Reverend Run needs no name on the program. The man who has long proclaimed anywhere to be his house, can certainly make a bid to say so about Hip-Hop. But any doubts gained from the Crown Royal project, are said to be made up for on the forthcoming, Distortion.
Besides blessing fans with a new album, the Reverend is also giving us a glimpse of what it’s like everyday in the Joseph Simmons household with his new reality show on MTV, Run’s House scheduled to hit the air this fall. AllHipHop.com spoke to the Rev about his new album Distortion, his show, his spiritual journey and his mission for the masses. The King of Rock is proving that although he has changed his old habits, one thing will always remain and that’s to bring destruction to the powers that be in the industry. Get ready to be blessed with words of wisdom from a true pioneer.
AllHipHop.com: How is your reality show coming along?
Rev Run: It’s coming along great; we are almost finished with it. I feel that it’s definitely going to give fans a view inside of what it’s like to be in my house. I know that the show will reach a lot of people, because I know that I am here to inspire. People come up to me all the time and tell me how I have inspired them at some point in their life, so I really want this show to not only be an inspiration, but also teach lessons.
AllHipHop.com: ABC Family taped you first to do the reality show, with so many reality shows on TV what made you choose to do a reality show about your family?
Rev Run: I chose to do the show, because I wanted to show a rapper in a positive light. Like the LL Cool J commercial where he is braiding his daughter’s hair on the stoop, I wanted to show that rappers have a life and that we do have families that we care for. Every morning I wake up, pray, read the bible and do my “Words of Wisdom” segment that goes out to radio shows all over the country, on top of taking care of and praying with my family and the audience will get to see that because each show has a message. So to sum it up I wanted to show another side of Rap and I know that this show is it, I know it will be very positive, inspirational and motivational to everyone watching.
AllHipHop.com: It sounds like something that kids of our culture and in general need to see today with all of the negativity on TV.
Rev Run: Exactly, but I like the Bobby Brown Show. It’s hilarious because it shows another side of Bobby that people don’t get to see, it shows them going on barbeques and camping and it also shows that they have a lot of love inside their marriage. A lot of people ridiculed their marriage, but their marriage has lasted a lot longer than other celebrities that people knew would last. But I say that about their show because that is how my show is. It’s really fun but it also let’s people know that the guy who made [the song]“Tricky” and “Walk This Way” is a now a Reverend. It really shines a light on my family life and who I am. Not that all lights aren’t good, but this will be a different one.
AllHipHop.com: When is the first episode going to air?
Rev Run: September 14th
AllHipHop.com: There are rumors that Distortion is going to be an all Rock sounding album, is that true and if so what made you go that route?
Rev Run: It’s not a completely Rock sounding album, it’s a Run sounding album, it’s a Hip-Hop album. If you look back at Run-DMC, our sound has always been different, so Distortion is not an R&B album, let’s put it that way. It’s not Rock but it has a couple of Rock rifts like “King of Rock”, “Rock Box” and “Walk This Way”, so it’s a loud sounding album. The music is loud, I’m screaming loud and so it’s not like your Jay-Z suave or the 50 Cent cool sounding album, but has me screaming the vocals the way I did on the vocals for Tougher Than Leather, so basically I’m back sounding like Run.
AllHipHop.com: Is there a reason that you chose to work with White Boy [of Joe Budden fame] exclusively to handle the production?
Rev Run: It was a strategy that I used to keep the album sounding like Run. I didn’t want to run out and get the hottest producer and end up being influenced by another sound, so I just stuck with one producer so I could maintain control and do it my way.
AllHipHop.com: Do you think that the decision to let others influence or change their sound is the downfall of a lot of vets who come back to Hip-Hop?
Rev Run: I think that it is. Because fans who know you love you for who you are and as a vet we should be happy with that. When you come back trying to sound like the new school fans can see right through that and they lose love for you.
AllHipHop.com: Being a well respected pioneer in Hip-Hop but also being a Reverend, do you think that being “saved” in an “unsaved” industry will work; because we all remember Mase’s comeback?
Rev Run: No disrespect to Mase because he is a great guy, but I am older than Mase. I have been doing this for a long time and people respect me for just being Run. So I’m not worried about what people will say about me, I have more stability in who I am and I am not trying to make or chase the younger audience to see me. I’m just making an album that is filled with Run sounding stuff and people will like it or they won’t, but you won’t see me jumping around in videos or throwing champagne up in the air. It will be more of a grown man effort; [Distortion] wasn’t done to see what people would say about me, it was done just to do what I do.
AllHipHop.com: As a pioneer in the game, where do you see a lot of artists making mistakes?
Rev Run: I feel the biggest mistakes are made when artists feel like they have something to prove. Not to sound arrogant, but I know that people already respect me and that’s because I don’t chase the audience and never have. It’s something about when you do you that gravitates people towards you more than when you try to conform. And that applies to any area in life, but a lot of artists don’t know that.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s touch on your sneaker line, you have Run Athletics, are you planning on following the steps of your brother and creating a full fledge clothing line?
Rev Run: No, that was never my intention. With Run Athletics, I wanted it to be a sneaker line only; we may do some t-shirts that match the shoes kind of like Nike but no full line because my focus is on footwear.
AllHipHop.com: What are you most looking forward to with your solo debut?
Rev Run: I am looking forward to fans listening to the old Run-DMC stuff and listening to the new record and saying, “Wow, this sounds like Run,” and being happy with that. I’m not looking to compete in radio with the Chingys and I don’t expect to impress the youth culture, if they grab it, then I am happy but my mission is all about putting out an album that people can listen to and have a good time.
AllHipHop.com: Do you think that you would ever link back up with DMC to create an album in the future?
Rev Run: No. I retired the group because Jam Master Jay was so influential in our group and so my thing is you can’t just replace him like a drummer. I really just want fans to look back on the legacy that we created and find something that they love, but to do something new [with DMC] is not a good for me now.
AllHipHop.com: Lat but not least what do you want to say to your fans?
Rev Run: Get ready, because we are about to have fun and you will love what I am about to offer.