Darryl Dmc McDaniels - Back From The Dead 12" 2017

Talk about your Gods and Monsters...Legendary rap icon, 2009 Rock-N-Roll Hall of Famer and 2016 Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels is once again melding rap and rock to bring a ferocious new musical alchemy to the masses. DMC will be releasing his eagerly anticipated EP, Back From the Dead- The Legend Lives (Brookvale Records) on Record Store Day Presents Black Friday on November 24, with the 4-track power-bolt featuring iconic collaborations from the rock and hip hop worlds (see track-listing below) including Chuck D (Public Enemy), John Moyer (Disturbed), Rome (Sublime), and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge, Slash), and others. He will be making various in-store appearances to support the release (dates/locations below)

Back From the Dead- The Legend Lives is a special vinyl-only limited edition Deluxe Package (a limited rollout of 4000, individually numbered and pressed in red vinyl) with the cover artwork portraying DMC as a zombie, designed by award winning Walking Dead graphic novel artist Tony Moore.

Among the songs are a blistering triumvirate of pure mayhem, "Rhino," featuring Chuck D, DMC, and the Canadian Metal band Slaves On Dope, and the emotionally charged "Hi N Low," which sheds light on the growing-but-seldom-chronicled problem of homelessness among young people, featuring DMC and Rome from Sublime. Other songs include the previously released "Flames," featuring Disturbed bassist/ producer John Moyer and rock front-man Myles Kennedy (the acclaimed 2016 song was a bristling probe of gun violence and police shootings in the black community), and the EP's kick-ass title track "Back From The Dead," featuring DMC and band: Veronica Bellino (drums),Dave Filice (bass),Rich Devietian (guitar),

and DJ Charlie Chan on turntables.

"I can always feel my excitement level become even more alive when combining the power of hip hop and rock," says DMC. "The theme of this EP captures that bluntness and in-your-face stance that I've always admired in both genres. We had fun with the 'back from the dead' theme because it's important to let people know I'm returning with a vengeance. The zombie artwork of the DMC image that Tony did for the cover is also going to blow people away. You have to see it to believe it, and listen to the EP to know it and feel it." DMC is also hyped about the genre-mash-ups that color the many collaborations on the new release. "Chuck and I have freestyled together on stage and done hip hop projects together in the past, but what excites me about the song "Rhino" is it brings us together in a new way. I loved it because I always wanted to work with Chuck on the rock side. I was a big admirer of his Anthrax collaboration on "Bring The Noise." Jason Rockman, the front-man for Slaves On Dope is a big fan also. He took the 'rhino' line from PE's track "Rebel Without A Pause" as inspiration, and created a track that Chuck heard and described as 'ballistic' so we knew we had ourselves a song."

DMC also cites the collaboration between he and Rome from Sublime on "Hi N Low," as another track that set the combustible tenor for the EP. "Jared Lee Gosselin who is a brilliant producer who I've worked with, and has done tracks for Eminem and D-12 and Macy Gray and others, introduced me to Rome from Sublime when I told him I wanted to do a song that raised some awareness about the growing homeless youth crisis that's taking place on America's streets. I wanted to do a song that was emotional and spoke to the issue, which doesn't get a lot of attention. Rome completely understood and complemented the vibe perfectly. He's a great singer and a real force who came in and did all the great vocal work, killed it in like an hour, and high-fived me when he was done. Mission accomplished."

DMC playfully refers to all of the potent rock/rap partnerships on the album as the embodiment of where his musical 'head' is at these days. "Right now, DMC stands for Dynamic Musical Collaborations," he proclaims. "I've always tipped my hat to rock legends like John Lennon and Neil Young who always stood for making music that was a catalyst for real change." Last year DMC joined forces with Disturbed bassist John Moyer and rock front man Myles Kennedy to release the cathartic single "Flames," (included on the EP). The song explored the issue of police-involved shootings of young African Americans (which many attribute to racialized policing) but with the intent of 'deepening the conversation.' DMC feels that Back From The Dead, in its own cathartic way, is really about the power of inclusiveness. "Two of the most powerful forces in the world are hip hop and rock," he says. "Coming together like they do on 'Back From The Dead' shows a new generation of listeners how important it is to find what unites us about music and culture, and not what divides us." 

A1 Back From The Dead
A2 Flames
B1 Hi N Lo
B2 Comin' Like A Rhino

Release Date: 24 Nov 2017