled debut album released the year after. They were an instant success.

Their sound was characterized by minimal drum-machine beats with scattered samples and some scratching, as opposed to the more flashy, electronic production of hip hop at the time. This sound, along with lyrics that taunted and boasted about rapping as well as providing more social commentary, characterized hip hop’s ‘new-school’. But Run-DMC ’s influence went far beyond their music. While the norm at the time was for rappers to wear flamboyant costumes, mimicking the disco and glam scenes of the time, Run-DMC wore tracksuits, Kangols, and laceless Adidas sneakers. This would shape street fashion for decades to come.

They followed their debut with Kings of Rock , which expanded on the rock influence they’d introduced with “Rock Box” on their debut. But while it was their first platinum record, Kings of Rock wasn’t their best effort, and they knew it. Feeling outdone by LL Cool J and his debut album Radio , Run-DMC turned to that record’s producer Rick Rubin to produce their follow-up. The result was Raising Hell – not only their best album, but an album that went triple platinum and single-handedly catapulted hip hop beyond its traditional urban black (and mainly NYC) audience. Hip hop became mainstream overnight.

The success of Raising Hell is inextricable from the success of “Walk This Way”, a remake of the Aerosmith song from 1975’s Toys in the Attic . Supposedly neither group were keen on the collaboration. Russell Simmons and Jam Master Jay convinced everyone to give it a shot. Technically, it’s far from Run DMC ’s best effort; it’s little more than a remix of the original with rapped lyrics and only minor changes to match their cadence. But that’s not the point. It’s fun as hell, and more importantly, it was as fun for rock fans as it was for hip hop fans. It broke down the boundaries that had kept rap confined to its traditional audience. “Walk This Way” was everywhere: MTV, every radio station, and every dorm room across the country and beyond. It re-invigorated a dying career for Aerosmith , and it made Run-DMC the first global hip hop superstars.

But Raising Hell is so much more than “Walk This Way”. The album opens with DJ Run and DMC rapping one word each on the nursery-rhyme themed “Peter Piper” in an introduction to their legendary chemistry on the mic. “It’s Tricky” is probably the best song they ever made, going back and forth finishing each other’s sentences with quick-witted boasts over a signature hard beat and irresistable “My Sharona” sample. And of course, “My Adidas” was such a cultural phenomenon that it got them the first non-athlete sneaker sponsorship. Apparently Simmons dragged a reluctant Adidas CEO to a Run-DMC concert, who was quick to pull out his check book once DMC asked the crowd to show him their Adidas, and thousands of pairs of sneakers were raised in the air. Sportswear brands have looked to African-American culture for direction ever since.

There are a few tracks that let the album down. “Perfection” feels like a Slick Rick bite; “Dumb Girl” is overly simplistic and out of touch; and “Hit It Run” and “Son of Byford” are two human beatbox tracks when one would have been enough.

Nevertheless, the album is remarkably coherent and great fun from beginning to end. It’s still the go-to album for me when I want that old-school vibe. For all of the technical innovation and development in hip-hop since, there’s still nothing quite as pure as those thumping drum machines and peerless chemistry on the mic. By the time Run-DMC got around to making a couple of more albums in the late 80s and early 90s, their style seemed out of date, and they couldn’t match the panache of their early work. And when Jam Master Jay was tragically murdered in 2002, the group finally broke up. But Run-DMC will forever be one of the greatest to ever do it, and Raising Hell remains their crowning achievement.

David Rodriguez

This album is three years older than me, y’all. While I don’t subscribe blindly to the whole ‘respect your elders’ mess that people like to talk, there is a little element of that here with Run-DMC ’s Raising Hell .

If y’all didn’t know, I’m a… pretty big fan of Beastie Boys . I’m here to acknowledge, as others have in time, that we very likely wouldn’t have had the rapping-ass Beastie Boys we know and love today without Run-DMC for a number of reasons (the undeniable stylistic influence, Def Jam Records likely wouldn’t exist as the tour-de-force it was without the success of Run-DMC , etc.). For that fact alone, the Hollis, Queens trio deserve all my respect, but they did so much more for hip hop music and culture than influencing one single band, more than I honestly could cover here. After all, we’re here to focus on one album, but this one album alone? Still a shitload to cover.

Let’s go down the line – not covering every damn thing, just the highlights. Rappers Rev Run and DMC , backed by the late, great Jam Master Jay on the turntables, open this slammer of an album with “Peter Piper”, which samples one of the most recognizable songs in hip hop history: Bob James ’ “ Take Me to the Mardi Gras ”. The drums, other percussion, and the whole backbone rhythm has been sampled by hundreds of songs (including one by the aforementioned Beastie Boys ), but “Peter Piper” was one of the first big songs that brought it to a lot of ears on a national level, despite the track not being a single (though it was packaged with the 12” single for “My Adidas”). Focusing on flipping nursery rhymes and bigging each other up with the lyrics, it’s a playful intro to the first multi-platinum hip hop record ever, and it only gets better from here.

‘ Now Dr. Seuss and Mother Goose both did their thing But Jam Master’s getting loose and DMC’s the king ‘Cause he’s adult entertainer, child educator Jam Master Jay, king of the crossfader ’

The very next track though? Definitely their most recognizable original track on this album, if not the group’s whole career. “It’s Tricky” is about as much of a jam as was possible to make back in the ‘80s (Jay wasn’t the Jam Master for nothing). Great flows, powerful production using a “ My Sharona ” guitar sample ( The Knack would go on to sue the band for the sample, but settled out of court) without compromising their more stripped-down drum machine sound, and fun lyrics that endure to today. Didn’t hurt that it also got a bit of a remix-injected revival in 2001 with EA Sports BIG ’s apex of arcade snowboarding video games, SSX Tricky , for which it was the theme . You even hear vocal samples from the song’s hook the better you perform in the game and achieve a powered-up ‘tricky’ status.

One big asset to Run-DMC ’s success was their bucking of hip hop’s then trends, particularly when it came to fashion and presentation. A lot of artists and groups were flamboyant with it, wearing lush furs, more belts than a JRPG protagonist, rhinestone-pocked leather, all in bright and vibrant colors and costing thousands of dollars to make and upkeep with the help of tailors. These ran parallels with the sounds that these groups adopted into their hip-hop music – primarily disco, funk, and r’n’b artists – most of whom were wild with their clothing as well. Run-DMC though? These dudes were rocking Kangol hats, shoes with no laces and the tongues sticking up, jeans, or matching black outfits with either leather jackets or Adidas tracksuits. In other words, what the streets were wearing. It was relatable, just like their whole approach to rap which sounded more like a park cypher with friends than gussied-up, high-production music. Which brings us to the biggest hit off the album, “My Adidas”.

Already trendsetting with their style, their manager (and Run’s older brother) Russell Simmons saw an opportunity for great financial gain. The story is covered well in episode three, “The New Guard”, of Netflix’s Hip-Hop Evolution documentary series produced by Banger Films (yes, that Banger ) with music journalist Bill Adler speaking on the situation: ‘ Russell understood what these [Adidas] sneakers meant and how emblematic they were of the culture at large, so he suggest to Run and to D that they make a song called “My Adidas” ’. Representatives from the athletic brand were invited to a concert at the great Madison Square Garden in New York where they played the song to a raucous crowd, telling them to hold their Adidas shoes up in the air to which hundreds, if not thousands obliged by holding up their triple-striped, shell-toed sneakers before they bust into the track that changed everything for them.

‘ My Adidas walk through concert doors And roam all over coliseum floors I stepped on stage at Live Aid All the people gave and the poor got paid ’

Needless to say, they got an endorsement deal, one worth 1.6 million dollars, the first of its kind given to a non-athletic entity or person by a big brand like that.

You think that’s big though? Well, it is, but there’s something arguably bigger, something that made Run-DMC a household name and transcend the urban roots of the young, budding hip hop world. And the best part is that it wasn’t even initially planned; hell, it wasn’t even desired at first! Jay, being the artist he was, was always messing with samples and landed on the intro drums and guitars from Aerosmith ’s “Walk This Way”, a rock hit from their 1975 album Toys In The Attic , for some live freestyles. Rick Rubin, the now legendary producer who was working with Russell Simmons in Def Jam Records at the time, knew how big Aerosmith were years ago and persuaded the trio to not just sample “Walk This Way” and rhyme their original raps over it, but to literally remix and cover it with Aerosmith ’s lyrics.

Jay thought it just might work, but Run and DMC were, uh… not hot on the idea, especially after reading the lyrics themselves which DMC deemed ‘ fucking hillbilly gibberish ’, a generous sentiment if you’ve ever read the lyrics yourself – no offense, Aerosmith . Again in Hip-Hop Evolution , DMC talks about that moment, fighting with Russell, Rick, and the label against this idea: ‘ y’all are taking this rock rap thing too far ’. To break the tension and get the ball rolling, mad man Rick apparently went to Boston and brought Aerosmith to New York to do the damn thing with Jay cutting the beat up, Joe Perry’s guitar licks cementing the foreground, and Steven Tyler singing on the chorus of the track and punctuating select lines and words just like how Run and DMC did with each other, while the two MCs rapped the shit out of the verses of the song.

After all was rapped and done, DMC pleaded to not make the song a single for Raising Hell . Well, the label did, and it just so happened to become the first rap-rock ultra hit and one of the biggest songs of the 1980s, beating other crossover juggernauts like Beastie Boys ‘ anthems “Fight For Your Right” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” by a few months, and “Bring Tha Noize” with Public Enemy and Anthrax by a few years. It just worked . The original track had Steven Tyler employ his trademark voice in more of a spoken, rapping style, which made it exceedingly easy for Run and DMC to mimic while still providing their own flair and flavor to it. It became a massively played track on radio stations of all kinds – rock, rap, pop, etc. – and sporting a neat music video also helped in its takeover. The group rapped about being the “King of Rock” years before, but they nearly became that very thing with this song. Famed writer and activist Kevin Powell reflects on what this meant to him and the culture as a whole:

‘When they made the record “Walk This Way”, it brought them into mainstream America in a different kind of way because now all these other kids – beyond the Black and Latino communities that created it and loved Run-DMC – they literally crossed over. I mean, people don’t understand how big that was. First rap group on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, first rap group on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand , they were the first in so many different ways. They just busted down so many different doors, and yeah, that was as exciting to us as all those kids a generation before who sat in front of their TV shows watching The Beatles on [The] Ed Sullivan [Show] .’

Speaking from a personal standpoint, I didn’t really get deep into Run-DMC ’s catalog until the last decade or so when I decided to dive into the history and many hits of hip hop, which is also why you always see me writing about these rap albums for ASIR . By that time – hell, probably by the late ‘90s – the more old-school style of hip hop and rapping had fallen far out of favor as the craft had evolved to much more. Dense lyricism, searing sociopolitical commentary, unorthodox production, and gritty-as-hell street sense pervaded on many levels with hip hop heads for the last 30 years, and that’s all awesome too! But because of my connection with Beastie Boys , I was probably much more prepared as a young millennial to eat up Run-DMC ’s minimalist production and sampling, along with the classic style of rhyming that was all the rage in the ‘80s.

I came to love songs like the title track which was backed by fierce guitars, strong drums, and no-nonsense lyrics from Run and DMC. It’s probably the heaviest song they’ve ever done (‘ You see, it’s harder than hard, not one bit soft ‘), which was indicative of their tougher (than leather) style when compared to their peers at the time.

“You Be Illin’” is a simple, cute track with playful piano and horn samples while Run and DMC rap about a couple scenarios with people who don’t seem to be all the way there, or ‘illin’’ as it was called in the ‘80s. Are you the dude walking into a KFC establishment and asking for a Big Mac burger? You go to a basketball game and yell ‘touchdown’ when a ball goes through the hoop? Well, you be illin’.

My favorite track on Raising Hell , though, is without a doubt the album closer, “Proud to Be Black”, a bold proclamation of their Blackness, an acknowledgement of the history of racial struggle and strife, and a statement of how things are going to be from now on ( ‘You know I’m proud to be Black, y’all/And that’s a fact, y’all’/And if you try to take what’s mine, I’ll take it back, y’all’ ). Run compares himself to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., DMC likens himself to Malcolm X, and together both set the damn track on fire:

‘ The world’s full of hate, discrimination, and sin People judgin’ other people by the color of skin I’ll attack this matter in my own way Man, I ain’t no slave, I ain’t bailin’ no hay Written a deposition in any condition Don’t get in my way ’cause I’m full of ambition I’m proud to be Black and I ain’t takin no crap I’m fresh out the pack and I’m proud to be Black, so take that! ’

I’ve said more than enough here, but suffice it all to say that Run-DMC are certified legends and, personal preference aside, Raising Hell is arguably their best album; definitely the one that catapulted them fully into stardom. From Hollis to space – not a bad trajectory. I recommend anyone with a penchant for rap check out their catalog to see where things were and try to build the bridges in your head on how we got to where we are now with their help. I may not always respect my elders by that virtue alone, but I’d always take some time to shake Run and DMC’s hand and chop it up with them… you know, if ever presented with the opportunity.

RIP Jam Master Jay. Thanks for all you did for hip-hop and music in general. Hopefully, your family and friends will be getting some closure soon.

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Dominik Böhmer

Pretentious? Moi?

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Aerosmith Announce Rescheduled 2024, 2025 Peace Out Tour Dates

Watch: megadeth perform ‘peace sells…but who’s buying’ deep cut for the first time since 2014, system of a down and deftones announce joint u.s. concert, architects release new single, add more north american tour dates, deep purple announce 2024 tour with yes, watch: motionless in white rock wrestlemania during rhea ripley’s entrance, the struts announce 2024 north american tour, dream theater announce 40th anniversary tour, porno for pyros release new song “fingernail”, better lovers unleash new single “the flowering”, tony levin, adrian belew, steve vai, and danny carey announce king crimson tribute tour, heart add 31 new shows to 2024 royal flush tour, the black keys announce 2024 north american tour, review + photos: ace frehley gives capacity crowd a jolt at sony hall in new york city, st. vincent release new song with dave grohl, justin meldal-johnsen: 2024 tour announced, former anthrax bassist dan lilker joining band for upcoming tour dates, skid row, vocalist erik grönwall part ways: lzzy hale will fill in, twenty one pilots announce massive 2024 world tour, reveal new single “next semester”, godsmack are releasing one of their biggest albums on vinyl for the first time, sleeping with sirens announce 2024 tour.

The Struts Reveal Music Video, Add 2023 Tour Dates

The band’s new single “Too Good at Raising Hell” is a bluesy party anthem

The Struts have added a new leg to their 2023 North American tour. The new round of dates begins on November 6 at the Mercury Ballroom in Louisville, Kentucky and wraps up on December 10 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, California.

Ticket pre-sale for all newly announced dates begins this Wednesday, July 12 at 10am local time using the code: FALLIN . General tickets go on sale this Friday, July 14 at 10am local time HERE . Special guests for the trek will be Mac Saturn.

On Tuesday, The Struts revealed the music video for their new single “Too Good at Raising Hell.” The bluesy tune is the band’s first since “Fallin’ with Me” which came out last year. Stream the clip now below.

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35. [Run-DMC; Beastie Boys; Whodini; Timex Social Club]

Run-DMC Raising Hell Tour at the Municipal Auditorium concert poster, 1986

The Art and Influence of Hip Hop

[Run-DMC; Beastie Boys; Whodini; Timex Social Club]

March 30, 04:34 PM GMT

3,000 - 5,000 USD

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Authenticity guaranteed

Description

"SUNDAY, JULY 13TH MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM 7:30 PM NEW ORLEANS, LA GHOST PRODUCTIONS & G STREET EXPRESS, INC. RUN DMC RAISING HELL TOUR WHODINI L.L.COOL J TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB, THE BEASTIE BOYS". [1986]

Color poster,  30¼ by 22 in. (77 x 56 cm.) , in black, red, and white, on thick cardstock, moderate tears on both left and right edges, rip at bottom center.

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Catalogue note

RUN-DMC HEADLINES ONE OF THE GREATEST CONCERT TOURS OF ALL TIME

Starting on April 19, 1986, at the Apollo Theater and concluding on Halloween at Madison Square Garden, the 1986 Raising Hell Tour is widely hailed as one of the greatest Hip Hop concert tours of all time.

Named for their new album and headlined by Run-DMC, the tour not only established the group as the era's greatest live Hip Hop act, but helped to propel the Raising Hell  album to 3 million copies. Featuring the singles "Walk This Way" and "My Adidas", it was the first rap album to go triple platinum. This—coupled with the popularity of the 45 city tour—would fully cement Hip Hop's cultural takeover.

In addition to solidifying Run-DMC's grip on the culture, the tour helped solidify the career of Whodini (perhaps best known for "Freaks Come Out at Night"). The concerts also played an essential role in propelling the careers of LL Cool J—at the time only 18 years old while rapping "I Can't Live Without My Radio"—and the Beastie Boys, who hadn't even released their first full-length LP, and had never before been mentioned in a full size poster.

The poster offered here—advertising the July 13, 1986, show at the Los Angeles Municipal Auditorium—is a primary document representing a tour and a summer in which Hip Hop firmly announced it was here to stay.

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Kesha Announces ‘High Road’ North American Tour

By Claire Shaffer

Claire Shaffer

Kesha will embark on a 26-date North American tour for her upcoming album  High Road (out January 31st), the singer announced on Tuesday.

The route will kick off this spring at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, Texas, on April 23rd, and will make stops in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Denver, Atlanta, New York and more with a final show in Windsor, Ontario, on June 5th.

The tour will feature support from Big Freedia (who collaborated with Kesha on her single “Raising Hell” ) on select dates.

Kesha had this to say about the tour in a statement to Rolling Stone : “While shaking my ass at the stroke of midnight, ringing in the new year, new decade, with my new album coming this month, I thought to myself, ‘Damn. I think the best medicine for happiness and having a beautiful life is to celebrate it while I have it, with the people I love most. And ummm…shake my ass. As often as possible.’ So…this is my HIGH ROAD TOUR announce!!! If you wanna come shake ur body and hear the new jams LIVE, this is the place to do it! And, on the HIGH ROAD TOUR, you will have not one, but two grand supreme expert body movers — BIG FREEDIA and YOURS TRULY — ME!!!!! Come see us on tour this Spring!!!!!!”

Presale for the tour begins Wednesday, January 8th. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Jan 10th. Every ticket purchased online will include a CD copy of High Road .

Kesha High Road North American Tour Dates

April 23 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre April 25 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory April 26 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater April 29 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Federal Theatre w/ Big Freedia May 1 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl Concert Theater w/ Big Freedia May 2 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre w/ Big Freedia May 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre w/ Big Freedia May 6 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl w/ Big Freedia May 8 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic w/ Big Freedia May 9 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic w/ Big Freedia May 11 – Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom w/ Big Freedia May 13 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Cove at Harrah’s Casino w/ Big Freedia May 14 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Amphitheatre w/ Big Freedia May 16 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater w/ Big Freedia May 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre w/ Big Freedia May 19 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center w/ Big Freedia May 20 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory w/ Big Freedia May 22 – Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom w/ Big Freedia May 23 – Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island w/ Big Freedia May 25 – St. Louis, MO @ TBD w/ Big Freedia May 27 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia w/ Big Freedia May 28 – New York, NY @ Pier 17 w/ Big Freedia May 30 – Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Resort Casino – Grand Theater w/ Big Freedia May 31 – Boston, MA @ Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion w/ Big Freedia June 2 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem w/ Big Freedia June 5 – Windsor, ON @ The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor

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Get Ready to Rock with The Struts as They Unleash ‘Too Good At Raising Hell’ – UK Tour Dates Inside!

The Struts  return with a brand-new era of music, releasing a swaggeringly sexy new single and strolling back into the UK for three highly anticipated summer shows.   Released today via  Big Machine/John Varvatos Records , ‘ Too Good at Raising Hell ’  is packed with a driving chorus and Stones-esque guitars as the band offers up cheeky-yet-surprisingly-introspective lyrics, reflecting the ennui of living a louche lifestyle. It’s the perfect introduction to a newly perfected sound brimming with riotous, arena-ready tracks.

The Struts V inyl at Amazon

“’Too Good at Raising Hell,’ is a song that was written about the disenchantment I felt after having a little too much fun. However, it still captures the essence of living an excessive life and all of the glorious moments that come along with it,”  vocalist Luke Spiller explains. “ It’s the perfect song to get the party started, and it’s a brilliant introduction of what’s to come. The track is still a lot of what The Struts are known for, but it’s a new sound everyone’s been waiting to hear from us.” The quintessentially British rock stars first erupted onto the music scene with their behemoth anthem,  ‘Could’ve Been Me’ , which became a  US smash hit , taking the No. 5 spot on Alternative Radio and introducing the world to their triumphant and timeless rock sound while generating a buzz so visceral the  certified-Platinum record  continues to resonate with fans around the world. Following the release of their critically-acclaimed debut, 2016’s  Everybody Wants , the band set out on the road, bringing their energetic tracks alive on stage with larger-than-life performances and cementing their reputation as a must-see live act. Lead vocalist  Luke Spiller , guitarist  Adam Slack , bassist  Jed Elliott , and drummer  Gethin Davies  have continued to prove themselves worthy of that distinction, opening for the likes of  The Rolling Stones ,  Guns N’ Roses , and  Foo Fighters — the latter of which dubbed them  “the best opening band we’ve ever had.”  The Struts have sold out shows across the globe, and released two more hugely acclaimed albums with 2018’s  Young & Dangerous  and 2020’s  Strange Days . Their on-stage prowess and perpetual musicality have allowed them to reach the  No. 1 Spot on Spotify’s Viral Top 50 , garner more than  850M on-demand streams , and put them in the studio collaborating with  Kesha ,  Tom Morello ,  Robbie Williams ,  Def Leppard  and more. Now, The Struts have taken the raw, raucous nature of their live shows and transmuted them into a new musical era, fusing their arena-size energy into their most honest, consistent, and exciting songs to date. Fans can experience it for themselves as the quartet continues their  . ..Remember The Name  tour  throughout the USA before their summer European tour takes them through eight countries including three UK shows.

10 August – Rock City, Nottingham, UK 11 August – O2 Ritz, Manchester, UK 12 August – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, UK

Watch our interview with Adam Slack,

The Struts Band members Luke Spiller – Lead vocals Jed Elliot – Bass Adam Slack – Guitar Gethin Davis – Drums Check out more from The Struts below

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• ← Dom Martin announces new album “Buried In The Hail” and “Unhinged” single and music video
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By ABC News | July 12, 2023

The struts announce fall us tour, premiere “too good at raising hell” video.

The Struts have added a fall leg to their U.S. Remember the Name tour.

The newly announced dates kick off November 6 in Louisville, Kentucky, and wrap up December 10 in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 14, at 10 a.m. local time.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit TheStruts.com .

Along with the tour news, The Struts have premiered the video for their latest single, “Too Good at Raising Hell.” The clip features frontman Luke Spiller lounging around in devil horns and generally reflects the risqué lyrics of the song.

You can watch the “Too Good at Raising Hell” video streaming now on YouTube .

The song “Too Good at Raising Hell” premiered in June. It follows The Struts’ 2022 single, “Fallin’ with Me,” and their 2020 album,  Strange Days .

The Struts are currently in the middle of their summer Remember the Name tour, which concludes July 23 in Washington, D.C.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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The Struts Announce New Album Pretty Vicious

The UK band's fourth album arrives November 3rd and will be followed by a North American tour

UK glam-rock act The Struts have announced their fourth studio album, Pretty Vicious , arriving November 3rd.

The LP release will coincide with a recently announced Fall 2023 North American tour. Dates kick off November 6th in Louisville, Kentucky, and run through December 10th in Los Angeles, with tickets available here .

The 11-track album was produced by The Struts and Julian Raymond (Freddie Mercury, Cheap Trick) and executive produced by Scott Borchetta. The raucous lead single and album opener “Too Good at Raising Hell” dropped in July, and you can stream the music video below.

“This record showcases each individual member’s strengths,” commented singer Luke Spiller via a press release. “It’s some of my favorite music, hands down, we’ve ever conjured up. It’s the record everyone’s been waiting for.”

Dokken Announce New Album, Unveil Lead Single “Fugitive”: Stream

Pre-order or pre-save Pretty Vicious via this location . You can watch the video for “Too Good at Raising Hell” and see a full list of The Struts’ upcoming tour dates, as well as the album art and tracklist below. Get tickets here .

Pretty Vicious Tracklist: 01. Too Good At Raising Hell 02. Pretty Vicious 03. I Won’t Run 04. Hands On Me 05. Do What You Want 06. Rockstar 07. Remember The Name 08. Bad Decisions 09. Better Love 10. Gimmie Some Blood 11. Somebody Someday

The Struts’ 2023 Tour Dates: 08/10 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City 08/11 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz 08/12 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town 08/14 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega 08/16 – Stockholm, SE @ Debaser Strand 08/18 – Oslo, NO @ Vulkan Open Air 08/19 – Bodo, NO @ Parkenfestival 08/21 – Cologne, DE @ Gloria Theater 08/22 – Utrecht, NL @ Tivolivredenburg 08/23 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo 08/25 – Milan, IT @ Magnolia Summer 08/26 – Empoli, IT @ Beat Festival 11/06 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom 11/07 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note 11/08 – Omaha, NE @ The Admiral Theater 11/10 – Green Bay, WI @ Epic Event Center 11/11 – Dubuque, WI @ Diamond Jo Casino 11/13 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman 11/15 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues 11/16 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre 11/17 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues 11/18 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom 11/20 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre 11/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot 11/22 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House 11/24 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater 11/25 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre 11/27 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom 11/30 – San Fransisco, CA @ The Fillmore 12/01 – Stateline, NV @ Harrah’s Lake Tahoe 12/02 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades 12/04 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theater 12/05 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall 12/08 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues 12/09 – Chandler, AZ @ River Resorts & Casino 12/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

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The Struts release riotous video for 'Too Good At Raising Hell' + tour tickets

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