The Chat | D.M.C.of Run-D.M.C

Kathy Orton, The Washington Post

Darryl McDaniels, 40, aka D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C, wanted to play football or draw cartoons.

Instead, the powerful, blunt and clever raps he and Joseph Simmons, aka Run, created with the turntable wizardry of Jason Mizell, aka Jam Master Jay, became the anthems of the hip-hop generation.

Along with "Walk This Way," "King of Rock" and "It's Tricky," one of the songs Run-D.M.C. is best known for is "My Adidas," the group's tribute to their kicks. In honor of the 35th anniversary of its Superstar shoe, Adidas will host a benefit for the Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music on Friday in New York. Mizell was murdered in 2002. His widow, Terri, formed the foundation to assist public school music programs.

Why Adidas? Why not another brand?
They look good. They're real cool. It was a childhood tribute to the sneaker you loved as a kid. Back in the day, we used to wear Converse. We used to wear Pro Keds. You remember those? We used to wear Puma, Ponys. But Adidas was the one that lasted longer. It had more flavor, more personality. It just looked better. When you think of hip-hop, the first thing you think of is Run-D.M.C and you think of those sneakers on our feet.

If you were doing a rap about a sneaker today, which one would you pick?
Adidas. There's no other sneaker in the world that looks good on D.M.C.'s feet. I don't know why. It was a match made in heaven. The only other thing you'll see on my feet, I'll keep it real, is Timberland boots.

Did you play basketball?
I played a little bit of basketball. I was more into football. I went to Catholic schools all my life, but Catholic schools never had football teams, so I had to play on the basketball team. Once I really got into basketball, my father put a rim in the backyard on the garage. That's actually how I met Run. He would come over after elementary school, and we would play one-on-one together. He was better than me, I'll keep it real. I was a forward. He was a guard. I beat him every now and then because I had height on him. He would kill me with his left hand. He was left-handed, so I couldn't get the matchup right.

What position did you play in football?
I played running back and linebacker, defensive end now and then. I was big, but I wasn't really big enough. I'd get pushed off the line. I really wanted to be a receiver. I wasn't a showoff. I just did my thing, laid the ball down and went back to the huddle. If I never started rapping, I was going to be a football player or I was going to be a cartoonist or architect because I could draw.

You went to St. John's. How about the game against Georgetown yesterday?
That was a rivalry back in the day. Y'all slain us many a nights. When we had Chris Mullin and Mark Jackson, we were running things. I'll give it to y'all. Georgetown represented very well.

College or pro basketball?
I'm really getting into college right now. I like Illinois. I love when they get a team so focused like that. They play as a team. It ain't like you got one guy that's doing it. They play as a team. I like teamwork.