RUN D.M.C.’s Raising Hell

ALBUM OF THE DAY: RUN D.M.C.’s “Raising Hell”

Aaawwwwww yeah! Now THIS was a tremendously more fun and recognizable Run DMC album. I’m writing today’s entry on my phone so it’s going to be a short one. Alas, I have to note how very much more often I smiled and chuckled (I am using that word because this album was released in 1986 so “LOL” didn’t exist yet).  Better yet, I even found cutting a little jig onto my walking path. That’s a tremendously good sign for me, those two things.

1. I could understand (articulation) and relate to the lyrics.
2. I could feel the energy and original beats from the music.

And isn’t this what made hip hop different? That the stories being told were so much more different text lu relatable? That alongside this whole new fusion of how a beat was created this making the birth and sustenance of the DJ significant. Right? The blending of the MC and DJ blessed this domination.

And I call it, firmly, a domination because this is most certainly what hip hop has done for our modern world. Same as rock and roll did. Which a nice place for me to segue to note the genius of whomever was behind that Steven Tyler pairing with Run DMC.  I don’t even care that it was  purely marketing move. I don’t even care if Steven Tyler was paid a salary of a small country to participate. It made a difference. The song “Walk This Way” is a entire Renaissance all by itself!

I exaggerate, of course. But not much.

Throughout the past few days I’ve had a Request for Recommendations up on some moms group for my area.  I’ve asked for adult dance classes that
A) weren’t for old ladies during the day (I live in Florida. It’s a thing.)
B ) weren’t hip hop.

This in no way reflects any dislike for hip hop dancing. Instead, this reveals how ubiquitous hip hop has permeated our culture that jazzercise instructors who used to be on their high school Pom squad are teaching dance classes that aren’t European-derived. So they’re ALL getting labeled “hip hop” when they’re most certainly not beyond the music choice.

I wonder if this is how Hindi’s and Indians feel about how insanely yoga has been appropriated?
Oh, that got me into a bit of an online spat yesterday in of my Black women fitness groups. Someone had posted a comment to watch out for yoga because it’s messages are not Christian and some poses could be unknowingly be worshipping a non-Christian God. (Insider huge eye roll here.)
I very much folks would read some VARIED books.

Alright, this small screen is driving me crazy. So let me share my good news!!! I recalibrated my Map My Walk app and found out my regular walking route is 4.75 miles!!! I started this blog and journey a little embarrassed and down that it was taking me 90 minutes to complete three miles. Nooo! I’m good! Currently at an 18 minute mile. A 16 minute has been the best I’ve ever tracked.

As we are going through a cold fronnt and it’s 58 degrees at 3pm in florida, thereve been many reports of iguanas freezing and falling out trees. So I know I looked super silly avoid walking under trees. Luckily Indidnt see any dead monster lizards, but I did see a few frozen dead birdies. That cranked my heart. What a jolt to encounter death like that.

I myself was dressed like a witch trying to dress like a Muggle trying to piece together warm workout clothes. Turned out that I NO long pants! So below my TWO Capri length stretch pants, I had some crew socks pulled all the way up! I needed to cover that skin!

Anywho, thank you Rev Run and D-MAC. I quite enjoyed the stories you told on this album. Well, really more so tales. I felt like the anecdotes were those that I could’ve heard a stand-up comedian reflect on. Even more than just “You Be Illin”. This was my thought. The first album was so preachy and lecture. I felt like you had the entire weight of teaching everyone what rapping is and why we have taken to it in our culture. Raising Hell (the album not the song) was definitively more entertaining as it’s own vessel.