On this day, April 4, in hip-hop history...

Run-DMC
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2009: Run-DMC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009. Nominated in 2008, the Hollis, Queens trio became the second hip-hop act to be inducted into the organization after Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 2007. Other inductees that year included Metallica, Jeff Beck, Little Anthony and the Imperials and Bobby Womack.

Run-DMC is widely considered one of hip-hop's most influential and celebrated acts. The group is not only responsible for one of the earliest and most successful hip-hop/rock crossover hits with "Walk This Way," but it also changed the landscape of hip-hop in the early '80s, shifting the spotlight from the DJ to the emcee.

Run-DMC's re-working of "Walk This Way" was a huge deal in both hip-hop and rock at the time. Originally, Run-DMC didn't want to do the song, originally preferring to just sample Aerosmith's "Walk This Way." Rick Rubin convinced them to re-record the song with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. Once Run-DMC's cover of the song was done and sent to radio, it took off. The song simultaneously bought Aerosmith's career back to life and put Run-DMC on another level. Not bad for a collaboration that nearly didn't happen.

Run-DMC released seven albums in its two-decade career, officially retiring the group in 2002 after the murder of DJ Jam Master Jay. Even with all the time that has passed, Run-DMC's place in history is unchanged, and they are respected the world over.

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