50th ANNIVERSARY OF HIP HOP ft. DMC & CHUCK D - DANIELLE PONDER

Innovator, Motivator, Philanthropist, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels changed music and made history when he broke down cultural barriers with his legendary band Run-DMC. Forty million record sales and 1⁄2 billion streams later, he continues to inspire & impact the world. Darryl “DMC” McDaniels is a legendary music icon who first impacted the world 40 years ago when Run-DMC made their recording debut “It’s Like That/ Sucker MCs.” From the first rap group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine to the first to appear on MTV, he helped changed music, culture, fashion, language and made American history. It would be hard to overstate his influence on popular culture. Forty million record sales and 1⁄2 billion song streams later DMC still continues to create, inspire and motivate. In 2009, as a founding member of Run-DMC, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2016 he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy given to “performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. ”He launched a comic book company called Darryl Makes Comics, a new journey that helps bridge the gap between the worlds of hip-hop and the fantastic adventures he got wrapped up in as a youth. The company’s first full length graphic novel hit stores in October 2014, and has since followed up with a news release every year. In addition to his comics, Darryl released his first children’s book in 2021 entitled “Darryl’s Dream” on Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books (RHCB), in partnership with Nickelodeon and ViacomCBS Consumer Products. https://tmapr.com/dmcbookldngpg Darryl is also the co-author of two critically acclaimed books: his memoir entitled, Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide (2016/Harpers/Amistad) giving him another platform to talk about his past struggles with depression and helping those, especially men of color, remove the shame of asking for help. He recently partnered with U Will, the app that allows college students immediate access to a therapist. He also penned the autobiography King of Rock; Respect, Responsibility and My Life with Run-DMC (2001/ Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martins) as well as an award-winning solo album Checks, Thugs & Rock and Roll. That album produced the hit single “Just like Me” featuring Sarah McLachlan; a song DMC wrote after discovering he was adopted, that spoke to his new revelation and began his journey down another life path, in search of his birth mother. While his search struggle was captured in the 2007 Emmy Winning VH1 documentary DMC: My Adoption Journey, the process gave DMC tremendous insight and purpose, prompting him to become an advocate for adoption and children in foster care. In 2006 he co-founded the Felix Organization with Hollywood casting agent Sheila Jaffe- a nonprofit that works to provide inspiring opportunities and new experiences to enrich the lives of children who are growing in the foster care system. http://www.thefelixorganization.org All the while, DMC’s music continues to inspire! In 2017 he released the eagerly anticipated special vinyl-only limited edition EP, Back From the Dead- The Legend Lives with the 4-track power-bolt featuring iconic collaborations from the rock and hip hop worlds including Chuck D (Public Enemy), John Moyer (Disturbed), Rome (Sublime), and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge, Slash), and others. The Deluxe Package (a limited rollout of 4000, individually numbered and pressed in red vinyl) with the cover artwork for Back From The Dead portraying DMC as a zombie, was designed by award winning Walking Dead graphic novel artist Tony Moore. Darryl recently released the single “Me and My Microphone” featuring Chuck D, Ice-T, Jazzy Jeff and produced by Bumpy Knuckles. The single has a corresponding comic featuring each of the hip hop icons as superheroes. Available on the DMC imprint King of Rock Entertainment, the single is in advance of his new album AMERICA that will feature songs with Joan Jett, Sammy Hagar, Travis Barker (Blink 182), Chuck D, Sum 41, DJ Hurricane (Beastie Boys), Ice-T, Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Mick Mars (Motley Crue), Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) and more. The album is scheduled for late 2023. In between his work as a musical artist and producer, published author and speaker, or his work with his nonprofit, McDaniels finds time to talk with kids across the country about respect, responsibility, and self-awareness. One of his many memorable engagements included an invitation in 2015 by former President Obama to speak at the White House to a group of young men about fatherhood. Darryl has also appeared before Congress and various State legislatures in support of adoptees and foster children, worked with former First Lady Michelle Obama on part of her “Get Fit” Campaign, was a featured speaker at the 2016 Kennedy Forum #Young Minds Matter event on Mental Health, and was a featured speaker at the 2017 SXSW Music Festival and 2017 Kennedy Center Honors. He is also an Advisory Board Member for Hip Hop Public Health, an organization whose mission “is to foster positive health behavior change through the transformative power of hip-hop music.” He helped create early awareness on the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19. (WATCH)https://hhph.org/communityimmunity For his numerous philanthropic endeavors, DMC has received numerous awards including the Hard Rock’s Love All Serve All Award, the Doing Art Together (DAT) Honoree Award for his contributions to helping under-served communities in NYC in the classroom and life, and the coveted CHILDREN’S RIGHTS Champion Award for his tireless work on behalf of foster children through his nonprofit The Felix Organization, as well as his work providing other year-round opportunities for children in foster care. In addition to the Felix Organization and Hip Hop Public Health, Darryl “DMC”McDaniels currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit charity that works closely with all areas of The Madison Square Garden Company, including the Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Entertainment and MSG Media, to make dreams come true for children facing obstacles.

Chuck D is the leader and co-founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy, a social activist, multimedia producer, visual artist, and digital music pioneer. He has been featured in more than 100 documentaries on music, technology, politics, and race, and co-curated the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop. He has also been a national spokesperson for Rock the Vote, the National Urban League, Americans for the Arts Council, and the National Alliance for African-American Athletes, is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has earned a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award.

American soul singer Danielle Ponder is both empowering and a powerhouse. In 2020, NPR described her music as anthemic while compassionate; soulful, while bold and strong. She reverberates with a goosebump-inducing passion,. Danielle attended Northeastern University where she received her Juris Doctorate. For 5 years, Danielle worked as a public defender where she provided criminal defense to the indigent community. While working as a public defender, Danielle also toured Europe and scored an opening spot with George Clinton. In 2018, after five years as a public defender, she made the gutsy decision to pursue her No.1 passion -- music. In 2021, Danielle performed at the Newport Jazz Festival where her performance was hailed as one of the stand out performances of the event. 2022 has been a banner year for Danielle with appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers, CBS This Morning, tours with Marcus Mumford, Amos Lee, St. Paul and the Broken Bones and Leon Bridges. Danielle's debut album, Some of Us Are Brave, is out September 16th on Future Classic. Danielle continues to advocate for criminal justice reform and has been an influential leader in the Black Lives Matter movement in Rochester, NY.