Hip-hop pioneer Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of the iconic group Run DMC will headline the third annual Hip Hop Cultural Summit at Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington Oct. 18.
The summit aims to attract thousands of hip-hop fans. The event is presented by AllHipHop, Guerrilla Republik, and the Delaware Art Museum.
Greg Watkins, co-founder of AllHipHop, said he estimates between 2,500 to 3,000 guests will show up throughout the day.
Here’s the lowdown about “DMC,” when Run DMC played Delaware decades ago, and what to expect at the Hip Hop Cultural Summit.
Who are Run DMC and Darryl McDaniels?
From left to right: Jason ‘Jam Master Jay’ Mizell, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels and Joseph ‘Rev Run’ Simmons of the rap group Run DMC at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Aug. 29, 2002.
It’s not easy to make it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s especially rare for rap groups. But Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and his Run DMC brethren Rock & Roll finally were inducted in 2009.
Hailing from Queens, New York, the groundbreaking rap trio was formed with the emcees Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons, “DMC” and the late DJ Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell. The group exploded onto the scene in the 1980s and are responsible for dropping hits such as “It’s Like That” and “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith.
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More than just music makers, Run DMC also were fashion icons. The group made it mainstream to wear shell-toe Adidas with a black leather jacket and a black fedora.
Eminem praised Run DMC: ‘First rock stars of rap’
From left to right :Joseph ‘Rev Run’ Simmons, Eminem and Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels attend the 24th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Hall on April 4, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. Eminem read the induction speech for Run DMC at the ceremony.
That’s the same outfit rap superstar Eminem wore as tribute when he read Run DMC’s induction speech during their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. He praised the rap pioneers for not giving up and paving the way for generations of rappers, even “when much of the world refused to recognize rap as real music,” the “8 Mile” rapper said.
“They were the first rock stars of rap,” Eminem said about Run DMC. “They were the first movie stars of rap. They were the first rap group played on MTV. They were the first rap group to go platinum. They were the first rap group with their own sneaker, and the first to sell out arenas worldwide.”
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Run DMC performed in Delaware in the 1980s
From left to right: Jason ‘Jam Master Jay’ Mizell, Joseph ‘Rev Run’ Simmons and Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels of the rap group Run DMC attend the Grammy Awards in this file photo from the 1980s
The Hip Hop Cultural Summit won’t mark the first time “DMC” has performed in Delaware. Watkins recalled the time he saw Run DMC perform at John Dickinson High School in Wilmington around the mid-1980s.
Watkins was mesmerized like a little kid when he thought about the show.
“It was a party and people were in the crowd breakdancing. They were waiting to see Run DMC,” Watkins told The News Journal/Delaware Online in 2023.
“That [ Run DMC event] was like a pinnacle … because I actually saw Jay from the stands doing his scratching, his cutting and doing all those things; and then to have gotten to meet him, right before he was tragically murdered, was a big deal,” Watkins said.
Darryl McDaniels, rap battle, & more at Hip Hop Cultural Summit 2025
Run DMC founding member Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels will headline the third annual Hip Hop Cultural Summit at Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington on Oct. 18.
The Hip Hop Cultural Summit offers everything from rap battles, a visual art exhibit, an exhibition of women-only breakdancing, vendors, food trucks, panel discussions and more.
RadioShach is the event host and the summit features DJ sets with SoulBuck and DJ Cruz Khaoz.
The first panel discussion is on Delaware’s Rosedale Beach, a famous Black Beach in Millsboro during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation that was part of the popular Chitlin Circuit. Rosedale attracted countless famous Black artists like James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. That discussion will include Rosedale researcher Tamara Burks and Watkins.
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The second panel is on “Hip Hop & Race” and is moderated by Power 99’s Roxy Romeo. The discussion features a conversation with Martha Diaz, Steve Lobel, Nataani Means, Rabb Love and Michele Byrd-McPhee.
The keynote discussion involves “DMC” and AllHipHop co-founder Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur. The Run DMC superstar also will have a book signing.
What’s the purpose of the Delaware Hip Hop Cultural Summit?
A member of Hip Hop Fundamentals break dances during the inaugural Hip-Hop Cultural Summit, a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, at the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Fundamentals teaches a variety of programs including break dancing.
The summit is intended to offer conversations, exhibits and performances “that connect Hip Hop’s cultural roots to ongoing struggles for racial equity and cultural change,” according to organizers.
Iz Balleto, Delaware Art Museum’s cultural programs manager and Guerrilla Republik co-founder, said in a statement that it’s important to educate people on the purpose of hip-hop, “the meaning behind it, and its impact on the community and the world.”
Watkins looks forward to seeing “DMC” again, this time at his co-organized event.
“His presence connects Hip-Hop’s roots to its future, making this year’s gathering truly historic,” Watkins said in a statement.
When is the Delaware Hip Hop Cultural Summit 2025?
The summit will be held at Delaware Art Museum (2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 18. Admissions is $6 to $10. The price will increase at the door; free for museum members. For more info, visit delart.org or call (302) 571-9590.
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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Run DMC legend to headline Delaware hip hop summit. Here’s how to go
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