Tougher Than Leather

I was a rap fan back from the beginnings with kurtis blow, this was all part of the phenomenom that russell simmons, and rick rubin started with their def jam recordings studio...i remember being like 14 yrs old going to see this movie with my dad, and even at that easily entertained age, i was let down...but...looking back now..they did the best with what they had, the budget had to be a spaghetti string..im sure...so with what they were given....it was the first RAP movie...and ushered us in to the age of tupacs,biggie smalls,redmans,wutangs...opened doors for the movies like friday,house party...they were the FRONT RUNNERS!!! and deserve better ratings then the people rating the show here.... AMEN thank god for run dmc

mackdaddyspliffs AKA a white boy who fell in love with those FUNKY BEATZ

I love Run DMC and the Beastie Boys, but this movie was trash. To list what was good is easier and shorter than listing what was bad. And to be clear--since we're talking about a movie starring hip-hop artists--I mean bad as in awful not bad in the complimentary sense. The only thing good about this "movie" was the music. Everything else was terrible: the plot, the acting, the editing, the sound, the video quality, everything. The plot started as something very nebulous and somehow morphed into a revenge plot. One of Run DMC's homies was killed by the antagonist, Vic. Run DMC and Jam Master J then went about trying to find the real killer and exact justice. It was laughably bad, but I won't hold it against these hip-hop pioneers.

This movie is a gulity pleasure. It takes us to a world where if you punch a guy he files in the air, girls ask you out and murder is cool. Run-DMC basically plays themselves on steriods in this hip hop semi classic. If you haven't seen it, see if you can find it.

This is a low budget action move set in the rap music industry, starring one of the most popular groups of the first wave of rap stars, Run-DMC. Though produced on a shoestring and rough around the edges, this fun little epic captures the style and period when rap music was king far better than slicker more hyped films like KRUSH GROOVE. The acting is a bit shaky at times, but Run, DMC, Jam Master Jay and the others project an impressive charisma. The entertaining story moves along at a fast clip, with our heros out to avenge the death of a beloved roadie at the hands of some slimy music industry sharks who have a sideline laundering drug money. Cameos by rap music heavyweights like The Beastie Boys, Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin and LL Cool J add to the amusement. Director/co-writer/co-star Rubin's father Mickey gives a nice performance as a mafia kingpin who is less than thrilled with his son's chosen profession. Co-writer Ric Menello went on to direct several classic music videos for The Beastie Boys and LL Cool J. All in all, not too shabby.

A film of epic proportions. This film was far ahead of it's time, it wasn't till close to a decade later that we started to see films made by entertainers (rappers) featuring a sound track and an album to accompany it. Tougher Than Leather is similar to movies like Cash Money's Baller Blocking, Choices and Master P's Bout It Bout It. Now almost every rapper has tapped into this market Jay Z, Ruff Ryders, Eight Ball, Three 6 Mafia, Camron (in Empire), all of them. Every camp has their own Scarface tale to tell, and this happens to be RUN D.M.C.'s

Also if you pay close attention there are some amazing cameos, ranging from Slayer to Glen E. Freidman. Slick Rick looks like he's probably 19, Russel's a monster, Runny Ray, Rick... I mean what more could you need? This movie probably won't be recognized until years from now. This is no Beat Street or You Got Served, this is real Hip Hop. D.M.C. is in the pen, Run and J run a train on a white broad, and the head count is absurd. Bodies drop, crack is still relatively new on the scene, I mean this is real hood cinema. Peep it out.