As frontman for the legendary rap group Run-DMC, Reverend Run – born Joseph Simmons – has kept it on the down-low for the past few years, since the tragic death of his bandmate, Jam Master Jay. But 2005 brought the Reverend’s first-ever solo album, Distortion, as well as the debut of his MTV “reality sitcom,” called – what else – “Run’s House.” The good Reverend took time to speak to Will Harris from Bullz-Eye.com about these things, the VH-1 Hip Hop Honors, and his Words of Wisdom.
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“Bullz-Eye: Obviously, you’ve got a history with the rock and rap combo there. Was that, like, an intentional choice to…

Reverend Run: Yeah, we were the first to do it with “Rock Box,” and then we made “King of Rock,” and finally “Walk This Way” was the biggest.

BE: So was that an intentional choice, to continue that bridge to this new album?

RR: Uh, it’s just intentional to make what I make, to do what I do, to do what I’m put on this earth to do. So it was a very simple process because I just did…me. I was inspired by me, and that whole Run-DMC type of Rick Rubin-ish, Russell Simmons, Larry Smith era, where we made these types of records, and I just went there and camped out there and made records from that day.

BE: I heard the single’s being included in “Madden ’06 Football.” How…

RR: Yeah, that’s a breakthrough for me…and, then, I have the television show coming on MTV, which is a major breakthrough.

BE: Right…

RR: It’s called “Run’s House.” It’s replacing “The Osbournes.” I’m very excited about that.”

Check out everything the good Reverend had to say here.