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September 2, 1987, Portland Observer, Page_
i
THE
ENTERTAINMENT
SEEN
Joseph "Run" Simmons Doing it His Way
The truth can finally be told. Bill
Adler in his new biography of Run-
DMC "Tougher Than Leather," re­
veals that if it had been up to Russell
Simmons alone, Run-DMC might
never have happened. The mana­
ger of the group and the older bro­
ther of Joseph "R un" Simmons,
Run thought he was ready to re­
cord, but Russell wasn't so sure.
"It's funny," Russ says now. "I
didn't have enough belief in my own
brother. I knew how good he was,
but it just didn't occur to me that he
could be a star."
And whatever his reservations
about Run, Russell was sure he
didn't like DMC. "I always thought
world as DMC.
At the time, late in the winter of
1982, Russell was having a lot of
success with an artist named Kurtis
Blow.
Russell had brought the
i
7
a
1
like, D would recite some of his own
rhymes, which Russell hated. "It's
too hard, it's too aggressive, it's not
commercial," complained the aspi­
ring young business tycoon.
Run would
in Russ' face.
scream at
"DMC's the
world!"
immediately jump up
"You dummy!" he'd
his older brother.
best rapper in the
For a while, Russell was un­
moved. His idea was to create a
group called the OK crew, which
would consist of musician Larry
Smith, a white English woman
named Blue (who booked a rock-
and-rap club in downtown Man­
hattan)—and Run.
Run wasn't going for it. He in­
sisted on DMC, and Russell finally
had to give in. Their first record,
entitled "It's Like That," came out
in the spring of 1983. Two weeks
after its release, it was on it's way to
becoming a smash hit, and Run-
DMC was launched. Run enlarged
Darryl "D M C " M cDaniels
then 12-year-old Run into show
business in 1979 to work as a deejay
and a partner in rhyme for Kurt,
who was then Russ' only client.
"Run wrote a lot of rhymes and
talked a lot of stuff right away,"
Russ recalls. "He was def." After
several years' worth of seasoning,
and after finishing high school,
Joseph "R u n " S im m ons
Russell, who was then a young
concert promoter, never thought
about making records with Run and
absolutely hated the rapping style of
Run's friend Darryl McDaniels—
who's now better known to the
Jason "J a m M aster J a y " M izell
Kurtis Blow was corny and I told
Russ so,"
DMC
remembers.
"That's why Russell didn't like me —
'cause he had Kurtis, and Kurtis was
getting the money."
To show the kind of thing he did
the group with deejay Jam Master
Jay, an old friend from the same
Hollis, Queens neighbornood in
which they'd grown up, and they hit
the road. The OK Crew would
remain a pipe dream. Run-DMC
had work to do.
Pictured are the members of Run-
DMC when they were twelve years
old.
Photo by M Johnson
Dancer: Bobby Fouther
"Artists' Night Caberet'
at Cafe Nu-Attitudes
Bobby Fouther, a 1987 Oregon Arts Commission recipient, will feature
some of his work in dance at Cafe Nu-Attitudes: "Artists Night Caberet ,
Sunday, September 6, 1987, at 7:30 p.m., 319 S.W. 11th, between Stark
and Burnside, Portland, OR 97205.
The show will also feature performances from jazz pianist Janice
Scroggins and Company, vocalist Rita Bankhead, and a collection of very
avant garde dancers. An assortment of guests guaranteed to fill any even­
ing with excitement.
There is limited seating — Call for reservations: 228-8906.
One Stop Records
End of the Summer Jam &
W hat's Hot?
• Barber Cuts? •
$10.00
• Press & Curls? •
$15.00 & up
• Braids?
.
Jazz
Family Picnic
• Leisure Curls? •
$65.00
• Crimps? •
$20.°°
r
ALBERTA PARK
U.T.F.O.
and All the Latest Hits
Regina Belle
now
I,
»6 99
I
I $1.00 o ff
J w ith th is co u p o n
L
(N.E. 19th & K illing sw o rth )
• Relaxers?
$45.00
Gospel
★ including ★
Labor Day
Sept. 7,1987
• Hair W eaving? •
$75.00 & up
Curls? •
$45.oo
featuring
A Full Selection Of
Oldies
• Precision Cuts?
$10.°°& up
• Color? •
$20.00 X
• Pineapple Wave's? •
$15.00 & up
"The Neighborhood Shop Where We Are You"
2:00 p.m. 'til 8:00 p.m.
826 N. K illing sw o rth
phone 289 9123
FEATURING
Any Way You Like It
Come Try Our Outrageous
Food by Sally
Live Music, Speakers, Games
For Back To School
There w ill be a prize given to the fa m ily w ith
the m o st fa m ily m em bers in attendance.
"Tiffany
HAS IT
Beer Garden provided by Joe's Place
3133 N.E. Prescott
287-6557
Saturday
SPONSORS
Mondays — 12-5
•
Lunch 11:30 a.m .-1:30 p.m.
Dinner 4:30 p.m .-6:30 p.m.
All-day Fish Fry
from 11:30 a.m.
Tues.-Sat. — 9-5
W ill accept late appts.
Sunday
Brunch Special
fea tu rin g
„ ö S
V /C
MADE THE
AMERICAN WAY
The Best in Jazz
» Grass Root News
and
J.B.'s Paradise Room
Natural Fruit Juices and Drinks
from all over the world.
THEATRE
d l ’IM: s i u m
Ml SIC
S.F.. Mill AT ( K ALIVE /SANDY Bt VjL g
C
ORROSION curtís
- OKOtiFORKm- y
salgado
LeRoy Vinnegar
Trio
18th b 19th
Quiet Fire
featuring
Yamile
1st, 8th. 15th. 22nd. 29th
3530 N. Vancouver Ave.
ttllHH mi
Coming in September
Akbar Dapriest
Trio featuring
Nancy King
6th
11:30 a .m .-1:30 p.m .
■ETTER ÉRTERTAIRMERT ATTRACTION»
288-1196
I COUPON • COUPON I
Interstate Photo Express
5022 N. Interstate
Portland, OR 97217
(503)284-8411
H
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<£ the stilettos
MM spterTnewt
S e p t . 2, 16 & 30
SE 9 1 h at S a n d *
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Portland's Largest Dance Floor
Phone; 235-0027
Advance Tickets on Sale Now! Usual Outlets
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30% off film processing prices
of any 110, 120, or 135 film.
We honor any Portland area co iipons.
ONE HOUR SERVICE
Expires Sept. 31, 1987