Daryll “D.M.C.” Matthews McDaniels appears as one of the judges on the MTV reality television competition series Celebrity Rap Superstar. He is an American musician who was born on May 31, 1964 in Harlem, New York, and is considered one of the pioneers of hip-hop culture. He is also a founding member of the hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. He attended St. John’s University in New York City, later on working as a recording artist. He was one of the group’s lead vocalists, partnered alongside his co-founder and good friend Joseph “Run” Simmons. They incorporated multiple styles and sources in a manner deemed to be original and inventive, such as the work of DJ Jam Master Jay.
Hip-hop music began to interest D.M.C. after he listened to recordings of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. During the late 70s, he taught himself to DJ in the basement of his family’s house, with his older brother Alford giving him a mixer and turntables to use. He went by the stage moniker “Grandmaster Get High” during this period. He later adopted the nickname D.M.C. after he was encouraged by Simmons to rap rather than DJ and mix records. During the late 90s, D.M.C. suffered from severe depression, and began relying on alcohol and prescription drugs. He eventually bounced back, reassessing his career choices and helping produce a documentary based on his life.
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