We Speak Events
Run DMC Announces One-Off 2018 UK Gig
US legendary hip-hop group, Run DMC is set to return to the UK stage for the first time in three years for a rare one night only exclusive show on Thursday 5th July 2018 at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London.
Bursting onto the scene in the early ‘80’s and widely acknowledged as one of the first artists to pioneer the new school hip-hop sound; MC’s Joseph ‘Run’ Simmons, Darryl ‘D.M.C’ McDaniels and the late DJ Jason ‘Jam Master Jay’ Mizell, are greatly recognised as the most influential and famous acts in the history of hip-hop culture.
Achieving notable firsts in the world of hip-hop music and credited as being the most responsible for pushing hip-hop into mainstream popular music, Run DMC was the first rap act to receive a Grammy Award nomination, a No.1 R&B charting rap album, the first rap act to have a music video rotation on MTV and to feature on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine; plus the first rap act to sign to a major endorsement deal with Adidas. Run DMC were also the second rap act to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Releasing their groundbreaking debut rap album ‘Run-D.M.C’ in 1984, the rap group scored major success with three Top 20 singles including their debut single ‘It’s Like That/’Sucker MC’s’, followed by ‘Hard Times’ and ‘30 Days’. Catapulting the group into a global phenomenon with an unprecedented sound of raw hip-hop mixed with hard rock, on their fourth single ‘Rock Box’, would become the cornerstone of the group’s sound, paving the way for the rap rock movement in the ‘90’s.
Run DMC’s followed up rock influenced album titled ‘King of Rock’ released in 1985 was greatly received spending 56 weeks on the US Billboard charts with singles ‘King of Rock’, ‘You Talk Too Much’ and ‘Can You Rock It Like This’ reaching the Top 20.
The group’s third and breakthrough album ‘Raising Hell’, produced by musical genius Rick Rubin in 1986, trumped all perceived notions of commercial viability for hip-hop music, by achieving triple platinum status and receiving attention from quarters that had previously ignored and dismissed hip-hop music as a fad. ‘Raising Hell’ became the group’s most successful selling album and one of the best selling rap albums of all time, peaking at No.3 on the Billboard charts and achieving double platinum status. The lead and cover single ‘Walk This Way’ with Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry scored Top 10 status in over eight countries and was ranked number 293 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Run DMC continued to produce successfully selling albums over the next 14 years with records like ‘Tougher Than Leather’, ‘Back From Hell’, ‘Down With The King’ to their last studio album ‘Crown Royal’ in 2001; releasing popular hits such as ‘Run’s House’, ‘What’s It All About’, ‘Down With The King’ and ‘Let’s Stay Together’.
With over 20 years of pioneering hits, unparallelled solo success, plus collaborating with the music industry’s notable hip-hop and rock music stars from Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Kid Rock, Method Man, Nas, Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind), and Sugar Ray; the legendary rap group of all time will return to London for the most anticipated concert of the summer.
Tickets for this EXCLUSIVE one off show start from £38 and will be available to purchase at www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.axs.com and www.eventimapollo.com from Wednesday 24th January 2018.
We Speak Events
Atlanta Screening of The Alabama Solution Brings Together Panel of Advocates, Leaders, and Community Voices
ATLANTA, GA — Community leaders, advocates, and residents gathered in Atlanta for a special screening of the Oscar-nominated HBO documentary The Alabama Solution, an evening centered on film, dialogue, and community engagement around issues of justice and incarceration.
Hosted at 2345 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, the event brought together organizations and community members for a formal evening of reflection and conversation following the powerful documentary. The film, co-directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman and co-produced by Alex Duran, offers an intimate and unfiltered look into Alabama’s prison system.
At the heart of the documentary are the voices of justice-impacted individuals Melvin “Bennu” Ray and Robert “Kinetik” Council, whose experiences shed light on the realities inside the prison system while challenging viewers to consider deeper questions about accountability, dignity, and reform.
Following the screening, a panel discussion brought together leaders and advocates working in justice reform and community outreach. The conversation was moderated by Bridgette Simpson of Barred Business, who guided the dialogue with panelists representing several organizations committed to addressing issues within the justice system.
Panelists included Gerald Griggs of the NAACP, Kimberly Jones of Fork the System, Octavious Holiday of the Positive Outreach Development Society, Kevin Marshall of The Marshall Law Group, LLC, Kathryn Hamoudah of the Southern Center for Human Rights, and Christopher Willars of The Life Unit Inc.
Each panelist offered insight shaped by their work in advocacy, legal reform, and community engagement. Their perspectives highlighted the far-reaching effects incarceration can have on families and communities, while also emphasizing the importance of awareness, accountability, and continued dialogue around the issues presented in the film.
The screening was supported by several organizations dedicated to justice and civic engagement, including One for Justice, Dream.org, Barred Business, the Southern Center for Human Rights, The Life Unit, the Center for Civic Innovation, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and the Free Atlanta Abolition Movement.
The evening also served as a moment of connection for those in attendance, including family members and advocates whose lives have been impacted by the justice system. Through film and conversation, the gathering created space for reflection and for communities to engage with the realities highlighted in the documentary.
As conversations continued after the screening, the event underscored the power of storytelling to bring people together, raise awareness, and encourage deeper consideration of issues that often remain unseen by the public.
As momentum continues to grow around conversations sparked by the documentary, organizers are encouraging community members to take an additional step by supporting efforts aimed at protecting justice-impacted individuals from discrimination.
Advocates are currently inviting the public to sign a virtual petition card supporting the establishment of a statewide Protected Class Ordinance in Georgia, which would help ensure justice-impacted individuals are protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and opportunity.
You may find and share the virtual petition here:
Statewide Protected Class
https://www.theprotectedclassnetwork.org/sign-our-petition
