One of the early hip hop popular groups, Run-DMC was the first rap act on MTV. They were the indisputable kings of the rap world, with such hits as King of Rock, and their collaboration with AeroSmith, the rap remake Walk This Way. The group consists of DJ Run, DMC, and JamMaster Jay.

The two leads real names were Joseph Simmons (Run, who is brother to Russell Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam) and Darryl MacDaniel. They call themselves the Kings from Queens.