graham: "the message" was the first hip-hop song that wasn't just a party song. it was talking about what was going on. it was talking about urban decay. it was talking about drugs, crime, prison, all these things that were hitting communities really hard. ♪ smuggleles, scramblblers, buburglars, gamblers ♪ ♪ pickpockets, peddlers, even panhandlers ♪ ♪ you say i'm cool ♪ when "the message" hit, man, it was like, okay, put that down. what h he just sayay? pull t the record d back. plplay that agagain. ♪ don't pusush me 'c'cause i'm c close to ththe ♪ george: everyone knew the game had changed. and it really opened the flood gates for the next generation of rappers. [ indistininct rappingng ] ♪ it's nonot michael l jackso♪ ♪ andnd this is n not "thrill♪ lover: when run-d.m.c. . came out, they w were takingng rock a and roll mumusic and puttining it togetether wiwith hip-hopop, and mamaking sometething brbrand-new ouout of it. ♪ y you can't t touch me with a t ten-foot popole ♪ ♪ andnd i even mamade the devl sellll me his sosoul ♪ chuck d.d.: run-d.m.m.c. kindf led zezeppelinizeded hip-hop,,