RUN-DMC

In 1986, Run-DMC and Aerosmith created "Walk This Way," a masterpiece in rock and rap. Fifteen years later, Run-DMC still boasts the name recognition that can score top names in both rap and rock. Its first album in six years, Crown Royal features the likes of Jermaine Dupri, Method Man, Kid Rock and the man who seems to show up in all my reviews no matter how much I hate him, Fred Durst.\nBut instead of showing off their collective talents, the members Run-DMC get help on all but the title track. That's disappointing because that track is one of the album's best. Laced with a smooth beat and background dramatics, the track is both catchy and powerful.\nThis dramatic feel flows throughout the album and represents the comeback status after the group's eight-year hiatus. The lead-off track, "It's Over," featuring Jermaine Dupri, documents Run-DMC's history as the first rap group on MTV to its crossover with Aerosmith to the present.\nWhile Crown Royal is for all intents and purposes a rap album, the group by no means limits itself to the typical rap sounds. Church organs and acoustic guitars make their presence known on various tracks. Far from being a true rock-rap combination (not that the airwaves need any more anyway), "The School of Old" featuring Kid Rock uses guitar-laced beats to create an electronic background that adds flavor to the album.\nNot that the album lacks flavor. Run-DMC proves with Crown Royal that it still deserves the same respect it had in the 1980s. Unlike the slew of new rap artists that seem to be a dime a dozen and offer little to the genre, Run-DMC is dedicated to innovation. Be it through creative uses of sampling (the opposite being Puff Daddy-style sampling) or various stylings, Run-DMC is never bland.\nThe only disappointments on the album are through some of Run-DMC's choices for guest artists. "The Girls" featuring Fred Durst is not necessarily a bad track, but Durst is not a rapper, and his presence is simply obnoxious. "Rock Show" featuring Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind is brought down by Jenkins' presence only. Jenkins, like Durst, doesn't fit on a rap album.\nThis album has been a long time coming. Though overburdened by too many featured artists, Crown Royal stays true to Run-DMC's roots and excels through innovation and creativity.