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The mid-1980s were a contentious time for hip-hop, and nobody wanted to admit it. Nobody, meaning anyone tangentially connected to the corporate side of mainstream art. And by corporate, meaning monetizing. Oh, and by mainstream, meaning white.
That’s because the musical embodiment of hip-hop culture—rap music—was finally leaving its block and geared to take over the world. The pioneers were inching toward new levels like radio (thanks to Mr. Magic’s “Rap Attack”) and film (thanks to Harry Belafonte’s Beat Street, among others). Add to that the formation of Def Jam and Tommy Boy Records and we started to witness rappers fully becoming a viable part of the music industry.
It was terrifying to those who thought they could contain it. And they tried, really hard. Rap was endearing when it was cheeky, as evidenced in 1986 when Run-DMC and Aerosmith collaborated on the single “Walk This Way.” The two groups showed the yin and yang effect of how the mainstream detested both rap music and glam rock music, as they’re both “making noise” in rooms next to each other, only to “break down the wall” and work together. Everyone loved that symbolism, that “unapologetic unity” even as the Grammy committee was slowly piecing together its plan to acknowledge how rappers sold records—but not have the rest of the world see it on their TV screens. Ironic.