After nearly 90 years in Yuma, Arizona, 560 KBLU has ceased operations and gone silent.
At 6:30 PM on Saturday evening, the station went silent as El Dorado Broadcasters ended the news/talk format.
560 KBLU can trace its roots back to KYUM, which began on March 3, 1940, before later merging with daytime-only 1320 AM KBLU in 1967. That merger was officially approved in 1969 by the FCC.
The station aired a mostly nationally syndicated lineup. Its morning show, however, was helmed by Russ Clark.
Clark has revealed he’ll continue to host a daily morning show. He’ll continue to helm the program on Facebook Live. The first edition of his live digital video show debuted on Monday morning.
The end of 560 KBLU comes as El Dorado Broadcasters struck a deal to sell its Yuma cluster in November for $375,000 to K-Love Inc. Country 95.1 KTTI and Classic Hits 100.9 The River were included in the deal, but the news/talk station was not.
El Dorado Broadcasters purchased the cluster, including 560 KBLU, in 2007. It had previously been owned by Clear Channel.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
WFAN’s Keith McPherson will step onto a national stage this week, accepting a two-night role that places him alongside one of sports radio’s most recognizable debate voices.
The former WFAN evening host is scheduled to co-host The Odd Couple on FOX Sports Radio Wednesday and Thursday with Rob Parker, marking his first national radio appearance since transitioning away from a full-time schedule in New York late last year.
The opportunity represents a notable moment in McPherson’s evolving career. After four years anchoring nights at WFAN, he announced late last year he would step down from his full-time role as host on the New York sports talker to prioritize some personal matters.
He emphasized at the time that the move did not stem from termination or an expired contract, describing it instead as a necessary shift designed to create better balance at home while leaving the door open for occasional fill-in appearances. McPherson has hosted several weekend shifts on WFAN since his announcement.
Now, he re-enters the spotlight through a nationally syndicated program that thrives on strong opinions and personality-driven exchanges. The Odd Couple, which airs across the country on FOX Sports Radio, has built its brand on energetic debate and cultural awareness within the sports landscape.
Parker’s sharp delivery and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom create a format that demands preparation, confidence and chemistry from whoever occupies the co-host chair.
McPherson brings experience shaped by one of the country’s most demanding media markets. During his tenure at WFAN, he cultivated a loyal audience by blending New York sports passion with conversational pacing tailored to modern listening habits.
McPherson responded to a social media post featuring the announcement with a simple message of “let’s get it.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
ESPN is further strengthening its baseball coverage after reaching a multi-year contract extension with Senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan, a move that also includes the launch of a new baseball podcast in partnership with Omaha Productions.
The agreement keeps Passan in place as one of the company’s most visible and authoritative voices on Major League Baseball, while also giving him a new platform to deepen storytelling and leverage the insider access that has defined his reporting across television, digital and audio properties.
As part of the expanded role, Passan will host an ESPN baseball podcast produced in conjunction with Omaha Productions, the media company founded by Peyton Manning, which has steadily increased its footprint in sports media through partnerships that blend personality-driven programming with strong editorial backing.
Passan, who joined ESPN in 2019, said the extension reflects both professional fulfillment and an opportunity to innovate within the sport he has covered for nearly two decades.
“I came to ESPN seven years ago hoping to spend the rest of my career telling stories to the biggest and most passionate audience in the sports world,” Passan said. “I’m extraordinarily lucky to work with a team of great reporters, editors, producers, hosts and analysts. And I can’t wait to deliver an entirely new kind of baseball show for those who love the best game in the world.”
The new podcast further broadens Passan’s presence across a portfolio that already includes regular appearances on ESPN.com, The Pat McAfee Show, SportsCenter, Get Up, Baseball Tonight, Pardon the Interruption, ESPN Radio and ESPN’s social platforms, where he frequently breaks news and provides context on trades, contract negotiations and league developments.
Burke Magnus, ESPN president of content, described Passan as one of the most respected journalists covering the sport and emphasized the strategic value of expanding his reach through an owned audio product.
“Jeff is one of the industry’s leading journalists and most-respected voices in baseball,” Magnus said. “We’re delighted that Jeff will expand his presence at ESPN with his own podcast and continue to lead our breaking news coverage of MLB.”
Since arriving from Yahoo Sports, where he spent 13 years building a national profile, Passan has become synonymous with ESPN’s MLB news cycle, often driving conversation with scoops and long-form features that examine the business and human sides of the game.
His work has earned significant recognition, including the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting in 2022 for a 2021 story on San Francisco Giants outfielder Drew Robinson. Additionally, the National Sports Media Association named him National Sportswriter of the Year in both 2021 and 2023.
Beyond daily reporting, Passan is also the author of the New York Times bestseller “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” and co-author of “Death to the BCS.” This year, he and his family established the Rich Passan Sports Writing Scholarship, aimed at supporting aspiring sports journalists.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Fox News has announced it is adding businessman and entrepreneur Marcus Lemons as a contributor, sharing his analysis on business and economic issues for the outlet.
Lemonis is no stranger to Fox. He previously hosted The Fixer, a reality series focused on helping struggling small businesses, for the FOX broadcast network. It also featured encore presentations on the Fox Business Network and on FOX Nation.
He also helmed The Profit for CNBC, which earned Critics’ Choice and Reality Television Award nominations during his run leading the program.
Marcus Lemonis is currently the executive chairman and CEO of Beyond, the company that owns Bed Bath & Beyond and Buy Buy Baby brands, among others. He also previously served as the CEO of Camping World before stepping down from that role earlier this year.
A noted philanthropist, Marcus Lemonis has given millions to women and minority entrepreneurs, and charities fighting global hunger and increasing salaries for local educators, among a variety of other initiatives.
The 52-year-old is scheduled to make his first appearance as a Fox News contributor on Monday afternoon, during The Big Money Show alongside Taylor Riggs, Dagen McDowell, Brian Brenberg, and Jackie DeAngelis on Fox Business Network at Noon.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Veteran broadcaster Bob Costas says his return to NBC Sports represents less of a comeback and more of a carefully timed final act, one shaped by opportunity, legacy and the chance to close his career where it first reached national prominence.
During a recent appearance on The Jim Rome Podcast, Costas explained that network executives initially contacted him roughly two years ago, suggesting that both sides wait until several major rights negotiations played out before formalizing anything.
“They thought they had a good shot at the NBA, and they got it. They thought they had kind of a shot at baseball, and they’re surprised that they did get it. They knew that they had the 28 L.A. Olympics, which I could contribute something to at domestic Olympics,” said Costas. “It makes sense. So this gives me a chance to hit some grace notes and tie the proper ribbon around it and feel good about the closing chapter.”
Costas returned to NBC Sports late last year, bringing one of the most accomplished careers in American broadcasting back to the network where much of his legacy was built. NBC Sports has already announced Costas will serve as host of the network’s Sunday Night Baseball pregame show. The network says that will lead into games airing on NBC and simulstreamed on Peacock.
The move reunites Costas with NBC nearly six years after his formal exit from the company following an unparalleled four-decade run.
Importantly, Bob Costas described his role in careful terms. He made clear that he does not plan to serve as the day-to-day driver of the division. Speaking with Jim Rome, Costas said he now sees himself as a “show pony” rather than a “workhorse.” The remark reflected both his self-awareness and NBC’s current leadership structure.
“The workhorse of NBC Sports is Mike Tirico. I have passed the baton to him, just as Jim McKay metaphorically passed it to me,” said Costas. “I’m happy to be the middleman in a string that involves three pretty good broadcasters.”
The remarks signal a broader understanding of sports media’s evolution. Marquee voices often shift from centerpiece to contributor over time. Even in reduced roles, they provide credibility and historical context. They also add narrative framing that newer formats sometimes lack.
NBC Sports recently announced a special Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presentation featuring Costas alongside Doug Collins, Mike Fratello, Jim Gray, Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas and P.J. Carlesimo for a March 3 NBA broadcast.
Costas will handle play-by-play alongside Collins and Fratello, with Gray reporting courtside, while Storm hosts NBA Showtime on Peacock with Thomas and Carlesimo serving as studio analysts.
He acknowledged that today’s media ecosystem moves faster and fragments more sharply than in past eras. Still, he argued that signature events such as the Olympic Games benefit from seasoned perspective. He believes experienced voices add depth when layered onto modern production.
Perhaps most tellingly, Costas emphasized that NBC stood alone as a viable destination for this phase of his career, explaining that no other opportunity would have drawn him back into a structured network role.
“I don’t think anything at this point would have brought me back, except this opportunity to write a gratifying last chapter, where it should be written with NBC,” said Costas.
For NBC Sports, the arrangement provides a respected voice for select tentpole events without altering its current leadership hierarchy. For Bob Costas, the opportunity carries a personal dimension. He views it as a deliberate and well-timed conclusion on familiar ground. The role allows him to contribute meaningfully. At the same time, he recognizes that leadership has passed to others.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
WPHM in Port Huron, Michigan, has announced it plans to shift its signal from 1380 AM to 1450 AM and 105.5 FM in April.
On April 6th, the 1380 AM signal will be turned off. The station is largely moving away from its news/talk station.
During The Paul Miller Show on Monday morning, Radio First General Manager Scott Shigley said the news and reasoning behind the move.
“Every radio station has towers, and every radio station has a license. We have a lot of programming across our stations, and some of it just really isn’t focused,” said Shigley. “And one of the things that we’re going to do is we’re going to make Paul available, not only to an AM audience, but we’re going to make you available on an FM dial too.
“We are going to take the WPHM call letters, and we are going to move it down the dial to 1450. The reason for that is because 1450 is also attached to 105.5 FM. So now we’re going to be able to offer The Paul Miller Show on an FM to an FM audience as well as AM, and we feel like that is a really, really important thing for us to be able to do.”
Shigley added that the current rock, country, and folk music format featured on the 1590 AM and 92.7 FM signals in the market will then be added to WPHM from 10 AM throughout the remainder of the day.
Currently, 1380 AM WPHM airs nationally syndicated news/talk shows like The Brian Kilmeade Show, The Guy Benson Show, Will Cain Country, and Coast to Coast AM. It also airs Bleck & Abdalla from Westwood One Sports, as well as FOX Sports Radio in the evening hours.
Following the signal shuffle, the cluster will have three stations: QCountry 107, 96.9 WBTI, and 105.5 FM/1450 AM WPHM.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is addressing the company’s failed pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery, and he is doing so with the same direct tone that has long defined his public commentary on the evolving media landscape.
During an interview with Bloomberg, Sarandos characterized the competing bidder that ultimately secured the deal as “unusual” and even “irrational,” signaling clear frustration over how the process unfolded while also projecting confidence in Netflix’s strategic position moving forward.
“It’ll be fascinating to see the next steps,” said Sarandos. “I’m confident in our future that we’re not impacted by all that. In fact, maybe it’s to our advantage. But I hope I’m wrong for the sake of the industry.”
Sarandos acknowledged the irregular nature of the competition and suggested that outside factors influenced the trajectory of the sale. Even so, Sarandos emphasized that Netflix remains well positioned regardless of the outcome.
He argued that the company’s long-term strategy does not hinge on any single acquisition and could ultimately benefit from staying disciplined while others stretch beyond traditional valuation models.
Political noise also entered the conversation, when Sarandos was asked whether public pressure from President Donald Trump may have rattled shareholders at Warner Bros. Discovery.
“It’s a lot cheaper to make noise than it is to actually raise your bid,” Sarandos said. “So they tried that path first. Once it was clear that we weren’t in the CNN business, it was a lot less interesting. He didn’t care that much more about our deal.”
Ultimately, Sarandos said Netflix operated within a clearly defined valuation framework and refused to deviate from it, even as the bidding intensified. The company submitted what he described as a tight offer range and later shifted to an all-cash structure in an effort to streamline the process, yet leadership determined that exceeding those parameters would undermine the disciplined approach that has fueled Netflix’s sustained growth.
“I’m happy where we got in and happy where we got out,” said Sarandos. “We knew right away, when we got the notice on Thursday that they had a superior offer and the details of that deal. We knew exactly what we were going to do.”
For a company that has built its brand on calculated risk-taking, the decision underscores a willingness to walk away when the numbers no longer align with long-term objectives, reinforcing Sarandos’ belief that patience and fiscal restraint can sometimes offer more competitive leverage than winning a headline-grabbing auction.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Rick McNeal, a longtime presence on Northeast Wisconsin radio and co-host of the popular Rick and Len morning show on 105.7 WAPL, has died, according to the station. He retired in 2024 after battling health issues, closing out a run that made him one of the most recognizable voices in the Appleton and Green Bay markets.
WAPL-FM shared news of McNeal’s passing with listeners over the weekend, prompting an outpouring of tributes across social media from fans who started their mornings with his brand of humor and rock-focused commentary.
For decades, McNeal helped set the tone for the station’s identity, blending music knowledge with a conversational style that resonated with a loyal audience.
McNeal formed one half of the Rick and Len pairing with Len Nelson. The duo became synonymous with mornings on WAPL. Their chemistry blended sharp humor with a deep love of rock music. That dynamic helped the show stay competitive in a crowded regional market. The program endured despite shifting listening habits and expanding platform choices over the past decade.
McNeal had been in a coma for a week in an intensive care unit after an infection led to sepsis, according to a Facebook post from Len Nelson, his close friend and former on-air partner who spent 35 years in the studio with him on The Rick & Len Show.
“Suffice to say, it’s devastating,” Nelson said. “However, because I try to apply pragmatism even in tragic moments, I am grateful that he no longer has to struggle with the health issues that forced his retirement a couple of years ago and which have made his life since a very difficult one.
In a statement, WAPL General Manager BJ DeGroot reflected on McNeal’s impact both on and off the air.
“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Rick McNeal. Longtime host of the WAPL Morning Show, colleague, and friend,” DeGroot said. “While Rick’s public persona was loved by many in Northeast Wisconsin, he remained a very private person. We honor his wishes and those closest to him and ask for privacy through this difficult time. Legacy is found in the laughter he shared with every listener.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
I’ve argued for the past decade that the radio and advertising industries have been operating with an outdated view of who matters most. I’ve written about it, questioned it on social media and have led discussions about it at our annual Summits. We’ve even let others use this website to examine the issue.
Yet the obsession with Adults/Men 25-54 has been treated as gospel for so long that many in our business forgot to ask a simple question: Does it still reflect reality?
Audacy’s Latest Research
I read through Audacy’s newest research piece last week presented by Ray Borelli, Reggie Shah and the company’s Insights team. It provided serious data and sound logic to a conversation that needs greater attention. If you haven’t read it, take some time and do so. It’s worth it.
Their case for expanding the industry’s primary buying demo from Adults 25-54 to Adults 25-64 isn’t just persuasive — it’s overdue. Audacy didn’t provide a hot take, corporate press release or dress this up as insight. It was well-researched, thoughtfully presented and highlighted real audience behavior and economic reality.
The industry should be paying attention because this affects everyone not just Audacy.
Adulthood looks different today than it did when the 25-54 demographic standard was created. Audacy points out that shifting from Adults 25-54 to Adults 25-64 expands radio’s national audience from 107 million to 140 million people — a 31% increase in reach and 33 million additional adults.
Think about that for a moment.
Without creating a single new show, hiring a single new host, or flipping a single format, radio instantly becomes dramatically larger, simply by measuring the audience in a way that reflects modern life.
Photo Credit: Audacy’s ‘The Demographic Reset’
And the best part? The economic quality of the audience doesn’t decline. In fact, homeownership rates increase and income levels remain strong across the broader group.
That’s not theoretical upside. That’s measurable business opportunity.
Audacy’s research even showed a four-point lift in conversion among exposed listeners within the broader demographic. That’s the kind of performance metric advertisers claim they want. If the goal of advertising is to drive results, why would we intentionally ignore millions of consumers with proven spending power?
Mike Francesa Has Said This For Years
If this argument sounds familiar, it should. Mike Francesa has been pounding the table on this issue for years.
Francesa has repeatedly challenged Nielsen and the advertising community to stop ignoring older audiences. His point has always been straightforward: Americans are living longer, working longer, and spending longer. Media consumption habits have evolved, but measurement standards haven’t kept pace.
Mike joined me at our conference in New York City in 2020 and emphatically called on Nielsen and the advertising industry to look at this issue with fresh eyes He cited how the majority of buying power in this country sits with older consumers. Cars, travel, financial services, insurance, and home improvement aren’t categories dominated by 27-year-olds. They’re dominated by adults who have established careers, families, and assets.
Francesa understood something many programmers and sellers learned firsthand: loyal audiences often skew older, and loyal audiences drive consistent revenue. Audacy’s work reinforced exactly what Mike has been saying.
The 55-64 audience segment represents a significant share of households and spending, and retirement ages continue to climb. That’s not a niche group. That’s a major economic force.
The Industry’s Comfort Zone Has Become Its Limitation
The advertising industry didn’t land on Adults 25-54 by accident. For decades it represented the sweet spot of consumers establishing households and brand preferences.
But that model was built for a different era.
People bought homes earlier. They started families earlier. They retired earlier.
None of those assumptions hold up the way they once did.
Today, the median age of a first-time homebuyer is 40, and the median age of all homebuyers is nearly 60. That reality alone should make every media planner reconsider how they define “prime consumers.”
Yet the industry continues to cling to 25-54 as if it were a law of physics rather than a marketing convention. Radio has paid the price for that inertia. Stations routinely deliver strong total audiences and highly engaged listeners but struggle to monetize them because the measurement currency ignores a meaningful portion of their value.
This isn’t a programming problem. It’s a measurement problem.
Nielsen Needs a Fresh Look
Nielsen deserves credit for the role it has played in helping radio demonstrate its value. Ratings have been important to many companies throughout the years. However, many larger groups have lost trust due to rising costs, small sample sizes, and an unwillingness to evolve and consider new information.
It’s no secret that measurement systems don’t capture the current climate effectively. Groups like Cumulus, Good Karma Brands, Saga, Townsquare and others have found ways to run their businesses without Nielsen. If expanding a demographic from 25-54 to 25-64 more accurately reflects how modern consumers live, work, and spend, which benefits the brands and advertisers paying Nielsen for the information, what exactly is the argument against it?
Photo Credit: Audacy’s ‘The Demographic Reset’
We’ve seen Nielsen make methodological changes before such as adjusting PPM rules and refining measurement standards. Why wouldn’t they want to provide a better snapshot of what’s actually happening?
The industry has an opportunity to rethink the foundation of its buying currency. Inflating numbers artificially isn’t necessary. All groups need is to represent reality more accurately.
This Is Bigger Than Radio
What makes Audacy’s argument particularly compelling is that it isn’t just about helping radio look bigger. It’s about helping brands make smarter decisions. Ignoring millions of consumers with high incomes and active buying behavior doesn’t make advertising more efficient. It makes it less effective.
Audacy’s research makes clear that expanding the demo aligns measurement with how adulthood actually works in 2026, not how it worked in 1986.
That’s a critical distinction.
Media habits have changed. Life stages have changed. Economic realities have changed. Measurement standards must change too.
Key Demographic Changes (1986–2026)
Aging Population: The 65+ population has grown substantially, with the oldest boomers turning 80 in 2026. The 80-plus population is projected to double between 2025 and 2045.
Increased Diversity: The population is more diverse, with significant growth in Hispanic, Asian, and multi-racial populations. Hispanics have jumped from roughly 18-19 million in 1986 to approximately 68 million in 2024. The Asian population grew from roughly 11.9 million in 2000 to 24.8 million by 2023. And the Black population grew from 36.2 million in 2000 to 49.2 million by 2024.
Increased Education: The percentage of the voting-age population with a college degree has roughly doubled.
The Data Can’t Be Ignored
In the mid-1980s, wealth was concentrated in older, but not exclusively retirement-age, households. According to research on wealth trends in 1983, households headed by persons between 45 and 69 years of age held the largest share of wealth.
Fast forward to 2026, and wealth is now heavily concentrated in the oldest living generations, specifically those who have already retired or are nearing retirement. As of early 2026, Americans in their 60s and 70s are the wealthiest, with average net worth’s exceeding $1.4 million, according to data from Empower. Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964) are the wealthiest, holding more than half of all U.S. household wealth, despite making up less than 20% of the population.
Photo Credit: Audacy’s ‘The Demographic Reset’
The U.S. population has soared from approximately 240 million in 1986 to a projected 348 million in 2026. Our demographic center is shifting rapidly toward older age groups and a more diverse, and educated, yet smaller, younger generation.
Conclusion
To summarize, consumers are smarter, larger, wealthier, more diverse, and living longer. Yet our industry continues to prioritize the same demographics as if we’re living in 1986.
That needs to change.
Adults 25-64 isn’t a radical idea. It’s a realistic one. Heck, I’d be fine if Nielsen tweaked it to 29-64 or 31-64. Either way, it’s more reflective of the modern world we live, consume and make purchases in.
For years, many have challenged Nielsen and advertisers to recognize older audiences. Audacy deserves credit for putting real data behind it. The Insights team didn’t just suggest a demographic reset, they made a credible business case for it. And they did so with clarity, evidence, and practical logic.
The question now is whether the advertising community and Nielsen care to listen.
Radio doesn’t need artificial growth. It needs its real audience counted. If the goal is to help brands succeed while accurately valuing one of America’s most powerful media platforms, then a demographic reset isn’t just logical — it’s necessary.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
I have known Darryl “DMC” McDaniels personally for close to 20 years. He is one of my favorite people on the planet. In all my years in rock radio, this hip hop legend has still been the most incredible interview to grace my airwaves.
McDaniels was a regular on my radio show because he is a musical and cultural encyclopedia. Always bringing positivity and inspiration. He’s a rocker and rock star in his own right.
McDaniels is a founding member of the iconic Run-D.M.C. He’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, best-selling author, comic book creator, philanthropist, and survivor. He’s always making music with everyone, and with no boundaries. McDaniels has collaborated with rock royalty such as Myles Kennedy, Santana, Agnostic Front, and Sammy Hagar. The list is endless. He fits everywhere, and everyone loves working with him.
Run-D.M.C. made history in 1986, bringing Aerosmith back from the dead and merging rock and rap long before Korn, Cypress Hill, and Linkin Park were born. In fact, they started the process in 1984 with their debut, Rock Box, featuring live metal guitars courtesy of Eddie Martinez.
McDaniels just released a slamming new single,She Gets Me High, sampling the Ram Jam classic Black Betty. It also features Sebastian Bach on vocals, Mick Mars on guitar, Duff McKagan on bass, with Travis Barker on drums.
He gave me some information on his new album, America, which will drop at the end of the summer. The effort features collaborations from Joan Jett and Sammy Hagar.
I caught up with McDaniels at a local NJ coffeehouse, Catfight Coffee in Boonton. We taped my Carr Stereo Podcast, where we hipped and hopped through his early days, Hall of Fame induction, his love of local radio as a kid. Also his recent efforts crafting new music as an independent artist.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
Terrie Carr – I know hip hop came before Run-D.M.C. But you guys did something completely different.
Darryl “DMC” McDaniels – We took it global.
TC– You also did something that I don’t think you get the credit for, because you got the credit when you merged with Aerosmith. You merged rock and hip hop before that, way before that. I remember seeing and hearing Rock Box, because that was one of the first hip hop videos on MTV ever. The thing I remember the most was Eddie Martinez on guitar!
Eddie was most memorable because I had never seen a hip hop video with a guy out front playing a guitar solo at the very beginning of the video.
DMC– Yeah. On top of the Cadillac.
TC– The video was so great. There was a little white kid running around, and Eddie’s there. I had never seen anything like it at the time. It was groundbreaking. The director who put that together was brilliant.
Coming from the early days of hip hop. People such as Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash, and Melle Mel. They made different records than Run-D.M.C.
DMC– We were trying to do a record like Billy Squier. We wanted to make a record like Billy Squier’s Big Beat.
TC– You guys wanted songs, and you had them.
DMC– It was because of the radio. Hip hop today ain’t even hip hop. It’s inspired by hip hop, but that’s a whole other story.
We grew up with New York City radio. In the beginning, it was the black station and the white station. But then 77 WABC did something groundbreaking. They started playing the black music and the white music together.
When I was younger, you would have to listen to WWRL. You would have to listen to that station to get the black music. You had to listen to other stations to get the white music. But on 77 WABC, you could hear Sly and the Family Stone and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young together. You could hear Elton John, James Brown., Aretha Franklin, and Joni Mitchell.
We were children of that. The hip hop generation is made up of children of late ’60s and ’70s radio. Everybody is a child of that. On Saturday mornings, besides the cartoons for every kid — Black, white, Italian, Asian — there was Soul Train at 12 o’clock.
TC– Get on the line dance, baby.
DMC– Then you still didn’t go outside until 2 because at 1 o’clock on ABC there was Dick Clark with American Bandstand. All of that music was us.
When we started doing hip hop, we utilized the records we were hearing on Soul Train, American Bandstand, and 77 WABC. Our inspiration wasn’t about color. It was about vibration and sound.
Growing up, I loved Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Bob Dylan, and all of the folk music. That was our music. Ginger Baker said, “it’s just F*****g music. You don’t separate it, it’s just music.” He got mad at the industry for trying to separate it.
I’m a rock guy, so I agreed with Gene Simmons. All my friends cursed me out. Gene Simmons said the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was really made for bands and musicians. You could argue and say they should have created an annex for soul music, hip hop, and everything else.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame people what’s the criteria to get in. Because I agreed with Gene since I’m a rock fan.
They said, “Darryl, if you take a flute,” and I cut them off. I questioned if taking a flute meant you’re playing in the band. They followed up saying, “If all you have is a flute and you sell out Madison Square Garden three nights in a row, that’s some rock and roll s**t.”
All of Run DMC’s hits are rock songs. Taken from rock songs. It’s Tricky is My Sharona. Mary Mary is The Monkees. We all grew up this way. Coming home from school, after your mother and father would tell you is do your homework and eat your dinner. You’d turn the TV on and it was The Brady Bunch, The Monkees, and Fred Flintstone.
With Run-D.M.C., at first hip hop it was Black music. It was about what was going on in the Bronx and Harlem. When hip hop came over the bridge from the city into Queens, we were in the suburbs. So, we had drugs and gangs.
TC– But you also had college.
DMC– We also had college, double dutch, and hopscotch. When I got into hip hop, Bob Dylan and all these people talked about politics and social issues. They also talked about your grandmother.
I asked why isn’t nobody rapping about the other things like that? There were black kids in my hood who were ashamed to wear a Judas Priest shirt because they thought you weren’t supposed to do that.
But when we dropped Rock Box, those kids felt comfortable to wear their Judas Priest shirt now. The same thing happened for the rock kids into hip hop who were running around in their Misfits shirts. That was us.
TC– You’ve got a new tune out with some incredibly iconic performers.
DMC– The song started like this. I was working with and R&B and hip hop producer. He’s just working on stuff, messing around. He goes to the [New York] Giants game at the stadium. Now, you know at sports games — especially hockey games — during intermission and timeouts, the DJs always play music.
He’s sitting there and Rage Against the Machine, Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, Blink-182, and AC/DC comes on. The Rolling Stones, Audioslave, Soundgarden — all of that comes on. Then Walk This Way comes on followed by Ozzy [Osbourne], Black Sabbath, and then Tricky.
He comes back and tells me, “D, we got to do this record.” At the game, Ram Jam’s Black Betty comes on, which led him to saying he’s got an idea and let’s do it.
We did a sampled version of Ram Jam’s Black Betty with me rapping over it. Then we sat down, and he thought about all the music he heard at the game. That’s when he decided to do this record live.
And that’s all he said. So now we have to find some musicians.
They found musicians and put out a killer rebirth of a classic taken from a Leadbelly song. How did Darryl hook up with four rock legends for his new tune? Who is he making a horror film with? What was it like merging with Aerosmith 40 years ago? Which radio DJs inspired him? What is his new album going to be like?
Check out my full hang with Darryl McDaniels on The Carr Stereo Podcast.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
