Short answers, pulled from the story.
Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell formed Run-DMC in 1983 after meeting at Two-Fifths Park in the late 1970s. The trio graduated high school together by 1982 before officially recording as a duo with Mizell joining as DJ.
Run-DMC released their debut album in 1984 which became Gold status followed by King of Rock reaching Platinum certification in 1985. Their 1986 album Raising Hell became the first multi-platinum hip-hop record ever selling millions of copies worldwide.
Jason Mizell developed the sound on most songs while discarding glam aspects to incorporate Kangol hats Cazal glasses leather jackets and unlaced Adidas shoes. The single My Adidas led to a $1,600,000 endorsement deal with Adidas forming a long-term relationship that marked the beginning of hip-hop fashion.
On the 30th of October 2002 Mizell was shot and killed inside his Queens recording studio. Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr were arrested in August 2020 and faced conviction for the crime in February 2024 after a lengthy legal process.
Rolling Stone ranked Run-DMC at number 48 in its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004 while MTV named them The Greatest Hip-Hop Group of All Time in 2007. They became the second hip-hop group inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2009 and received Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.