B-side "Sucker M.C.'s" Recorded 1983 Length 4:51 (7")
7:25 (12") | Released November 1, 1983 Genre Golden age hip hop | |
Format Cassette single, 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl | ||
"It's Like That" is the debut single by American hip hop group Run–D.M.C.
Contents
It was first released in 1983 on a cassette backed with the track "Sucker M.C.'s". The release marked the start of Run-D.M.C.'s career and is widely regarded as ushering in a new school of hip hop artists with a street image and an abrasive, minimalist sound that marked them out from their predecessors. Both tracks were collected on the trio's eponymous debut album in 1984. "It's Like That" is about life in the area where the group lives (unemployment, prices, death, etc.). Despite protesting those social and political problems, the song takes on a hopeful message encouraging listeners to abandon prejudice and to believe in themselves. In 2001, parts of the song was sampled in Jagged Edge's "Let's Get Married (Remix)" featuring Run-D.M.C.. The single was an international success.
The song was remixed by house DJ Jason Nevins in 1997. His version was originally released in 1997 on 10" vinyl in the U.S., and became a sleeper hit in 1998. It sold around five million copies worldwide, placing it amongst the biggest selling singles of all time.
In 2008, it was ranked number 40 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.
Background
In the re-release of the album in 2003, a booklet was included, and a reviewer, Angus Batey, wrote the background information about the album. When he wrote about "It's like That", he quoted:
[Larry] Smith had created one particularly stark backing track that would provide a perfect setting for rap. He was aware of Run's prowess as a writer, having previously paid the teenager $100 for a set of lyrics with the intention of [Kurtis] Blow recording them. One evening, in Smith's home studio in Queens, Run and D persuaded Larry and Russell [Simmons] to let them have a chance to make a demo. Russell agreed; taking Run's $100 rap and extensive additional lines penned by the prolific DMC, Russell doled it out line by line between the two vocalists, who sprayed their lyrics over the stark beat onto tape. 'It's Like That' became the band's debut single, stridently announcing that a new era began.
The song was mixed by Kurtis Blow and Elai Tubo.
Track listing
All tracks written by Darryl McDaniels, Joe Simmons and Larry Smith.
- "It's Like That" - 7:25
- "Sucker M.C.'s (Krush Groove 1)" - 3:15
- "It's Like That (Instrumental)" - 7:10
- "Sucker M.C.'s (Krush Groove 1) (Instrumental)" - 3:05
Jason Nevins version
In 1997, a new version by American producer Jason Nevins was released. The Nevins version topped the pop charts all the way to Number 1 in many countries, including the United Kingdom, where it stayed at the top for six weeks and became Britain's third biggest-selling single of 1998. Elsewhere, it also topped the chart in Australia, where it remains their only top five hit there.
In the United Kingdom, Nevins remix gained notoriety for breaking the Spice Girls' run of consecutive number one hits on the UK Singles Chart, keeping their song "Stop" from claiming the top spot.
Track listing
- "It's Like That" (Drop The Break - Radio Edit) - 4:09
- "It's Like That" (Jason's Battle Blaster) - 8:21
- "It's Like That" (Drop The Break) - 8:20
Music video
The music video for the remix featured male vs. female breakdance crews battling each other. The video was shot in downtown LA in 1998 after the song went to #1 on the pop chart in Italy. Jason is the in the beginning of the video wearing his 'well known yellow tinted glasses' and holding a boom box.
Popular culture
The song was featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and Scarface: The World Is Yours. The Jason Nevins version is featured as a playable track in SingStar Dance for the PlayStation Move. The remix was also featured in a Fanta commercial where people and objects bounce around by drinking the soda given by a DJ while the song plays.