Rev Run recalls how the album arrived at a moment when audiences were just learning new words to emerging music, highlighting its timing and influence.

D.M.C. frames Raising Hell as a hip-hop album rather than a music-industry project, serving as a prototype and blueprint for future hip-hop releases, likened to Sgt. Pepper’s in its significance.

The artists describe the project as a foundational hip-hop blueprint, emphasizing its role in expanding the genre to a wider audience.

Raising Hell was crafted to present authentic hip-hop and act as a catalyst for broader exposure of the culture.

The group marks the milestone with a Billboard interview discussing Raising Hell, originally released on May 15, 1986, and celebrated this year.

Jam Master Jay is highlighted as central to Raising Hell, described as “everything” and a one-man band behind the album’s creation.

Raising Hell made history as the first rap album to go platinum, and the group became the first hip-hop act nominated for a Grammy.

Run-D.M.C. commemorates the 40th anniversary of Raising Hell with a reflective look at the album’s legacy, its impact on hip-hop and culture, and its enduring relevance four decades on.

Raising Hell was the trio’s third album, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and featuring hits like their Aerosmith cover of Walk This Way, as well as My Adidas and It’s Tricky.

Aerosmith collaboration and crossover moments, including tracks like Rock Box, King of Rock, and My Adidas, helped broaden the album’s reach.

Walk This Way became the first top-five hip-hop single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 4.

Readers can watch the full video where Run-D.M.C. revisits Raising Hell.