DMC is mad as hell and he’s not gonna take it anymore.  So what is the cause of his anger?  Well, it’s a long list beginning with the state of hip-hop, the denial of the rights of adoptees to receive their birth records, and the general sate of the world.

As one of the founding members of the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC, he is known for his passionate stage presence and ferocious vocal delivery.  Thankfully such passion extends well beyond the stage and into every other facet of his life. 

DMC is currently hard-at-work on his sophomore solo album, entitled, The Next Level, and an upcoming follow-up to his 2001 autobiography, King of Rock: Respect, Responsibility and My Life with Run-DMC. Sixshot sat down for a revealing chat with the hip-hopper about his new album, the state of hip-hop, why the old school leaders ain’t going nowhere, the real deal on his vocal disorder, how he overcame his alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts, helping today’s youth, and more.

With the album title, The Next Level, what level are you hoping to take listeners to?

If you look at hip-hop right now—as good as the business is there’s no creativity.  There’s no MC’s challenging themselves with the material or the content.  So I’ve been inspired by this younger generation because there’s a l ot of enthusiasm.  I tell the DJ’s and old-school cats that we have to create hip-hop all over again because the current state of hip-hop is like disco.  I talk to musicians, writers, critics, and a lot of my peers and they don’t even like listening to hip-hop. 

The rappers don’t think about the art or culture anymore.  They are so focused on endorsements and sneakers and anything outside of rap music.So right now hip-hop is an open territory.  It’s not being called for a rebirth because real hip-hop never died.  Public Enemy—you probably don’t know this because of MTV, VH1, and stupid a** Viacom wont talk about the great generation.  Public Enemy just finished doing 50 countries—not 50 shows but 50 countries.  So right now I’m taking attention off these MC’s and DJ’s, and putting the focus back on the music.

For this record you used mostly underground producers as opposed to more established producers.  Why did you take this approach and what feeling it did it give the album?

There’s nothing wrong with big name producers.  The problem is when you only use 3 or 4 of them.  Then the music becomes more monotonous and everything sounds the same and it's fake.  I don’t want the big named producers because I know what they’re about already.  I want the 12 year old, the 22 year old guy, or 30 year old guy because they’re still in the lab.

The first single, “Black Betty,” has a strong rock feel to it.  Is that indicative of the rest of the album?

My first solo album was a personal album.  I worked with musicians that were deep in my heart and did music that changed my life.  But for this album my M.O. has always been putting out a significant rock track with a street record.  This is to let people know that I didn’t forget about the streets.  I wanted to do an album with a rock record, a street record, and an “Oh my God,” type of record with some opera on there.  Nobody in hip-hop is making albums anymore.  I get these records from these rappers with 32 records on there.  The hot one is the one on the radio and everything else is filler.  So for me I wanted to make an album that was full of music.

Hip-hop is known as a young man’s game.  So as an older MC what challenges do you find in trying to remain relevant to a new generation?

That’s a good question.  I heard executives at Atlantic Records and Interscope say that and it’s all bulls***.  They have no idea what the hell they’re talking about.  That’s like telling Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Aerosmith not to do Rock & Roll.  They all can suck my mother f****** I don’t want to say that!  That’s an insult to me because ain't no young boy in the game can do this better than me or anybody else that’s my peer.

These kids have no idea what hip-hop and rapping and DJ’ing is about.  Kids don’t know what rap is today.  They only know what’s on MTV and the radio.  So put me in a room with all ten of them and I’ll bring you a show that these kids have never seen.  The critics can kiss my a** because the old man is taking over as a matter of fact!

I read that you also have spasmodic dysphonia which is a vocal disorder.

I really don’t have that.  The doctors thought that’s what it was.  I cannot do a record like I did when I was first starting because of my vocal chords.  As long as you can speak you can rap.  The thing is I can’t hit those high notes like I did.  The doctor said, “Don’t do that s*** no more.”  They did all these tests for me and put needles in my throat.  I did cat scans and it was crazy.  Maybe I do got it, but they couldn’t diagnose me clinically with it.

In the 2006 VH1 documentary, DMC: My Adoption Journey, you chronicled reuniting with your birth mother.  How is that relationship going for you now?

Fortunately, it’s a good thing because a lot of the birth mothers want to know is that baby that they gave away alright.  So for me the reunion is good and that’s a significant thing in my life.  I didn’t find out I was adopted until I was 35 years old.  All that I did with Run-DMC wasn’t fulfilling.  I was like if I’m here to just be DMC this s*** is boring.  I was at a point in my life where I considered myself an alcoholic, suicidal, metaphysical wreck ‘cause there was a void in me that I didn’t know about.  But now I know that I’m here for a bigger reason that I can comprehend.  I got to go out and represent for those homeless, at-risk foster kids, and juvenile delinquents.  DMC—deliver my children.  I have a big responsibility.

How did you overcome your alcohol abuse?

When I went to rehab it wasn’t about me learning to not drink; it was about me learning who I am.  Who is Darryl?  I had to put Run-DMC's fame and fortune behind and look in the mirror and say, “What does Darryl want?” 

Often when people kick an addiction they have some remaining vices or new harmless addictions.  What are some of your remaining vices?

I work out a lot.  Even when I was in rehab—they would only give you forty five minutes a day to work out.  It was killing me!  I like to work out a lot.  I love to vacuum.  I love to clean and I really don’t talk this much.  But if you give me a chance to talk some truth—I've learned over the years to let out truth.  There was more stuff I should have put on those records early on in my career.  So I got three things going for me: I’m not dead, in jail, and I didn’t OD—so I still have a story to tell.

One of the things really close to your heart is the Felix Organization.  Tell us about this program.

We have Camp Felix to provide kids with the opportunity to become the person that they’re destined to be, whether it’s through educational or recreational processes.  There’s a lot of kids in the foster care system, Souleo.  When they get 18 years old somebody will give them $5.00, a bag of lunch, and say “Go be people.”  They have no idea on how to get jobs, live alone, or be what they want to be.  So we get them at a young age and sit them down and say, “What do you want to be?” Once they give us a hint of who they could be we work outside of the camp to direct them in that right direction.  If not, they’ll be on the streets. 

76% of people who’ve been in jail have been in the foster care system.  So right now I’ve got to put the jails out of business by reforming the foster care system, and go to Capitol Hill and punch politicians in the face so they can release the birth records; so every adoptee can see their original birth records.

What can we expect from the follow-up to your first autobiography?

When I wrote the book, King of Rock, I found out I was adopted and that wasn’t in the book.  Now I have to go back and tell the whole story of DMC.  You know that show Diary on MTV—you think you know but you have no idea?  Well, I didn’t know either.

After this long journey through life who would you say DMC is now?

My whole situation at 43 years old—I’m going through what kids go through from the moment they’re born until they’re 18 years old.  The main advice I can give to kids is that we have stuff that’s in us—good stuff and bad stuff.  But good and bad has to be released.  A lot of kids hold stuff in.  When I went to rehab they said to me that my main problem was that I never told the truth and I kept hiding my feelings.  If you don’t let it out you only have three actions: suicide, you abuse others, or self-abuse.  That’s why I was given hip-hop. I was a shy and quiet kid that liked to read and draw.  But once I realized I could get on the mic and talk about good stuff and let the truth in me out; it gave me a doorway.  43 is just how long I've been here.  When I found out I was adopted I told people, “You think what I did in my first 25 years of music was something?”  Well, let the world know this, Souleo, the people ain’t seen nothing yet.

For more information on DMC please visit:
www.me-dmc.com
www.myspace.com/dmc