Yahoo News Watch Run-DMC perform in reportedly their last show ever at the Hip Hop 50 concert in New York
Run-DMC has officially run its course — at least for now.
The legendary hip-hop group performed on stage for reportedly the last time ever as they closed out New York City's star-studded Hip Hop 50 Live concert Friday. In video footage obtained from the event, members Rev. Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels opened their set with their 1984 hit "Rock Box" to an adoring audience.
"How many people out there came to see Run-DMC?" Simmons asked the crowd, who cheered in response. "How many people from the old school had the cassette tapes? … Talking about my old-school people, people that know 'Peter Piper' and 'My Adidas.'"
Simmons and McDaniels ended up performing the two aforementioned tracks — and even giving a pair of their signature white sneakers to a fan — as well as a medley of their greatest hits including "It's Like That," "It's Tricky," "Here We Go," "Mary, Mary," and their 1986 collaboration with Aerosmith, "Walk This Way."
The concert, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, also featured performances from Snoop Dogg, Nas, Ice Cube, T.I., Lil' Kim, Common, Ghostface Killah, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Trina, Slick Rick, and more.
In addition to those artists, several special guests took to the stage, including Method Man, Wiz Khalifa, Ashanti, Too $hort, and Lauryn Hill, who joined Nas to perform "Nobody" and "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)."
Theo Wargo/Getty Nas and Lauryn Hill perform at Hip Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium
Run-DMC's performance came just two days after New York City mayor Eric Adams officially proclaimed Aug. 9 as "RUN-DMC Day." In celebration of the group's 40th anniversary, and the genre's 50th, fans can check out a pop-up shop and an art installation in New York City until Aug. 12.
This isn't the first time Run-DMC have announced that they were dropping the mic. The group, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, previously retired after the death of member Jason William Mizell, a.k.a Jam Master Jay, in 2002. While they have since returned to the stage together, Run-DMC have not released any new music since Jam Master Jay's death.
Simmons and McDaniels floated the idea that they were winding down activities earlier this year. "Run-DMC is over," McDaniels told Rock the Bells. "The only way Run-DMC gets back together is if the Beatles get back together. Can that happen?"
Theo Wargo/Getty Run-DMC at the Hip Hop 50 concert in New York
At the time, DMC said their final show would be an April performance at Madison Square Garden. "It's going to be the last episode of the documentary we're doing. Run-DMC's last show ever," McDaniels said. "'Cause it's time for Run to go be Paul McCartney and me to be John Lennon. We done did what we could do."
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