Same artist as Run-D.M.C. — credit variation. American hip-hop group formed in Hollis, Queens in 1981. Lineup: Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell (1965-2002). Among the most influential acts in hip-hop history; bridged the early-1980s underground hip-hop scene with the mainstream commercial breakthrough of the genre.
Released seven studio albums between Run-D.M.C. (1984) and Crown Royal (2001). Commercial peak: Raising Hell (1986, featuring "Walk This Way" with Aerosmith, the first hip-hop single to reach the top five of the Billboard Hot 100). Jam Master Jay was murdered in his Queens recording studio in 2002. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
