Artist x Artist: Derek Day of Classless Act x DMC
Some of the best collaborations are the least expected. On the surface, rising rockers Classless Act teaming with hip-hop legend DMC might seem head-scratching. Yet if you think about Run-DMC’s history with melding hard rock and hip-hop — and working with some of the biggest names in rock history — it’s a no-brainer.
In July, Classless Act and DMC collaborated on “Storm Before the Calm,” a slow-building, heavy blues rocker that showcases the L.A. band’s skills. Having the DMC co-sign doesn’t hurt either. That said, for our latest episode of Artist x Artist, we asked Derek Day of Classless Act to sit down with DMC.
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“I’m filled with gratitude for you making my rock n roll dreams come true,” DMC told Day.
“No one will believe me about any of that or that I’m even talking to you!” Day replied.
After expressing their mutual admiration, the two broke down how their collaboration came together and mentioned their favorite bands. DMC, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, also shared the reason he always wanted to be a rock star. Day gave DMC a primer on Tom Waits, and DMC shared a story about what it was like to open for Lou Reed in the ’80s. And longtime comic fan DMC name-dropped his favorite superhero.
On the previous episode of Artist x Artist, Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz spoke with his longtime pal Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional. In their conversation, they shared the story of how they met one fateful weekend, why Carrabba enlisted Duritz to sing on “So Long, So Long,” and why it took 20 years for their joint tour to come together.
Additional episodes of Artist x Artist, available here, include conversations between Steve Aoki and members of Taking Back Sunday, Sara Kays and Alec Benjamin, Pom Pom Squad and Nada Surf, Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna and the Linda Lindas, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner, Jonah Ray and “Weird Al” Yankovic, Sting with Shirazee, and Paris Jackson and Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra.
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
