January 28, 2025 • 22 mins
Join @thebuzzknight for an inside look at the life and career of the iconic musician, author and activist Darryl McDaniels. "D" is known for his breakthrough work with the band "Run-DMC". which burst on the scene in the 80's to become the most influential band in Hip-Hop history. Darryl also reveals which of his many projects that he gives so much passion and purpose to, gives him the most satisfaction.
If you have questions or comments, write buzz@buzzknightmedia.com.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Taking a walk there has to be with or without knowing.
There are so many similarities that will that is the
reason why the collaboration is happening in the first place.
It was meant to be. It was predestined so that
I think that is the special, unique, characteristic catalyst of
(00:24):
making a collaboration something that will be authentic and effective.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to another exciting episode of Taking a Walk Music
History on foot. Today, we're thrilled to have a true
hip hop legend joining us, Darryl dmc McDaniels of the
groundbreaking group Run DMC. Daryl McDaniels is not just a
founding member of one of the most influential hip hop
groups of all time, he's also a multifaceted artist whose
(00:54):
impact extends far beyond music. From his humble beginnings in
Hollis Queen's to becoming a pioneer who helped bring hip
hop to the mainstream, DMC's journey is an inspiring and
fascinating one. In this episode Buzz, we'll talk with Darryl
about his remarkable career, including Run DMC's rise to fame,
(01:15):
their groundbreaking collaborations, and their induction into the rock and
roll hall of Fame. Here's buzz Night with dmc on
taking a walk.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
D thanks for taking a walk here. I love taking
a walk home.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
I'm very good at walking this way.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I love that. So, if you were to take a
walk with someone living or dead in the world of music,
who would that be with and where would you take
that walk? Man?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
If I was to take a walk with someone in music,
living or dead, who would it have to be? Probably
John Lennon off the Beatles, because one thing I liked
about John Lennon is outside of all the media and
the Beatles breaking up and stuff like that, he was
(02:09):
very He was very courageous. And the guy that sleeps
naked in the bed with his wife to protest the war,
that's somebody that I would like to get some advice from,
you know, Oh for sure. No, it's a huge statement.
It's a huge and it goes along with all the
(02:29):
artists you know that are these celebrities, but not from
a political or divisive or aggressive attacking standpoint to just
make songs about the issues from the dillingge, from the
fogarties and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
But it would have to.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Be John Lennon, and it from the point of I
love what he did after he left the Beatles.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Where do you think maybe you guys would take your walk?
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Me and John Lennon, we would probably walked through the
streets in New York City for sure. And you know,
and if we was to do that, it's crazy. If
he was still alive, imagine DMC and John Lennon just
walk down Houston or just walk down to do We
saw DMC and John Lennon.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
In the village just walking and talking.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Now.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
I have chills just kind of envisioning that. And I
think if that were to have happened, there would be
some collaboration that would occur with youtuo gents, do you
one hundred percent? For sure?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
I would have definitely collaborated with John Lennon for sure.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Because you guys speak from the heart in a similar way,
and we both wear glasses. I still wear glasses. I
got contacts in. That would be crazy, me and John
Lynn and said, we're about to drop a record right now.
That's crazy, you know, it's so.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
In another timeline, another dimension that's happening. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
So what for you is the most magical creative day possible?
As you sort of look at what you know it's
beautiful about life.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
My most magical creative day is probably going to a
school and speaking of kids and telling them my story
and having them go, wow, my mind is totally blown.
Because it's not about selling records and making videos. That's
(04:41):
my most magical creating creative day because that's always new
to me. It's me connecting with the younger generation who
only knows me through their mothers and fathers. And I've
been around so long that grandmothers and grandfathers know me.
But it's amazing for me to go connect with them
(05:01):
because a lot of them don't know run DMC. But
even from elementary and middle school kids, I'll.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Go, how many of y'all know who I am?
Speaker 1 (05:10):
And it's about seven hands will go up and out
of thirty, and then I'll tell them, y'all know more
than you'll thank you, and knowing I'm about to prove
that right now you know who I am. Matter of fact,
we connected?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
What do we know?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
No?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
All I got to do is talk.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Going This speech is my recital I think is very
vital to Rocker and the whole class. The teachers and
the principal will be like, oh my god, that's unbelieva
join writing and talking stake you to rocker arohund So
they know the music in the song, but the reason
why it's magical to me they get to know me.
I tell them I'm a kid. I'm sixty, but I'm
(05:47):
the same kid I was in the third grade, just
like you, and they really resonate. But that because now
they can see you mean, who I am right now
is going to be valuable to who I am when
whatever career I am and I get it it, I'll
prove it to them.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
You know, I watched you in real time on our
Music Save Me podcasts with you and Lynn Hoffman and
the artist Dlan Cartilage from Glass Note how we connected
you to So those of you listening to this, make
sure you listen to that Music Saved Me episode because
it's pretty incredible. And as I observed that, I started thinking,
(06:28):
you and your ability to collaborate is also something really magical.
What is the magic for you and the secret to collaboration?
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Oh well, well, collaboration only is effective when one side
or both of the collaborating parties has to have been
inspired or touched some way by the artist. It doesn't
even necessarily have to be artistically, there has to be
(07:03):
with or without knowing there are so many similarities that
will that is the reason why the collaboration is happening
in the first place. It was meant to be. It
was predestined, so that I think that is the special, unique,
characteristic catalyst of making a collaboration something that will be
(07:30):
authentic and effective. And what I mean by that, there's
so many collaborations throughout the history of collaborations that don't
work because it wasn't authentic. And that happens with music.
Oh let's put this artist with this artist, and nothing happens.
And it's almost like when these artists passed away and
(07:54):
they'll take the artists lyrics that's left over and they'll go, Oh,
we're gonna get Tailor Swift on this one. We're gonna
get Pharrell on this one. We're gonna get on this one. Oh,
they never work because it wasn't meant to be. They
did that with a bi I don't want to say
no names. They did that with a bunch of incredible artists.
(08:17):
It happens a lot in hbot. They did it, and
it has because it wasn't meant to be. No lead
that alone. You would have been better to just put
the lyrics of the deceased artists out by themselves and
loop them as opposed to try collaboration, because collaboration starts
(08:37):
because of inspiration, which I just said, So collaboration leads
to an elevation of something that it has nothing to
do with a record sale or radio play, and that collaborate.
The purpose of collaboration is for elevation and transformation of
(08:58):
the people that receive the work. Now, like I said
throughout this collaborations that like, that's the worst thing you
say as soon as you hear it. Cousin wasn't authentic.
The Run DMC collaboration was very authentic and we to
Me and Running even though it was that deep. Now,
if Me and Run would have did walked this way
(09:19):
record over because we were inspired not by Aerosmith. We
were just inspired by the album with the toys on it,
number four, and the reason why I was number four
was the rival DJ. The DJs would scratched the title
of the record off the label, so the rival DJ
(09:40):
went and see what Beachy was playing. So all Me
and Run knew was the record that went with those guitars.
We want to make that over. It was Rick Rubin
who says, make the record over the way the band
originally did that, So me and Run could have did
it that record over a bird for word the way,
(10:02):
but the beauty of the power or the transformative evelation
power of it was Rick went and got them to
do it with us. So when you saw them in
the video with us, that was the game change which
led to what the evolution and the transformation and creation
(10:27):
collaboration is all about. Creation Run DMCNL Aerosmith collaborating gave
birth to Rage against the Machine, Limp Biscuit Corn Blunk
some forty one. So when it's not authentic, it's dead
(10:48):
or it's powerless.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Let me say that you recently had a collaboration with
the one and only Carlos Santana.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Yes, which came out of nowhere, and it was crazy.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Talk about that collaboration with what it was like and
how that felt.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Well, Santana is a real spiritual dude. That that was
like making that was like making a record with with
with with with the wise man who lives up on
the mountain. But that came to that came about through
my friend the drummer Narata, who has drummed for everybody
(11:27):
from Whitney, Houston, Michael Jackson, whatever.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
He saw what I was doing. It's funny.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
He saw what I was doing with the kids and
with my organization stuff like that, and he throws this
big Christmas party every year to raise funds for charity.
So he brought me on. We performed some of my
records or whatever like that. We even performed the record
that I did with Sarah McLaughlin, which I talked to
Lynn about that, just like me saw and what we
(11:54):
did to Harry Chapin remix over and and see. It's
all about connection and similarities. Just from being around him.
He was like, I gotta do something with you, And
you know, I thought it was just gonna be me
and him. He comes back and says.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Yo, I got him, or Callo Santana. Santana was what
damn saying, Oh, I love that guy. I love what
those guys are about.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
And then at first it was gonna be a record,
It was gonna be a tribute to Santana's wife. He
was doing it, but the emotion, the collaboration grew into
a bigger purpose. He had to make it more universal.
So what he was trying to express for his wife.
Santana's was the no, we gotta make sure everybody feels this.
(12:43):
So collaboration is about participation. It's something that is not
just for you or the two entities alone.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
It's for the universe.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
And that's how I came about was on it. I
was like crazy, and then it was intimidated because I
was like, I got to make sure my rhyme is tight.
And the other thing that's important about collaboration is don't
get to intimidated. Collaboration works purpose when you just do
what you do. Don't don't let me try to do
(13:17):
what Santana does. Santana gotta do what d does. When
we just do what we do, even though it's familiar
to both of us, it creates something new for everybody
to experience. So collaborations are about new experiences for all
parties involved, the creators and the receiver of the collaboration.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Well, you, as a creator, had a recently new experience,
and I want you to talk about your children's book.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
What that oh Yeah was like, and how the spirit
of that Obviously at its core is your special love
for children and connecting with them.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
But talk about this project and what it means to.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
You because we all we are all those kids that
we are always we are always the kids that we
always are. I don't say work, we are always the
kids are soul. That came about because at first I
was doing the paid college lecture set, you know what
I'm saying, And I would go into the universities and
(14:19):
it was a story of the Rundium c hip hop
culture comic book. There was everything me and most of
the kids is thinking, I'm just coming here to talk
about my rundum S career. But then I go into
being Catholic school and being teased and bullied on and
what it was like growing up in New York seventies
and eighties to walk this way, my Adidas and all
(14:40):
of that.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
So this was on a page.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
College lecture set. When I went finished, all of the
people that hired me was like, the educators, you got
to take this to the high schools. So you know
me and Lynn knows me. Okay, So I go to
the high school's not for the page because I don't
want to take money out of the school. So I
got the very same thing that I just did at
the colleges that I got paid for all of the issues,
(15:04):
all the circumstances. I do it to high schools, teachers, parents,
Oh my god, what did he say to them? My kids' attitude,
janus and that. So now the high school principals and that, Ja,
you gotta take this to the middle schools. So the
very thing that I took to the high schools and
the colleges and the high schools, take to the middle schools.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Yo, what's up? You know, I'm Doarren mcdaniers.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
I grew up in Queens, New York.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Run DMC.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Bo bo bo bo bo those you gotta take this
to the elementary schools. So when I was going into
the elementary schools, I don't go in there and go
high kids. I'm the first rapper. No, I'm going in
and I'm Darren mcdonnis. But I knew I needed something
that the kids. Because the middle schools, high schools and
the colleges and everybody else, they got my albums, they
(15:51):
got the videos. They know it's tricky. Even if the
middle school kids don't know run DMC themselves, their mothers
and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers gave them a four
and oh lesson of note all run DMC is so
the kids are familiar with me. The younger elementary school
(16:12):
kids don't know you know what I'm saying because they're
kindergarten the fifth grade.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
But here's what they do know.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Because of TikTok, because of Sonic, the Hedgehog movies, or
any animated features that always put tricky in there, they
know me. So the kids, this generation of kids, I'm
not run DMC, DMC. I'm DMC that it's tricky, TikTok, Sonic,
the movie Man. So once they do, here's the guy
(16:42):
that did. So now I got them. So now I
can go talk to them like they're my I can
talk to them.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Like people I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
I sit there with first grader secredarated, third graders, the
fourth graders and fifth graders, Yo.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
What's up?
Speaker 1 (16:57):
You know my name is Darryl and always do Q
and A with them. So when I do Q and A,
the questions isn't do you know Taylor Swift? Do you
know Justin bieb or whatever? The question so, how did
you feel when you got teased, bullied and picked on?
How did you feel when your mother told you you
have to go to bed. You can't stay up the wait,
can't stay up late to watch the movie. So I'm
(17:18):
talking to them. I'm sixty, but talking to them about
the life that they're living presently. So the book came
about because I would go to these elementary schools and
speak and the two teachers who are now principals in
their districts, Shawnee and John A.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Warfield.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
I went and spoke at this school. They brought me
back and the second time I went back, they was like,
de this is crazy. You got to do the book.
And I was like, no, I don't want to commercialize
any the good I'm doing. It was like okay. Brought
me back at third time and it was like, do
you have to do a book? And I said, okay,
here's the deal. I'll do the book, but I need
you all to do it with me. Why Because the
(17:56):
teachers are with the kids on the front line. They
know day to day how these cans. I got the story,
but how do I communicate it to them? So we
came up with the idea to do a book about
me in the third grade getting teased Willie and picked on.
So the same way my generation had my albums and videos.
The kids have the album, it's visual, it's a three
(18:19):
D experience. They can hear me speak to, hear me
read it. They get hold it in their hands and
then they could open up. So they get in a
three D experience that my story isn't a story about
somebody or something that's out of their reach. I'm in
the classroom right with them. I'm in the lunch room
with them, I'm after school. So when they see my story,
(18:42):
even as though it's DMC that it's tricky TikTok Man
from the movie, they see me on their level that
I'm not above them or better than them. I'm one
of them and then one of me. So the book
was a way to have something that the kids could hold,
feel and see and live with. And the first book
(19:03):
that's out now is called Daryl's Dream. It's available at
every bookstore on Amazon. The next book we're putting out,
we got two books coming. The next book is Young
DMC's Christmas in Hollis a Christmas book for next year.
And then the next book about with the lesson is
Daryl's Decision, where Daryl's in a situation in school we
(19:26):
have to make a decision between right and wrong. So
out of that, I'm doing a whole series of books
dealing with the issues that the kids all go through.
And what's good about my book is a lot of
the things that the kids are experiencing with my story
will give them coping mechanisms when they get teenagers and adolescens.
(19:48):
You know, whether it's self esteem, adversity, how to communicate
and deal with each other. If you start developing now,
they will be able to dive in into those coping
mechanisms when they get into middle school, high school, and
even when they become adults.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Well, D in closing, this is a perfect close. What
would the wise D of today advice wise tell the
young D of many years ago if you could kind
of relive and give that advice.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Oh wow, Well, the first, you know, I told just
to a bunch of people on the radio what we're
doing it. The first thing I would say is that
you don't have to do.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Drugs to be cool.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
And what I mean, my dat was my journey started
with that addition and stuff was like I smoked my
first joint because we me and Nathan, I was twelve,
Nathan was eight deaths there was fifteen, so when he
introduced to joints to us, to joint to us, we
thought we had to do it to be cool and
accept it. When I realized it's powerful. When I hear
(21:09):
Chuck d a public enemy go, I never got high
a day in my life. When I hear Henry Rollins
of Black Flags say I never got high, and I'm like,
how can y'all be so powerful and credible, I'm realizing
that's why they are so I would tell that Daryl,
you don't have to do things that you don't want
(21:30):
to do to be cool and impress people or fit in,
because that's where a lot of my issue started. I
wanted to be accepted and I want to be a
troublemaker like I spoke.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Lynn said it perfectly.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah, when I was with the therapist, Oh you had
to do it, Say no, that's the best advice.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
You don't have to do anything.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
That you don't feel good about doing.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
D Thank you for ball you continue to give us
and inspire us and your generosity, and thanks for being
on Taking a Walk.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Thank you, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk Podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends.
And follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Taking a walk there has to be with or without knowing.
There are so many similarities that will that is the
reason why the collaboration is happening in the first place.
It was meant to be. It was predestined so that
I think that is the special, unique, characteristic catalyst of
(00:24):
making a collaboration something that will be authentic and effective.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to another exciting episode of Taking a Walk Music
History on foot. Today, we're thrilled to have a true
hip hop legend joining us, Darryl dmc McDaniels of the
groundbreaking group Run DMC. Daryl McDaniels is not just a
founding member of one of the most influential hip hop
groups of all time, he's also a multifaceted artist whose
(00:54):
impact extends far beyond music. From his humble beginnings in
Hollis Queen's to becoming a pioneer who helped bring hip
hop to the mainstream, DMC's journey is an inspiring and
fascinating one. In this episode Buzz, we'll talk with Darryl
about his remarkable career, including Run DMC's rise to fame,
(01:15):
their groundbreaking collaborations, and their induction into the rock and
roll hall of Fame. Here's buzz Night with dmc on
taking a walk.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
D thanks for taking a walk here. I love taking
a walk home.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
I'm very good at walking this way.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I love that. So, if you were to take a
walk with someone living or dead in the world of music,
who would that be with and where would you take
that walk? Man?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
If I was to take a walk with someone in music,
living or dead, who would it have to be? Probably
John Lennon off the Beatles, because one thing I liked
about John Lennon is outside of all the media and
the Beatles breaking up and stuff like that, he was
(02:09):
very He was very courageous. And the guy that sleeps
naked in the bed with his wife to protest the war,
that's somebody that I would like to get some advice from,
you know, Oh for sure. No, it's a huge statement.
It's a huge and it goes along with all the
(02:29):
artists you know that are these celebrities, but not from
a political or divisive or aggressive attacking standpoint to just
make songs about the issues from the dillingge, from the
fogarties and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
But it would have to.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Be John Lennon, and it from the point of I
love what he did after he left the Beatles.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Where do you think maybe you guys would take your walk?
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Me and John Lennon, we would probably walked through the
streets in New York City for sure. And you know,
and if we was to do that, it's crazy. If
he was still alive, imagine DMC and John Lennon just
walk down Houston or just walk down to do We
saw DMC and John Lennon.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
In the village just walking and talking.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Now.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
I have chills just kind of envisioning that. And I
think if that were to have happened, there would be
some collaboration that would occur with youtuo gents, do you
one hundred percent? For sure?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
I would have definitely collaborated with John Lennon for sure.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Because you guys speak from the heart in a similar way,
and we both wear glasses. I still wear glasses. I
got contacts in. That would be crazy, me and John
Lynn and said, we're about to drop a record right now.
That's crazy, you know, it's so.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
In another timeline, another dimension that's happening. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
So what for you is the most magical creative day possible?
As you sort of look at what you know it's
beautiful about life.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
My most magical creative day is probably going to a
school and speaking of kids and telling them my story
and having them go, wow, my mind is totally blown.
Because it's not about selling records and making videos. That's
(04:41):
my most magical creating creative day because that's always new
to me. It's me connecting with the younger generation who
only knows me through their mothers and fathers. And I've
been around so long that grandmothers and grandfathers know me.
But it's amazing for me to go connect with them
(05:01):
because a lot of them don't know run DMC. But
even from elementary and middle school kids, I'll.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Go, how many of y'all know who I am?
Speaker 1 (05:10):
And it's about seven hands will go up and out
of thirty, and then I'll tell them, y'all know more
than you'll thank you, and knowing I'm about to prove
that right now you know who I am. Matter of fact,
we connected?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
What do we know?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
No?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
All I got to do is talk.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Going This speech is my recital I think is very
vital to Rocker and the whole class. The teachers and
the principal will be like, oh my god, that's unbelieva
join writing and talking stake you to rocker arohund So
they know the music in the song, but the reason
why it's magical to me they get to know me.
I tell them I'm a kid. I'm sixty, but I'm
(05:47):
the same kid I was in the third grade, just
like you, and they really resonate. But that because now
they can see you mean, who I am right now
is going to be valuable to who I am when
whatever career I am and I get it it, I'll
prove it to them.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
You know, I watched you in real time on our
Music Save Me podcasts with you and Lynn Hoffman and
the artist Dlan Cartilage from Glass Note how we connected
you to So those of you listening to this, make
sure you listen to that Music Saved Me episode because
it's pretty incredible. And as I observed that, I started thinking,
(06:28):
you and your ability to collaborate is also something really magical.
What is the magic for you and the secret to collaboration?
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Oh well, well, collaboration only is effective when one side
or both of the collaborating parties has to have been
inspired or touched some way by the artist. It doesn't
even necessarily have to be artistically, there has to be
(07:03):
with or without knowing there are so many similarities that
will that is the reason why the collaboration is happening
in the first place. It was meant to be. It
was predestined, so that I think that is the special, unique,
characteristic catalyst of making a collaboration something that will be
(07:30):
authentic and effective. And what I mean by that, there's
so many collaborations throughout the history of collaborations that don't
work because it wasn't authentic. And that happens with music.
Oh let's put this artist with this artist, and nothing happens.
And it's almost like when these artists passed away and
(07:54):
they'll take the artists lyrics that's left over and they'll go, Oh,
we're gonna get Tailor Swift on this one. We're gonna
get Pharrell on this one. We're gonna get on this one. Oh,
they never work because it wasn't meant to be. They
did that with a bi I don't want to say
no names. They did that with a bunch of incredible artists.
(08:17):
It happens a lot in hbot. They did it, and
it has because it wasn't meant to be. No lead
that alone. You would have been better to just put
the lyrics of the deceased artists out by themselves and
loop them as opposed to try collaboration, because collaboration starts
(08:37):
because of inspiration, which I just said, So collaboration leads
to an elevation of something that it has nothing to
do with a record sale or radio play, and that collaborate.
The purpose of collaboration is for elevation and transformation of
(08:58):
the people that receive the work. Now, like I said
throughout this collaborations that like, that's the worst thing you
say as soon as you hear it. Cousin wasn't authentic.
The Run DMC collaboration was very authentic and we to
Me and Running even though it was that deep. Now,
if Me and Run would have did walked this way
(09:19):
record over because we were inspired not by Aerosmith. We
were just inspired by the album with the toys on it,
number four, and the reason why I was number four
was the rival DJ. The DJs would scratched the title
of the record off the label, so the rival DJ
(09:40):
went and see what Beachy was playing. So all Me
and Run knew was the record that went with those guitars.
We want to make that over. It was Rick Rubin
who says, make the record over the way the band
originally did that, So me and Run could have did
it that record over a bird for word the way,
(10:02):
but the beauty of the power or the transformative evelation
power of it was Rick went and got them to
do it with us. So when you saw them in
the video with us, that was the game change which
led to what the evolution and the transformation and creation
(10:27):
collaboration is all about. Creation Run DMCNL Aerosmith collaborating gave
birth to Rage against the Machine, Limp Biscuit Corn Blunk
some forty one. So when it's not authentic, it's dead
(10:48):
or it's powerless.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Let me say that you recently had a collaboration with
the one and only Carlos Santana.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Yes, which came out of nowhere, and it was crazy.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Talk about that collaboration with what it was like and
how that felt.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Well, Santana is a real spiritual dude. That that was
like making that was like making a record with with
with with with the wise man who lives up on
the mountain. But that came to that came about through
my friend the drummer Narata, who has drummed for everybody
(11:27):
from Whitney, Houston, Michael Jackson, whatever.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
He saw what I was doing. It's funny.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
He saw what I was doing with the kids and
with my organization stuff like that, and he throws this
big Christmas party every year to raise funds for charity.
So he brought me on. We performed some of my
records or whatever like that. We even performed the record
that I did with Sarah McLaughlin, which I talked to
Lynn about that, just like me saw and what we
(11:54):
did to Harry Chapin remix over and and see. It's
all about connection and similarities. Just from being around him.
He was like, I gotta do something with you, And
you know, I thought it was just gonna be me
and him. He comes back and says.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Yo, I got him, or Callo Santana. Santana was what
damn saying, Oh, I love that guy. I love what
those guys are about.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
And then at first it was gonna be a record,
It was gonna be a tribute to Santana's wife. He
was doing it, but the emotion, the collaboration grew into
a bigger purpose. He had to make it more universal.
So what he was trying to express for his wife.
Santana's was the no, we gotta make sure everybody feels this.
(12:43):
So collaboration is about participation. It's something that is not
just for you or the two entities alone.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
It's for the universe.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
And that's how I came about was on it. I
was like crazy, and then it was intimidated because I
was like, I got to make sure my rhyme is tight.
And the other thing that's important about collaboration is don't
get to intimidated. Collaboration works purpose when you just do
what you do. Don't don't let me try to do
(13:17):
what Santana does. Santana gotta do what d does. When
we just do what we do, even though it's familiar
to both of us, it creates something new for everybody
to experience. So collaborations are about new experiences for all
parties involved, the creators and the receiver of the collaboration.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Well, you, as a creator, had a recently new experience,
and I want you to talk about your children's book.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
What that oh Yeah was like, and how the spirit
of that Obviously at its core is your special love
for children and connecting with them.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
But talk about this project and what it means to.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
You because we all we are all those kids that
we are always we are always the kids that we
always are. I don't say work, we are always the
kids are soul. That came about because at first I
was doing the paid college lecture set, you know what
I'm saying, And I would go into the universities and
(14:19):
it was a story of the Rundium c hip hop
culture comic book. There was everything me and most of
the kids is thinking, I'm just coming here to talk
about my rundum S career. But then I go into
being Catholic school and being teased and bullied on and
what it was like growing up in New York seventies
and eighties to walk this way, my Adidas and all
(14:40):
of that.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
So this was on a page.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
College lecture set. When I went finished, all of the
people that hired me was like, the educators, you got
to take this to the high schools. So you know
me and Lynn knows me. Okay, So I go to
the high school's not for the page because I don't
want to take money out of the school. So I
got the very same thing that I just did at
the colleges that I got paid for all of the issues,
(15:04):
all the circumstances. I do it to high schools, teachers, parents,
Oh my god, what did he say to them? My kids' attitude,
janus and that. So now the high school principals and that, Ja,
you gotta take this to the middle schools. So the
very thing that I took to the high schools and
the colleges and the high schools, take to the middle schools.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Yo, what's up? You know, I'm Doarren mcdaniers.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
I grew up in Queens, New York.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Run DMC.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Bo bo bo bo bo those you gotta take this
to the elementary schools. So when I was going into
the elementary schools, I don't go in there and go
high kids. I'm the first rapper. No, I'm going in
and I'm Darren mcdonnis. But I knew I needed something
that the kids. Because the middle schools, high schools and
the colleges and everybody else, they got my albums, they
(15:51):
got the videos. They know it's tricky. Even if the
middle school kids don't know run DMC themselves, their mothers
and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers gave them a four
and oh lesson of note all run DMC is so
the kids are familiar with me. The younger elementary school
(16:12):
kids don't know you know what I'm saying because they're
kindergarten the fifth grade.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
But here's what they do know.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Because of TikTok, because of Sonic, the Hedgehog movies, or
any animated features that always put tricky in there, they
know me. So the kids, this generation of kids, I'm
not run DMC, DMC. I'm DMC that it's tricky, TikTok, Sonic,
the movie Man. So once they do, here's the guy
(16:42):
that did. So now I got them. So now I
can go talk to them like they're my I can
talk to them.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Like people I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
I sit there with first grader secredarated, third graders, the
fourth graders and fifth graders, Yo.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
What's up?
Speaker 1 (16:57):
You know my name is Darryl and always do Q
and A with them. So when I do Q and A,
the questions isn't do you know Taylor Swift? Do you
know Justin bieb or whatever? The question so, how did
you feel when you got teased, bullied and picked on?
How did you feel when your mother told you you
have to go to bed. You can't stay up the wait,
can't stay up late to watch the movie. So I'm
(17:18):
talking to them. I'm sixty, but talking to them about
the life that they're living presently. So the book came
about because I would go to these elementary schools and
speak and the two teachers who are now principals in
their districts, Shawnee and John A.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Warfield.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
I went and spoke at this school. They brought me
back and the second time I went back, they was like,
de this is crazy. You got to do the book.
And I was like, no, I don't want to commercialize
any the good I'm doing. It was like okay. Brought
me back at third time and it was like, do
you have to do a book? And I said, okay,
here's the deal. I'll do the book, but I need
you all to do it with me. Why Because the
(17:56):
teachers are with the kids on the front line. They
know day to day how these cans. I got the story,
but how do I communicate it to them? So we
came up with the idea to do a book about
me in the third grade getting teased Willie and picked on.
So the same way my generation had my albums and videos.
The kids have the album, it's visual, it's a three
(18:19):
D experience. They can hear me speak to, hear me
read it. They get hold it in their hands and
then they could open up. So they get in a
three D experience that my story isn't a story about
somebody or something that's out of their reach. I'm in
the classroom right with them. I'm in the lunch room
with them, I'm after school. So when they see my story,
(18:42):
even as though it's DMC that it's tricky TikTok Man
from the movie, they see me on their level that
I'm not above them or better than them. I'm one
of them and then one of me. So the book
was a way to have something that the kids could hold,
feel and see and live with. And the first book
(19:03):
that's out now is called Daryl's Dream. It's available at
every bookstore on Amazon. The next book we're putting out,
we got two books coming. The next book is Young
DMC's Christmas in Hollis a Christmas book for next year.
And then the next book about with the lesson is
Daryl's Decision, where Daryl's in a situation in school we
(19:26):
have to make a decision between right and wrong. So
out of that, I'm doing a whole series of books
dealing with the issues that the kids all go through.
And what's good about my book is a lot of
the things that the kids are experiencing with my story
will give them coping mechanisms when they get teenagers and adolescens.
(19:48):
You know, whether it's self esteem, adversity, how to communicate
and deal with each other. If you start developing now,
they will be able to dive in into those coping
mechanisms when they get into middle school, high school, and
even when they become adults.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Well, D in closing, this is a perfect close. What
would the wise D of today advice wise tell the
young D of many years ago if you could kind
of relive and give that advice.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Oh wow, Well, the first, you know, I told just
to a bunch of people on the radio what we're
doing it. The first thing I would say is that
you don't have to do.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Drugs to be cool.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
And what I mean, my dat was my journey started
with that addition and stuff was like I smoked my
first joint because we me and Nathan, I was twelve,
Nathan was eight deaths there was fifteen, so when he
introduced to joints to us, to joint to us, we
thought we had to do it to be cool and
accept it. When I realized it's powerful. When I hear
(21:09):
Chuck d a public enemy go, I never got high
a day in my life. When I hear Henry Rollins
of Black Flags say I never got high, and I'm like,
how can y'all be so powerful and credible, I'm realizing
that's why they are so I would tell that Daryl,
you don't have to do things that you don't want
(21:30):
to do to be cool and impress people or fit in,
because that's where a lot of my issue started. I
wanted to be accepted and I want to be a
troublemaker like I spoke.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Lynn said it perfectly.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah, when I was with the therapist, Oh you had
to do it, Say no, that's the best advice.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
You don't have to do anything.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
That you don't feel good about doing.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
D Thank you for ball you continue to give us
and inspire us and your generosity, and thanks for being
on Taking a Walk.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Thank you, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk Podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends.
And follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Lynn Hoffman
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