Creating a follow-up to his debut solo album, Checks, Thugs and Rock and Roll, proved to be a motivational experience for rap pioneer DMC, who opted for a different musical path, after visiting Japan for a series of interviews to promote the 2006 release.
The result of the encounter provided the foundation for DMC’s forthcoming release, The Origins of Block Music.
“Every time the Japanese journalists would come in the room, whether it was male or female, they would go ‘Mr. McDaniels are you OK?’ Every interview ‘Are you OK? How do you feel today?” the New York native remembered, as he wondered why the reporters were so concerned about him.
“I just had to say ‘Yo, why do you keep askin’ me that?’ The journalist held the album up and said ‘because this album is so dark and depressin.’”
“And I thought about it. I talked about [Run DMC DJ Jam Master] Jay’s murder, finding out I was adopted, me being suicidal, me being an alcoholic, me losing my father,” he continued. “…These people probably think I’m an emotional wreck. And then I realized I was because I didn’t go to therapy. I wasn’t speakin’ to nobody after Jay died [and my] father died. I’m an alcoholic who just found out at age 35 he was adopted. But then I realized that that album wasn’t an album per se. That album was me letting all that darkness out of me.”
Featuring appearances from Sarah McLachlan, Kid Rock, Ms. Jade and Rev. Run, the release of Checks, Thugs and Rock and Roll came after the February 2006 premiere of the Emmy-winning VH1 documentary, DMC: My Adoption Journey.
The show chronicled DMC’s search for his biological mother after the rapper discovered he was adopted while doing research for his autobiography King of Rock : Respect, Responsibility, and My Life with Run-DMC.
With The Origins of Block Music, the entertainer wanted a more upbeat offering as he set out to construct a project he labeled as “a carnival of great, innovative, fun, happy, rhyme, beats and music because the last album was so depressin.”
Among those appearing on the album are Public Enemy’s Chuck D as well as Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars and Sebastian Bach from the band Skid Row.
The rock all-stars collaborate on The Origin’s second single, while DMC receives production assistance from fellow rhymesayer Freddie Foxxx on the album’s first single “Block Music Education.”
“He produced me a rock record that is phenomenal,” said the rapper, who touted the Foxxx’s knowledge of various musical genres.”
DMC’s The Origins of Block Music is slated to hit stores in September.