Run DMC steps back onto the hip-hop battleground with “Crown Royal,” its first album since 1993. The self-proclaimed Kings of Rock return with a 12-track offering stuffed with rock/rap collaborations from Fred Durst, Kid Rock, Method Man and Nas among others.
The album apparently intends to bring the hip-hop and rock worlds together, but instead creates a jagged, non-linear jumble guaranteed to turn off fans of either art form.
Run DMC is unquestionably a hip-hop group, so why do they seem so determined to make rock music? Perhaps they are trying to rediscover the magic that made “Walk This Way,” its 1986 collaboration with Aerosmith, such a crossover hit in its day. Unfortunately, none of the five rock tracks on “Crown Royal” makes a serious attempt at competing with that song.
“Walk This Way” was a winner because it used strong influences from both cultures. The rock songs on “Crown Royal” show no signs of any hip-hop contribution at all. Even rap-rock artists Fred Durst and Everlast fumble to maintain their fragile holds on hip-hop during their weak tracks. The rock songs run back-to-back, dominating the heart of the album and threatening to overshadow some surprisingly high quality hip-hop tracks sprinkled elsewhere on the album.
Run DMC prove that although they brought hip-hop into the mainstream almost 20 years ago, the music has yet to pass them by. Rev. Run still laces tracks with his customary arrogance and repetitive wordplay, but his flow has shifted smoothly with the decades. Teaming up with Fat Joe on “Ay Papi,” the Reverend slips subtle Spanish phrases into the mixture on occasion. He also crushes the mike on the title track, the only all-Run DMC song on the album.
DMC however, could definitely use some correspondence courses in modern hip-hop. He struggles through tracks endlessly, clinging to his overly simplistic circa 1986 rhyme style far longer than necessary. Fortunately, Run makes sure DMC doesn’t keep the mike too long. And with the plethora of guest vocalists, DMC doesn’t have much space to stumble.
“Crown Royal” relies on top name talent to keep many of its songs afloat. Nas and Prodigy give props to the QB on “Queens Day,” and Method Man drops a decent verse later in the album. However, it is a new talent that manages to steal the show on two of the record’s best tracks.
Chris Davis teams up with Run on “Ahhh” and squarely knocks him out of the spotlight. Davis’ choppy flow is the most original sound on the album, but will probably take a couple spins to be fully appreciated. Run throws his brother Jamel Simmons into the family game on the final track, the bangin’ “Simmons Incorporated.” Jam Master Jay provides a slick beat for the younger Simmons to attack, outshining Run and Method Man in the process. The track is by far the hottest song on the album and the only one worthy of constant replay. Step lightly if “Simmons Incorporated” is released as a single.
Run and DMC fall into the same trap that has caught other old school artists in recent years. Like LL Cool J and Rakim, Run DMC claims to be the greatest ever. True, they did bring hip-hop into the mainstream, but they weren’t at the top of the game even in the 1980s. Run particularly spends too much time on this album making fake claims of greatness. There is already respect for Run DMC in the industry, which should be enough. Claiming to be the greatest will only prove to the world that they never were.
“Crown Royal” does deliver some heat, but the presence of five weak rock tracks on a 12-track album weigh it down hopelessly. A horrible Jermaine Dupri song, the super sappy “Let’s Stay Together” with Jagged Edge, further damage the aspirations of the album. Of the dozen songs, only four are worth listening to and only one will stand out as a legitimate winner. Fans who have long anticipated the release of this album should wait for the single to “Simmons Incorporated” and be happy.
