SPILL FEATURE: RAISING HELL – A CONVERSATION WITH HIP-HOP HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR JAYQUAN

RAISING HELL

A CONVERSATION WITH HIP-HOP HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR JAYQUAN

On May 15, 1986, Run-DMC released what is often considered their commercial and artistic opus, a record that would establish them as Bonafide legends as they pioneered the course of hip-hop for generations to come. In celebration of the album’s 40th anniversary, journalist, historian, and author JayQuan has released Run-DMC And Raising Hell: 40 Years via Quarto on April 28^th, 2026. The book documents the ascent of the rap icons and the lasting influence of Raising Hell.

“I don’t cover anything that I’m not extremely passionate about” JayQuan tells me. This much, is especially apparent as one flips through the pages of Run-DMC and Raising Hell: 40 Years. The roots of the book go back to JayQuan’s own interest, as he explains, “around the time of COVID, I started to put a lot of time into these mini documentaries that I would put onto YouTube. What they were was basically moving pictures, the Ken Burns effect, with me narrating it to music.” He continues, “Someone from Quarto books saw it. Quarto books, they do a series called The Great Albums, they’re usually rock, they’ve done one on The Who, Prince’s Purple Rain; they’re high end coffee table books based around the anniversary of rock albums. Raising Hell being one of the first successful rap-rock hybrids, they wanted to do this book, they saw this video and they reached out to me.” Proudly, JayQuan tells me, “This was the one thing I felt was missing from my resume, I’d done a lot, but I needed to write a book.”

Much like his work with the The National Hip-Hop Museum, Run-DMC And Raising Hell reads like an exhibit that is expertly curated to shine a light on the rap group, their lives, and the influence of their work. In addition to his own critical analysis, Jayquan has collected a range of quotes from Run-DMC, to other key figures, contemporaries, and collaborators within their orbit. As JayQuan tells it, “A lot of the information was already in my head ‘cause I’d already talked to many people adjacent to Run DMC, like Davy DMX, their original DJ – I was a consultant on his documentary. I interviewed Run before there was any idea of the book, and in the capacity of LL Cool J’s Rock The Bells, I interviewed DMC. I already had all of this information, plus I already knew a lot of stuff cause I’m kind of a rap nerd. As a result, Jayquan tells a story that explores the Run-DMC’s story from beginning to end. With a focus on Raising Hell, he is able to demonstrate the significance of the album, both then and now, as a record that immediately changed the hip-hop landscape and remains essential to the genre’s cannon.

Circling back on his passion for this project, JayQuan exclaims, “I remember where I was when I first heard Run-DMC. I remember who I was with, what street I was on. Their music was so game changing, I designate before Run-DMC and after Run-DMC.” As a record that transitioned hip-hop from drum machines to sampling, while demonstrating a greater level of credibility to the genre through crossover success with their collaboration with Aerosmith, Raising Hell remains a musically and culturally significant record that shaped the cannon of the genre for decades to come. Run-DMC and Raising Hell: 40 Years is a stunning book that makes effective use of the coffee table book format. Through this, Jay Quan is able to tell a story using a vast collection of images that serve to draw the reader in. As such, JayQuan’s work crafts a compelling narrative that speaks to the vibrant legacy of Run-DMC, while ultimately serving as a love letter to hip-hop and its golden era.

Listen to the full, unabridged conversation with JayQuan, including explorations on the transition between the drum machine and sampling era, navigating cultural authenticity despite crossover success, Run-DMC’s intergenerational relevance, and questioning what makes a classic record amid modern consumption trends, on episode 66 of Beats By Ger on Spotify and YouTube.

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Background Photo Credit: Michael Ochs (Via The Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)