Darryl McDaniels

Darryl McDaniels
McDaniels at the 2014 New York Comic Con
Background information
Birth name	Darryl Matthews McDaniels
Also known as	D.M.C., Easy D
Born	(1964-05-31) May 31, 1964 (age 52) Harlem, New York, U.S.
Origin	Hollis, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, old-school hip hop, East Coast hip hop, rap rock
Occupation(s)	Rapper, Producer
Years active	1981–present
Associated acts	Run–D.M.C., Jackyl, Notorious B.I.G.

Darryl "D.M.C." Matthews McDaniels (born May 31, 1964) is an American musician. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Run–D.M.C., and is considered one of the pioneers of hip hop culture.

McDaniels grew up in New York City. He was born to an unwed mother who surrendered him to the New York Foundling home. He was a ward of the Foundling, in foster care, until placed with the McDaniels and eventually adopted by them. He attended Rice High School in Manhattan and later enrolled in St. John's University in Queens.

McDaniels first became interested in hip hop music after listening to recordings of Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. In 1978, McDaniels taught himself to DJ in the basement of his parents' home, using turntables and a mixer given to him by his older brother, Alford. During this period he adopted the stage name "Grandmaster Get High".

Later that year, McDaniels sold his DJ equipment, after his friend Joseph "Run" Simmons acquired his own turntables and mixer. After Jam-Master Jay – who had a reputation as the best young DJ in Hollis – joined the group, Run encouraged McDaniels to rap rather than DJ. Gradually, McDaniels came to prefer rapping to mixing records, and adopted the nickname of "Easy D". In 1981, he dropped the "Easy D" moniker in favor of "DMcD", the way he signed his work in school, and then to the shorter "D.M.C.". This new nickname alternately stood for "Devastating Mic Control" or "Darryl Mac", his nickname since childhood as referenced in the lyrics of the song "King of Rock".

In 1984, the trio released their self-titled debut album and became very successful in the hip-hop industry. The group's success continued to grow and reached its peak with their third album Raising Hell. The album went to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making Run-D.M.C. the most popular hip-hop group at the time. During this time, McDaniels began to build a reputation as a heavy drinker. He was known to drink up to eight 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor a day and was arrested twice for public intoxication and driving while intoxicated. In 1987 Run-D.M.C. wrote "Christmas in Hollis" for A Very Special Christmas. The music video for "Christmas in Hollis" was shot in Hollis, Queens. Run-D.M.C. filmed the video during their 1987 tour. DMC's mother made a guest appearance in the video.