Major League Baseball—meaning that Rose could
never again play or manage and that he would not be
eligible for membership in the National Baseball
Hall of Fame. Although he claimed not to have gam-
bled illegally, Rose agreed to the commissioner’s
deal and left the game that he loved.
Impact The gambling allegations that surrounded
Rose at the end of his career damaged the reputa-
tion of one of baseball’s best and most colorful play-
ers. Baseball fans and players continue to debate
whether Rose’s lifetime ban from Major League
Baseball—and from the National Baseball Hall of
Fame—should continue. A week after imposing the
ban, Giamatti died, but his successors have kept the
lifetime ban on Rose in place.
Further Reading
Rose, Pete, and Rick Hill.My Prison Without Bars.
Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press, 2004.
Shatzkin, Mike, ed.The Ballplayers. New York: Arbor
House, 1990.
James Tackach
See also Baseball; Baseball strike of 1981; Sports.
Run-D.M.C.
Identification African American rap/hip-hop
group
Date First single released in 1983
In addition to bringing hip-hop into the cultural main-
stream, Run-D.M.C. is responsible for one of the most suc-
cessful rap-rock crossover songs of the 1980’s.
Rap/hip-hop juggernaut Run-D.M.C.’s lyricists,
Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “D.M.C.” Mc-
Daniels, met while growing up in Hollis, Queens,
and started performing together in high school dur-
ing the late 1970’s. Following the addition of fellow
Brooklyn native and turntable wizard Jam Master Jay
several years later, Run-D.M.C. began recording and
releasing albums.
After signing with rap and hip-hop label Profile
Records, Run-D.M.C. released a self-titled debut al-
bum in early 1984. The breakthrough single “It’s
Like That” helped propel sales of the album, which
was certified gold. Although groups such as the
Sugarhill Gang had pioneered rap, Run-D.M.C.’s
unique, interlaced lyrical style helped define the
growing genre and established key vocal and musi-
cal components that became the backbone of early
rap and hip-hop. Other groups and solo artists
quickly followed, but Run-D.M.C. undoubtedly set
the bar in the early 1980’s. The group also separated
itself from its contemporaries visually, with each
member dressed in a black fedora hat, laceless white
Adidas shoes, and a leather jacket—an ensemble
that would quickly become the group’s trademark
wardrobe.
Less than a year afterRun-D.M.C., the group’s
sophomore effort,King of Rock, was released, chart-
ing even higher and selling more copies than its pre-
decessor. The trio was enjoying moderate success
both on radio and on the fledgling cable network
MTV, exposure that helped increase Run-D.M.C.’s
fan base. However, the success was moderate com-
pared to the superstardom that the group would ex-
perience upon release of the third album, 1986’s tri-
ple platinumRaising Hell.
In addition to the popular singles “It’s Tricky”
and “My Adidas,” the album’s—and group’s—most
successful hit was “Walk This Way,” originally re-
corded during the 1970’s by the veteran rock band
Aerosmith. This was more than just a traditional
cover song, however; Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven
Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry collaborated on the
track and music video with Run-D.M.C., creating the
first rap-rock crossover. The success of the song was
unparalleled; not only was there significant radio
airplay, but the accompanying music video was also
in heavy rotation on MTV. The album gave the
group its highest commercial success to date, reach-
ing number one on theBillboardTop R&B/Hip-Hop
Albums chart.
While it seemed impossible to match the colossal
success ofRaising Hell, Run-D.M.C.’s fourth album,
1988’sTougher than Leather, was issued to critical and
commercial acclaim. The album, benefiting from
the hit single “Mary, Mary,” eventually reached num-
ber two on theBillboardTop R&B/Hip-Hop Album
chart and was certified platinum. The decade ended
with the group in the studio, recording 1990’sBack
from Hell.Impact Although the group’s members would
achieve success in later decades both collectively and
individually, Run-D.M.C.’s accomplishments during
the 1980’s cemented the group’s status as rap/hip-838 Run-D.M.C. The Eighties in America