News

In the latest Superstar to Superstar, Raw Diva Ashley talks to
hip-hop legend, DMC.

Raw’s rockin’ Diva, Ashley, recently talked with hip-hop pioneer, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, for WWE.com's latest Superstar to Superstar. During their conversation, Ashley and one-third of the legendary group Run-DMC discovered they’re huge fans of one another, and DMC had quite the proposal for the punky Diva.

Ashley: Hey, what’s going on, man? It’s awesome to talk to you. I am so glad you were able to make it.

DMC: It’s a pleasure to talk to you. This is unbelievable. It’s so cool.

Ashley: Thanks for taking the time, man.

DMC: How you doing?

Ashley: I’m doing good; how about yourself?

DMC: I’m good. Where are you?

Ashley: I’m just stuck in a little bit of traffic.

DMC: Where are you?

Ashley: I’m in Austin, Texas, now. I was living in New York my whole life, and I just moved down here a couple of months ago.

DMC: That’s a beautiful city.

Ashley: Yeah, I love it here. It’s so nice.

DMC: Yes, it is.

Ashley: Well, it’s much different then New York City, but I still love it. So is it all right if I ask you a couple of questions?

DMC: Yes, it is.

Ashley: All right, cool. It sounds like you’ve been involved in a lot lately. First, tell me about winning a 2007 Emmy Award in the Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming category for your VH1 documentary, DMC: My Adoption Journey.

DMC: Well, first of all, that was so unexpected because I didn’t even do the documentary for an award; I did it for a real purpose. At the age of 35, I found out that I was adopted, and I didn’t know that my whole life. Then, when I started meeting other adopted people, we have this thing where we ask, where’s our beginning? How do I find out my real identity? Because the people who adopted me were my mother and father, but I wanted to find out where my story began. So I started going to – we call them "Adoption Anonymous" meetings – where adopted people get together. We just started talking, and a lot of them didn’t know how to do the search. So I said, “OK, what am I here for?” And this is what I could do for them, to serve a purpose. So actually, I did the documentary to help other people. But at the same time, it really helped me.

Ashley: Right, absolutely.

DMC: When [the film] got nominated, it was so huge; everybody was going crazy. I was like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Then I get the phone call, “D, guess what? You won!” … It was a really good feeling.

Ashley: Yeah, and you get so much more exposure on top of that for your cause, which is just incredible.

DMC: Yes, exactly. You got it. It’s insane.

Ashley: That’s great; good for you. I read that DMC doesn’t stand for “Devastating Mic Controller” or “Darryl Mac” anymore, but “Deliver My Children” instead. Is that true?

DMC: Yes, it does. At age 35, I’m going through what many kids go through – especially those in the foster care system. I was fortunate to be adopted, but there are a lot of kids who are not adopted yet. They might turn 18 years old and age out of the system. Being DMC, the great hip-hop god, we serve a purpose: To use hip-hop as a foundation to communicate with that generation. So, Darryl McDaniels, Devastating Mic Controller, Darryl Mac, is all good. But now, in this day and age, "DMC" means "Deliver My Children," because that’s what this world is telling me to do. I have a responsibility.

Ashley: That’s awesome. Now the name of your organization, is it The Felix Organization/Adoptees for Children?

DMC: Yeah,Felix Organization/Adoptees for Children. Basically, it's a bunch of adoptees who have gotten together to provide financial, educational, inspirational, motivational and financial opportunities for kids less fortunate than us.

Ashley: In September 2006, you were presented with the Congressional Angels in Adoption Award for your work with children in foster care and adoption promotion. That’s an amazing honor.

DMC: It was a really amazing honor because they told me people like Sharon Stone and Denzel Washington, Patti LaBelle, Victoria Rowell would be there. It was one of those instances where I’m sitting at this big gala and asking myself, “What am I doing here?” Really, what’s good about it, is that it touches lives. That’s what I think about everybody that’s on the face of this earth. We all have something in common, a purpose and reason, and we should all help each other.

Ashley: As part of the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC, you, Rev. Run and Jam-Master Jay became music pioneers. Are you still close with Rev. Run? Do you plan to work together again?

DMC: Nah, I see him on TV more than I see him in person. My joke is he’s a reverend, I’m a rocker, but technically it’s still the same thing – touching people’s lives. But I love, love, love music too much. I’m a rock 'n roller at heart. I could never stop making music, I don’t want to be on TV just to be on TV, you know what I’m saying? When people see me at age 85 walking in, I want you to see DMC the same way you see Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan, because – don’t get me wrong, more power to everybody, but I like to do things rappers don’t do, and everybody has a reality show.

Ashley: Yes, that’s true, everybody does have a reality show!

DMC: You know what I’m saying, I've got to do something different. Instead of doing reality, I just did a documentary as opposed to doing a reality show. I mean, it was real, don’t get me wrong....

Ashley: Right, and look what happened. I mean, look how it turned out.

DMC: I love music so much, I just want to keep communicating with the music.

Ashley: Sure, absolutely. Now, tell me about your involvement in the Jam-Master Jay Foundation, an organization honoring the late Run-DMC member.

DMC: Yeah well, Jay always said, “Yo, if it wasn’t for me having music class in high school, I would have never really got into music. The reason why I became a DJ was because I was exposed to music.” But if you think about it, and I know you know this, if you look at the inner cities, they’re taking the music programs out. By having arts – I don’t care if it’s music, poetry, dance or whatever – it’s a great way to communicate and get the kids to learn. So I’m thinking, what would Jay do if he was still here with the power that he has as Jam-Master Jay, one of the greatest DJs in the world? So the Jam-Master Jay Foundation is put here on the face of the earth to keep the music programs in the hood.

Ashley: I read that Run-DMC will be eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Do you have any details you can share on that?

DMC: I cannot comprehend that. That’s, like, scary. When they say that, I’m like, “Me?” It’s a great honor because we’re on a whole other level, and lets us know that hip-hop music is a legitimate form of music. I mean, you can criticize some of it because there’s a lot of hip-hop where they’ll just steal everybody else’s music. There’s hip-hop that’s good, but there’s hip-hop that’s great. And a majority of the great hip-hop was created or produced with all original stuff. So I can’t even comprehend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s like a dream, definitely like a dream. Like it’s a dream that I'm speaking to you! My son is so jealous right now.

Ashley: Aww, that’s great! Now I heard you’ll be judging the Humane Society of the United States’ first “Hip Hop for Hounds” contest. How does it feel to be honored by them, and can you tell me a little bit about the organization?

DMC: Sure, it’s a real cool thing because basically there was a lot of negative publicity about dog fighting. But there’s a lot of people who really love their pets, and at the same time, I like to challenge the kids’ creativity. They’ll look at rap and think they’ve got to rap about violence and sex and bad stuff. This contest lets people know to treat your pets well and to be humane with animals. At the same time, I just want to hear who can write the best rap about the pets that they love.

Ashley: Yes, that’s great! I want to enter that! I've got three little Pekingese puppies.

DMC: Oh, well, you should enter!

Ashley: I’m just playing!

DMC: You could probably write a killer rhyme!

Ashley: That would be pretty sick! So, you recently took part in the Celebrity Flag Football Challenge 2008 during Super Bowl weekend in Arizona, where you also performed at the halftime show. What was that like?

DMC: It was killer. What was cool were the players. Like, I played with former and current players, and I played with Chad Johnson and he even scored. As soon as he came into the game, he scored a touchdown, and you know he had to do his dance. Everybody was waiting for him to do it, and he did. These guys are really, really athletes; they’re really, really athletic, like you girls and guys over there. I was nervous at first because Doug Flutie was the quarterback on my team. He threw me two passes, and I dropped them!

Ashley: I was going to say, wasn’t it intimidating to be playing with professionals?

DMC: It was very intimidating.

Ashley: Oh Lord, I know I would be intimidated.

DMC: Yeah, but they were really cool with me. They were like, “Yo, D, pull it together man. Don’t try and catch the ball with your hands, pull it to your body.” I redeemed myself because I scored two touchdowns.

Ashley: Oh wow, that’s great!

DMC: Yo, I was intimidated.

Ashley: Yeah, well I would be, too. These are pros. No, but that’s good that they were so cool and you all had fun.

DMC: Yeah, I was in it for the NFL charities. They give to hospitals and cancer programs and stuff like that.

Ashley: And the performance at the halftime show was good?

DMC: Yeah, I did the halftime show. I did “Walk This Way” and I did my new single that will hopefully be out in a couple of weeks. … You got to come be in my video!

Ashley: Oh, heck yeah, you know I will! I mean, all you’ve got to do is say the word!

DMC: You have to be there, it has to happen.

Ashley: I will, I will be there, you just tell me!

DMC: For sure!

Ashley: So you’ll perform later this month at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colo., to benefit the Action in Africa organization. Can you tell me about your involvement in the organization?

DMC: Well, my involvement in this organization is to bring attention to the plights of Africa. There is so much going on over in Africa, and for me, music was always one of the great vehicles of communication – communicating messages that were important to society. I mean, we've got our politicians and our priests and our pastors and stuff like that. But if you look at people like John Lennon, Bob Dylan and John Fogerty, and what they did with their music, we have representatives that we elect to represent us, but a lot of times the voice of the people has to come from the people. There are a lot of people in Africa who don’t know and who can’t speak, so I've got to say it for them.

Ashley: Right, those who don’t have a voice, that’s great. Now, what can fans expect to hear on your second solo album, The Next Level, and when will it be released?

DMC: OK, well, I wish The Next Level was coming out next week, but it probably won’t be out until June. The first single will drop in two weeks. But this is what it’s going to be: It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be educational, inspirational, motivational and it’s going to be some real good music.

Ashley: Yeah, that’s awesome! Well, I’ve got to tell you, DMC, it was such a pleasure talking to you. You are an amazing human being. I mean, there is a lot of stuff I learned during this interview. I’m really lucky to have talked to you; it’s amazing what you’re doing for the community and for all these different organizations you’re working with. I am really happy I got to talk to you. And shoot, if you need a video girl, you know I’m in!

DMC: I’m going to be calling you, for real!

Ashley: All right.

DMC: Got to have you on.

Ashley: Well, thanks so much, DMC!