Week of March 17th: Krush Groove and the rise of Def Jam

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Announcement: The midterm exam will be on Monday March 24th. We’ll review for it and I’ll give out the format in class. Please mark it on your calendars and make sure to be there.

On Monday March 17th we’ll watch the second half of Krush Groove. Please read the following:

  • Finish the “Black Pop in a B-Boy Stance” reading if you haven’t yet.
  • Gary Dauphin’s “Hip Hop in the Movies” from The Vibe History of Hip Hop. (PDF on the Readings page)
  • “Def Jam changed music business” article on CNN France’s site.
  • Also view photographer Jamel Shabazz’s slideshow on the New York Times website. Shabazz’s A Time Before Crack and Back in the Days are important visual documents of early 80s B-boy style and visual culture.

    • Listen to/ watch the following songs. Besides Run DMC (who was signed to Profile Records), all are examples of Def Jam’s early output and show the influence of Rick Rubin’s production aesthetics of a minimalist, hard-edged, rock-oriented sound. This helps hip hop cross over to a bigger audience and redefines the sound.



    On Wednesday March 19th, we’ll finish discussion on Krush Groove and review for the midterm.

  • Read the Chicago Tribune article “Run-DMC Drawing Rapt Attention” (hyperlink).
  • The Village Voice article “Hip Hop Goes Commercial” (hyperlink).
    Watch this video of Run-DMC’s “My Adidas”. It’s not an original video; it’s from the documentary film Just for Kicks, which we’ll watch a few scenes from. But it does a good job of highlighting the connection between the group, an emerging sense of style, and the level of interest that leads to a deal with an initially reluctant sportswear giant Adidas.

    Watch the video of Run-DMC and Aerosmith performing “Walk This Way”, where they’re literally breaking down the wall between rock and hip hop and making a statement on crossing over and entering the musical mainstream.


    Extra: VH-1’s Planet Rock documentary on the rise of crack cocaine and the connection with hip hop is on YouTube. Recommended watching for those who want more background.