THERE IS NONE HIGHER
International Run-DMC & Adidas Fans to Save Hip-Hop?

"Let's not ask why Jay is gone - ask why we are here. Jason helped build Hip-Hop, and his job is finished."  

Reverend Run, [2002] Jason Mizell Memorial Service

Toronto -- Nearly twenty years after a German-based shoemaker legitimized three Hollis entrepreneurs' rap art form in the eyes of corporate USA, Hip-Hop Activist Raoul S. Juneja (a.k.a. Deejay Ra) has labelled international support from groups like Adidas "one of the last hopes true Hip-Hop culture has at surviving in North America."
  
Inspired by the recent Adidas "JMJ UltraStar" release which donated all global funds raised from Jay's birthday shoe to his NYC Scratch dj Academy, Juneja hopes his Canadian Run-DMC tribute's November 1-15 community radio and urban web site 'edutainment' giveaway overtones resurrect "similar types of positive international city alliances which originally expanded thriving Hip-Hop scenes from New York to Japan thanks to breakdancers' love of shoes, not their love of strippers."

Juneja's point sums up an important piece of obscured b-boy history he's confident the campaign's Image Entertainment "Freshest Kids" documentary giveaways will help bring to light - released by powerhouse production team QD3 and his legendary father Quincy Jones in time for November's Hip-Hop History Month, the documentary's interviews with Hip-Hop pioneers and multi-cultural breakdancers at their performances express a strong frustration at the 1980's b-boy 'pop culture madness' (ignited by their film collaborations with emcees to introduce American rap to the world), only to be followed over the next two decades by the same mainstream media favouring rap artists' video replacement of one of the core Hip-Hop elements with strippers in return.

One such QD3-interviewed rap forefather, Darryl McDaniels, recently took preachings on the need for such Hip-Hop history lessons to practice with the release of his acclaimed "Respect, Responsibility and My Life" book, timed by St. Martin's Press to be included with giveaway copies of "A Spiritual Memoir" from DMC's partner Reverend Run for the Canadian tribute ("reminiscent of MLK's autobiography," says Juneja of Run's book).

Completing the Run-DMC 'book trilogy' giveaways are copies of Simon & Schuster's 2003 "JMJ: The Heart of Hip-Hop" tribute by Time Magazine's David E. Thigpen, while BMG Music Canada's "Together Forever" Greatest Hits CDs/DVDs will also add the necessary music ingredient to commemorate a legendary group responsible for rap's first top-ten single, multi-platinum album and music video on MTV, not to mention their personal accolades of the first emcees to receive a Grammy nomination, be on the cover of Rolling Stone and act in their own feature film, as well as Run-DMC signing the first known shoe deal designed specifically for non-athletes.

"B-boy history's most important lesson is maintaining an equal voice of your underground art form's founding principles even as pop culture takes control and influences drastic changes to its form," Juneja paraphrases from the documentary. "International Run-DMC and Adidas fans gave pop culture proof that true Hip-Hop supporters would make their industry billions of US dollars for our love of the music - now that North American media outlets have taken it out of our hands for the love of money, intense pressure from these same global groups could easily be one of the last chances we'll have in our lifetimes at getting Hip-Hop back."

For more about Jam Master's Scratch Academy or Deejay Ra visit Scratch.com and LyricalKnockout.com respectively. Also be sure to check out TempleOfHipHop.org for the history behind KRS-One's Hip-Hop History Month, recognized by the United Nations and celebrated across the globe.

*JUST ANNOUNCED - My Adidas B-Girl Prize Packs!*

Following a National Film Board of Canada sponsored 'Hip-Hop Appreciation Week' campaign last May honouring Canadian Hip-Hop emcee divas Michie Mee and Tara Chase, Deejay Ra's award-winning Lyrical Knockout Entertainment has now partnered with Adidas Canada in paying homage to the breakdancing females of the rap world by assembling exclusive "My Adidas B-Girl" prize packs to be added to the Run-DMC Canadian tribute's giveaways.

Consisting of Adidas original designs seen on breakdancers throughout QD3's "Freshest Kids" documentary ("worn for the love of Adidas, not the love of bribes," Juneja points out), the ladies-only giveaways were also organized as a tribute to R&B songstress Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas rap group, whose additional Will.I.Am, Apl.de.Ap and Taboo members often receive praise as "the Run-DMC of the West Coast" for innovatively doing with 80's funk vibes what Jam Master Jay did with 70's rock style and revolutionizing each of their respective Hip-Hop generations in the process.

"Not since Val Young's choruses amidst some of 2Pac's klazzics has there been such a natural blending of powerful soul music with positive rap lyrics, and seeing Fergie in perfect b-girl gear during music videos, performances and interviews has made such an impression on urban female youth," Juneja explains. "It takes enough strength just to refuse the media-encouraged Britney state of undress, but to then compete against men using nothing but their skills - it's time we paid b-girls across the globe some serious respect."