From the New York Times...

Raising Hell was the album that broke hip-hop music to the masses nearly 20 years ago, making Hollis, Queens' Run-DMC stars of the MTV era. Sure they had help from Aerosmith on their smash cover of "Walk This Way," an amalgam of rock and rap (shepherded by producer Rick Rubin) that would prove so influential to this day. But that's not the only standout cut on the album as tracks like "My Adidas" (which started the association between rap and fashion), the hardcore "It's Tricky," and the cheeky "You Be Illin'" and the affirmative Proud to Be Black take their memorable turns. For its multiplatinum success, this isn't a Please Hammer Don't Hurt'em watered-down rap-it's a still hard-hitting album highlighted Run and DMC trading off rhymes while the late Jam Master Jay serves as the musical master of ceremonies. Note-for-note, rhyme-for-rhyme, and beat-for-beat, Raising Hell is a rap masterpiece; this reissue also contains an a capella version of "My Addidas" and a demo of "Walk This Way," which doesn't depart much from the original (Also reissued are Run-DMC, King of Rock, and Tougher Than Leather).

Run-DMC Raising Hell Arista/Legacy/Profile By David Chiu