Music / Raising Hell

The band that brought hip-hop to the masses.

"Raising Hell is the first great rap album ever. I like Run, but I love DMC. No one ever sounded like DMC; no one ever looks like DMC. He's like a superhero. Raising Hell is probably Rick Rubin's best record. 'It's Tricky' is a weird song because it's so gangsta and pop at the same time. There's a track on there, 'Hit It Run', which is just DMC with Run doing the human beatbox: 'I leave all suckers in the dust/Those dumb motherfuckers can't mess with us.' It was actually the first time I heard a guy curse on a record."

— Chris Rock, who placed Raising Hell on number 4 in his personal list of Top 25 Rap Albums, published in Rolling Stone in 2006.

Raising Hell is the third album by Run–D.M.C.. Released in 1986, it broke Hip-Hop out of the underground and into the mainstream (helped by the group's performance at Live Aid — the only one at the event by a hip-hop act — the year prior). It reached triple-platinum status all across the world, mostly the result of the hit single "Walk This Way", a cover of and collaboration with Aerosmith that is generally credited with sparking a high-profile Career Resurrection for the latter.

Tracklist

Side One

1. "Peter Piper" (3:25)
2. "It's Tricky" (3:03)
3. "My Adidas" (2:47)
4. "Walk This Way" (5:17)
5. "Is It Live" (3:06)
6. "Perfection" (2:52)

Side Two

1. "Hit It Run" (3:10)
2. "Raising Hell" (5:31)
3. "You Be Illin'" (3:26)
4. "Dumb Girl" (3:31)
5. "Son of Byford" (0:27)
6. "Proud to Be Black" (3:14)

Trope this way!

• Added Alliterative Appeal: "Raising Hell":
  Lord of lyrics, duke of discussion
  Ruler of rock, and king at cold-crushing
  Puller of people, controller of crowds
  Lingering lyrics, long-lasting and loud
• Alliterative Name/Alliterative Title: "Peter Piper".''
• Alternate Album Cover: Raising Hell featured three different versions of the same base cover, depicting Run and D posing by an open window. One version features a purple tint and green text, one version features a green tint and purple text, and one version features a red tint and blue text. These covers were interchangeably used across each format and region, allowing for all types of buyers to obtain any of the three versions.
• Badass Boast: "Proud To Be Black".
  You know I'm proud to be black y'all
  and real brave y'all
  And motherfucker I could never be a slave y'all
  So take that!!
• Boastful Rap: All over the album.
• The Cameo: Penn & Teller have a cameo in the music video of "It's Tricky".
• Cover Version: An Aerosmith song, but with a new vocal and guitar parts by the rock band members themselves.
• Crossover: "Walk This Way".
• Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: "Raising Hell"
  I cut the head off the Devil and I throw it at you.
• Drugs Are Bad: "It's Tricky".
  We are not thugs (we don't use drugs) but you assume (on your own)
  They offer coke (and lots of dope) but we just leave it alone
• Eating Pet Food: The last verse of "You Be Illin'":
  (For) Dinner, you ate it, there is none left
  It was salty, with butter, and it was def
  You proceeded to eat it, cause you was in the mood
  But homes you did not read it was a can of dog food
• Face on the Cover: Two band members are shown.
• The Golden Age of Hip Hop: One of the cornerstones in its history.
• Gretzky Has the Ball: The second verse of "You Be Illin'" describes someone going to a basketball game to see Julius Erving (nicknamed Dr. J):
  You finally wake up, Doc's gone to town
  Round his back, through the hoop, then you scream, "Touchdown!"
• Higher Education Is for Women: Subverted with Dumb Girl:
  (NOW..) Now you're the flyest girl, in the whole school
  But they don't call you fly - they call you fool
  Because you don't go to class, you will not pass
  You like to go but you should slow because you're goin too fast
  And I can tell that you're dumb when you walk in the place.
• Hurricane of Puns: "Raising Hell"
  Kings from Queens from Queens come Kings.
• In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It: "Hit It Run"
  Born to rock around the clock
  You can't say I'm not
  And in case you forgot
  I'm the KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING of ROCK!!
• Lyrical Cold Open: "Peter Piper", "My Adidas" and "It's Tricky".
• Miniscule Rocking: "Son of Byford" is only 27 seconds long.
• Mocking Sing-Song: "Dumb Girl", poking fun at naïve girls who live their life passively and get used by drugs and guys.
• Naive Every Girl: "Dumb Girl".
  When it comes to love, you're even hated by Cupid (CUPID)
  You're (silly) dilly (dumb) and you're JUST PLAIN STUPID!
• One-Man Song: "Peter Piper".
• One-Woman Song: "Dumb Girl".
• One-Word Title: "Perfection"
• Political Rap: "Proud to Be Black", which is Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
• Product Placement:
  • "My Adidas" namedrops "Adidas" shoes.
  • "Is It Live" references "Capt. Crunch".
  • "You'll Be Illin' " references Big Mac and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
  • "Dumb Girl" mentions a Mercedes.
  • "Son of Byford" references McDonalds.
• Questioning Title?: "Is It Live?"
• Sampling:
  • "Peter Piper" samples Bob James' "Take Me To Mardi Gras''.
  • "It's Tricky" samples "My Sharona" by The Knack. The group sued them because they didn't ask permission first.
  • Walk This Way samples the Aerosmith original drum intro.
  • Hit It Run samples Rocket in the Pocket by Cerrone.
• Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: "Dumb Girl".
  Dumb Girl! Dumb with a capital D.
• Rap Rock: Trope Codifier, "Walk This Way"
• Record Producer: Rick Rubin.
• Rock-Star Song: "Walk This Way", was a collaboration with Aerosmith.
• Shout-Out:
  • "Peter Piper" references the nursery rhymes "Peter Piper", "Humpty Dumpty","Jack Be Nimble", "Little Bo Beep", "Old Mother Hubbard" and "Hey Diddle Diddle". It also provides shout-outs to Rip Van Winkle, Alice in Wonderland, Dr. Seuss, Mother Goose, King Midas, Pinocchio, the Trix Rabbit, The Three Little Pigs and Hansel and Gretel.
    • Also note that "Walk This Way" referenced "Hey Diddle Diddle" too.
  • "Dumb Girl" mentions Bonnie and Clyde.
  • "Proud To Be Black" references "Say It Loud, I'm Black And I'm Proud" by James Brown, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, George Washington Carver, Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali and "We Shall Overcome" by Music/Pete eeger.
  • "Peter Piper" was sampled by Beastie Boys on their album Licensed to Ill (1986), during "The New Style". Public Enemy sampled the same track during "Revolutionary Generation" from Fear of a Black Planet (1990).
• Son of Trope, Daughter of Index: "Son of Byford".
  I was born
  Son of Byford, brother of Al
• Title Track: "Raising Hell".

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