How Aerosmith and Run-DMC Begrudgingly Made a Masterpiece
Initially, neither group was excited about collaborating for “Walk This Way.” The rest is history.
It was, like many great breakthroughs, both a brilliant idea and the worst idea you’ve ever heard: Get Run-DMC and Aerosmith in the studio together, force them to perform a hybrid, rap-boosted, ebony-and-ivory version of an Aerosmith hit from the ’70s, and then make a video about walls coming down, etc. Genius, right? Let’s go! Aerosmith, corroded rock behemoths in a slump, were sort of dazedly into it; Run-DMC, coming into their power as hip-hop’s first superstars, were sullen and wary. But it happened—in retrospect it to happen—and with 1986’s goofy, clankingly enjoyable “,” rap music was big-banged into being as mainstream entertainment.
