Joseph "Jojo" Simmons Jr. (file)
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage

You probably didn't want to be at "Run's House" on Saturday morning. That's because on Friday night, Joseph Simmons Jr., 19, known to millions as "Jojo," was arrested on Manhattan's Upper West Side after allegedly buying marijuana and trying to run away from the cops, according to a spokesperson for the New York Police Department.

After being spotted by police allegedly purchasing marijuana and then rolling it into a joint, the aspiring rapper attempted to evade arrest by throwing his BMW in reverse, almost backing into a police cruiser. The younger Simmons, who is the leader of a rap crew called Team Blackout, struggled with police attempting to apprehend him.

The NYPD spokesperson said Simmons was booked on a felony charge of attempted reckless endangerment (for backing into the police car), two misdemeanor charges of criminal use of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest and a violation for marijuana possession.

Reverend Run, Simmons' father and the legendary co-founder of of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trio Run-DMC, called MTV News on Monday morning (May 11) with an exclusive comment on the incident. "I didn't always have this collar around my neck," Run explained. "I come from a rap, rock and roll background. Jojo is all right. It's working itself out. We're pulling together as a family going forward. You live and learn." Run also said his son was released without bail on Saturday.

The younger Simmons could not be reached for comment at press time, but he Tweeted around 3:55 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, "I'm alright everybody!" His dad Tweeted early Saturday morning, "you can learn many things from your Children ... (Patience for instance)."

New York's Daily News reported on Sunday that Simmons was released on his own recognizance after a Manhattan judge dismissed the felony charge of attempted reckless endangerment.

• Run-D.M.C.

Metallica at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday
Photo: Kevin Kane/WireImage.com

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is all about honoring the past achievements of legendary artists who helped build the rebel foundation of the genre. But on Saturday night (April 4) in Cleveland, it was a pair of contemporary artists who showed the crowd how those wild and wooly seeds sown by a ragtag group of rockabilly shouters, soul stirrers, boogie-woogie piano bangers and country hollerers more than half a century ago have grown to include everything from hip-hop to heavy metal.

One of the night's highlights was a moving induction speech from Eminem, making a rare public appearance to honor his musical heroes, Run-DMC, only the second hip-hop act to enter the Hall. "Two turntables and a microphone, that's all it took to change the world," Em said, his all-black ensemble inspired by the Queens trio's signature look. Praising their music's ability to spread hip-hop around the world, Em said there was something about the sound made by rappers Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and late DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell that "grabbed hold of my ears and changed my life."

Repeating the simple refrain, "two turntables and a microphone," like a mantra, Em described Run-DMC as, "something fresh, something tough. Something dangerous. Something beautiful and something unique. Two turntables and a microphone."

Run and DMC graciously accepted the award surrounded by their families and that of Mizell, paying irreverent homage to Run's brother, Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons, for his wacky idea of mixing rock and rap. DMC, who learned just a few years ago that he was adopted, also urged the crowd, "The best thing y'all can do is give love to a kid, because that kid may grow up and be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day."

This year's ceremony was back in Cleveland, home of the Hall of Fame building, for the first time since the first-ever induction ceremony in 1997. And for the first time, the general public was allowed to buy tickets to the event, held at Cleveland's Public Auditorium. That suited honorees Metallica just fine, as the Bay Area masters of metal repeatedly gave shout-outs to the thousands of head-banging followers who have made them one of the biggest metal bands in rock history.

Appearing onstage with ex-bassist Jason Newsted for the first time in more than eight years, as well as with the father of late bassist Cliff Burton, guitarist/singer James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo, all reflected on the job they likened to a brotherhood built on rock-and-roll fantasies.

"I think rock and roll is about possibilities and about dreams," Ulrich said, as the band took the stage following a funny, profane, reverent induction by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. "The fact that the six of us can be up on the stage tonight, snot-nosed kids, outcasts, loners who grew up in very different parts of the world, in very different situations and make it here tonight, to this wonderful night in front of all these people down here ... Rock and roll truly is about possibilities. Look at us. Metallica's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Can you f---ing believe that?"

Hetfield encouraged young musicians, "Dream big and dare to fail. ... I dare you to do that. Because this is living proof that it is possible to make a dream come true."

The band concluded with a murderous set that began with their classic, genre-defining metal anthem, "Master of Puppets," and segued into a menacing, vein-popping trip through another modern heavy metal cornerstone, "Enter Sandman."

The show opened with inductees Little Anthony and the Imperials harmonizing on a medley of classic songs, including their swaying doo-wop staple "Tears on My Pillow." Founding singer Anthony Gourdine, 69, hit his signature falsetto notes, working the stage despite a shoulder injury he sustained Friday morning.

The group was inducted by Hall of Famer and Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who said of his lifelong friends, "It is a joy for me to be here for what I consider a long-overdue event. ... I think they are one of the greatest groups to have ever decided to sing together."

British guitar god Jeff Beck, 64, became a rare two-time honoree — he was previously inducted as a member of the Yardbirds — when he was called up again by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in honor of his 40-year career of electric six-string wizardry in genres ranging from rock to blues and fusion jazz. Joined by Page, Beck gave the crowd a taste of his blistering chops with a thundering blues-jam meltdown take on Zep's "Immigrant Song."

Also inducted was Queen of Rockabilly Wanda Jackson, 71, who blazed a trail for female rock singers with her raw, uninhibited work on such early hits as "Let's Have a Party." She was inducted by country royalty Roseanne Cash, daughter of the late Johnny Cash, who proclaimed, "For girls with guitars, myself included, Wanda was the beginning of rock and roll. Everyone who cares about roots music and rock and roll reveres Wanda. But in particular, every young woman I know, musician or otherwise, worship her as the prototype, the first female rock star."

Cleveland native and soul giant Bobby Womack, 65, ("Looking for a Love," "Across 110th Street") was inducted by the Rolling Stones' Ron Wood, which was fitting, since Womack wrote the Stones' first #1 UK hit, "It's All Over Now." Womack reminisced about being a guitar player for Sam Cooke. "The last song he wrote, he made a statement, and that statement was 'A Change Is Gonna Come.' ... When I think about it, that subject has come up again. A change has come," referring to the election of Barack Obama.

Among the sidemen inducted on Saturday night were Muscle Shoals band keyboard master Spooner Oldham (Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan) and two members of Elvis' band, bassist Bill Black and legendary drummer D.J. Fontana.

The night ended with the obligatory all-star jam, which featured all the members of Metallica, plus Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Flea, Page, Beck and Wood cranking up the aggression for a snarling, guitar-geek-nirvana version of the Yardbirds' "Train Kept A-Rollin'."

Artists are eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first record, and inductees are selected by a panel of 500 "rock experts" who evaluate each candidate.

• 2009 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

• Metallica
• Run-D.M.C.
• Eminem
• Red Hot Chili Peppers

Eminem at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio Saturday
Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

On the night when Run-DMC became only the second hip-hop act to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it was fitting that the group that blazed the trail between rock and rap in the 1980s was invited into the rarified club by a hip-hop icon of the modern era whose career is built on their bedrock: Eminem.

His sartorial style inspired by his heroes, from the black leather jacket, shirt and pants, to the black fedora tilted on his head, Eminem bounded onto the stage with a pimping swagger and crossed his arms in a Run-DMC style as he leaned into the microphone.

"Two turntables and a microphone, that's all it took to change the world," the reclusive Detroit MC began. "Three kings from Queens made rap music in the b-boy stance a global phenomenon," he said of the group's members, rappers Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and late DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell. (Head to the MTV Newsroom to read the e-mail JMJ's close friend Eric "Shake" James sent to MTV News while he witnessed the ceremony.)

After the first time he heard the group's "hard beats and bold rhymes," at age 11, Eminem recalled that "something about the big drums and the strong raps that grabbed hold of my ears and changed my life." Clearly humbled by the honor, Slim Shady's speech had a lyrical groove as he added, "Something fresh, something tough. Something dangerous. Something beautiful and something unique. Two turntables and a microphone," staring out at the crowd and rubbing his hands together as if savoring the treat of setting up his heroes for the glory they so richly deserve.

Recalling how their 1985 video for "King of Rock" had them crashing a fictional Rock and Roll Museum and being told they didn't belong in such a museum, Eminem said, "And 25 years later, man, here we are. They didn't take no for an answer, much the same way as they didn't give up when much of the world refused to recognize rap as real music. They were the first rock stars of rap. They were the first movie stars of rap. They were the first rap group played on MTV. ... They were the baddest of the bad, the coolest of the cool. Two turntables and a microphone."

Em talked about not knowing what he wanted to do in life while growing up in Detroit and then hearing Run-DMC and realizing "that you could write your own rules, which is something that still inspires me, as well as every rap other artist, constantly." And then the crowd finally caught on to the rhythm of Slim's callback refrain and repeated along with him, "Two turntables and a microphone."

"I remember being in ninth grade when Raising Hell came out," he recalled, and wryly added, "Two years later, I still remember being in ninth grade when Tougher Than Leather came out. I had skipped school, if you can believe that, to go buy Tougher Than Leather on cassette the day it came out. As soon as I heard 'Run's House,' man, it was pretty much a rap for me. Marshall Mathers became Eminem. It was the first time Run-DMC had changed my life, but it wouldn't be the last. Two turntables and a microphone."

Bringing the group's indelible career into the present, Em paid tribute to late DJ Mizell's mentorship of Slim's protégé, 50 Cent. "Jay shaped the way 50 wrote, the way he rapped and the way he thought," Em said of Fif, whose early works were overseen by Mizell. "Again, Run-DMC changed my life. Without them I wouldn't have met one of my closest friends."

Eminem closed by saying that the group's impact can be felt everywhere. Echoing one of the group's most famous couplets from "King of Rock," Em concluded, "There's three of them, and if you grew up on hip-hop like I did, they are the Beatles."

With their friends and family surrounding them onstage, Rev Run first thanked Mizell's mother for always allowing the young trio to practice at her home and never asking them to turn down the volume. He also thanked his brother, hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons, who convinced the group to change their name from the Sure Shot Three and to mash rock with their rap.

Paying touching homage to his adoptive parents, DMC urged the crowd to give love to foster children. "If my birth mother never gave me up, my real mother would have never came and got me," he said, hitting on one of the topics that has become his abiding passion since the group broke up in 2002 following Jay's still unsolved murder. "There would be no Run-DMC; there would be no rap music the way it is today. ... But forget about all that celebrity stuff, y'all. This little boy, Darryl McDaniels, wouldn't be standing here tonight telling y'all that. The best thing y'all can do is give love to a kid, because that kid may grow up and be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day."

Mizell's mother, Connie Mizell, also reminisced lovingly about how her late son tore up every one of her turntables learning how to scratch, and she didn't mind. And how "the boys" would be tearing it up in the next room as she studied in the adjoining room, and she didn't mind. "Nothing happens before time," she said. "It wasn't time when Jason was living. It was time after he'd gone. Because you see the blessings is still going on. He is not forgotten."

The group did not perform at the ceremony, in keeping with their pledge not to play live again following Mizell's death.

• Run-DMC: The Kings Of Rock

• 2009 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

• Eminem
• Run-D.M.C.

Run-DMC
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images

Run-DMC are set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this weekend, and one-third of the legendary group confirmed to MTV News that they will not perform (as is customary during the ceremony) but instead a video tribute will play to mark the occasion.

Rev Run previously spoke to MTV News in January following the Queens collective receiving word of their honor. The "Run's House" star said the decision about whether the group would perform would be left to DMC. After the murder of their DJ, Jam Master Jay, the remaining group members made the decision to never perform again as Run-DMC, out of respect for their fallen friend.

"For me, I tell people, 'Do you want to see me and Run running around without Jay?' " DMC told MTV News earlier this week. "They tell me I could get Grandmaster Flash [to fill in]. But I can get any DJ in the world if I want. It wouldn't be right. I can't replace my drummer."

D said the Rock Hall will produce a video tribute to the group, although he didn't have a hand in the segment. He's been busy worrying about what he'll say when he reaches the podium. He joked that the representatives for the event "scared" him with their advice for his speech.

"They said, 'You have all the time in the world. We don't want you to be too long, but we don't want you to be too short,' " he said, laughing. "Then they said, 'You should write something.' I said I wasn't gonna write something; I was gonna freestyle it. But then they scared me again with [clears voice], 'Make sure you get it right, because you only get to do this once.' "

DMC -- who, following the group's retirement, has ventured into a more rock-based sound -- said he's honored to be entering the Hall with Metallica and Bobby Womack. He called himself a fan of the former and said the latter was a "super superstar."

"For me, personally, I just love what gods are gonna be in the room," DMC said. "I'm a rock-and-roll fan, from Led Zeppelin to Bob Dylan to Jimi Hendrix.

"And Metallica? Oh my God," he continued. "I grew up as a kid looking up to Bobby Womack. Do you know how big he was? He was so far from me as a super superstar, because my mother and father followed him. That's crazy. Now I'm thinking about it, and it's just crazy."

Fellow Queens native and longtime peer LL Cool J agreed. He said the upcoming Run-DMC induction makes him "incredibly proud," as he recalled how the trio took him under their wing during his first tour experience. Stepping back as a fan, LL admitted, he'd like to see the fellas perform to celebrate the honor. But he respects the decision they've made.

"When I think about them performing -- and I would never encourage them to do something that they wouldn't do -- but I really wish they would consider getting video footage of Jay cutting and figure out a way to sync that up so that they could perform to it," LL told MTV News. "Kind of like the way Natalie Cole did it with her father. I really wish they would consider that. If I was Run, I would. I think it would be epic. That would be big."

Despite a Run-DMC performance missing from the itinerary, Run's older brother and group patriarch Russell Simmons said the trio's legacy will stand on its own. He said Run-DMC ushered in the era of rappers becoming actual recording artists. Prior to second-wave groups like Run-DMC, Simmons cited acts like the Cold Crush Brothers, DJ Hollywood and Eddie Cheeba as performing artists who largely composed numbers to hit the stage. Run-DMC, he said, were influenced by those groups, and it registered in their songs, which were incredibly authentic. Simmons, who built Def Jam into the most iconic rap label in history, said it was Run-DMC's authenticity that ultimately will be the indicator of their legacy and influence.

"They may have looked like the Blues Brothers to rock-and-roll guys, but that was some real Brooklyn sh-- right there [the way they dressed and presented themselves]," Simmons explained. "That's some Hollis, Queens, stuff. They were paying homage to where the music was coming from [the streets]. They drew the line in the sand. They weren't crossing over; they made people come to them. And with that, they really inspired the whole community. They did a lot to contribute to the sentiment of authenticity, which ultimately became the earmark of the culture as a whole."

• Run-DMC: The Kings Of Rock

• Run-D.M.C.

Run-DMC
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images

In years past, there were always a few things you could count on at the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony: some salty induction speeches (like Madonna's last year), bands awkwardly reuniting with members past and trying to make nice but not performing together (as Van Halen did when they were inducted) and others who gladly performed but refused to make nice (as when Blondie were inducted into the Hall in 2006).

This year's ceremony — which takes place on Saturday night near the actual Rock Hall in Cleveland for the first time in more than a decade — promises a little bit of all three scenarios as the Hall welcomes such icons as Metallica, Run-DMC and Jeff Beck.

The likeliest suspects for onstage tension, hard-rock icons Metallica, have already said they're not interested in any drama, as evidenced by their decision to invite ousted bassist Jason Newsted to perform with them alongside current bassist Robert Trujillo. Frontman James Hetfield has promised that instead of tension, the group will make the night a celebration of their long career.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1981, Metallica rose from humble beginnings to become one of the biggest and most influential heavy-metal bands on the planet. Their 1983 debut, Kill 'Em All, is widely considered one of the first thrash-metal albums, thanks to its blitzkrieg riffs and breakneck tempo. Their subsequent albums — 1984's Ride the Lightning, 1986's Master of Puppets and 1988's ... And Justice for All — saw the band expanding not just their sound, but their audience. Their self-titled 1991 album (also known as The Black Album for its iconic onyx cover) made them one of the biggest bands in the world, with a long run at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, selling a staggering 22 million copies worldwide. Last year, they released the return-to-form Death Magnetic, which also debuted atop the Billboard charts and was one of 2008's biggest-selling albums.

Though they no longer perform together and are rarely seen in the same room, founding Run-DMC members Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels will take the stage Saturday night after being inducted by none other than Eminem in one of his first major public appearances in several years.

As only the second induction of a hip-hop group to enter the hall, the inclusion of the Queens, New York trio — DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell was murdered in a still-unsolved 2002 ambush — is ironic, given that Run-DMC's 1985 video for "King of Rock" shows them wreaking havoc in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, nine years before the actual museum opened.

The trio famously formed in Hollis, Queens, in the early '80s and released their debut single, "It's Like That," in 1983. Their first three albums (1984's self-titled debut, 1985's King of Rock and 1986's Raising Hell) are considered to be among the most important hip-hop albums ever released. With their stylish dress, sample-heavy tracks and streetwise lingo, the group is often credited with bringing hip-hop to the mainstream. They gave the genre credibility when they teamed up with Aerosmith for the hit "Walk This Way," were the first rap group to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and were one of the first hip-hop acts to have videos in constant rotation on MTV.

Run-DMC disbanded in 2002 following Mizell's murder, but in 2007, MTV's Hip-Hop Brain Trust named them the Greatest Hip-Hop Group of All Time.

The roster of inductees also includes guitar legend Jeff Beck, 64, the laconic Englishman who is one of the rare breed of rock legends to make it into the Hall as a solo artist and a bandleader — honored in 1992 for his work with the Yardbirds, in which he succeeded fellow Hall of Famer Eric Clapton.

Beck — known for his dynamic playing, intricate rock instrumentals and later excursions into jazz rock and jazz fusion — is perhaps best known for his work with the blues rock godheads the Yardbirds, who produced such landmark singles as "Heart Full of Soul" and "I'm a Man," during his tenure. He also led the Jeff Beck Group, whose first incarnation featured Rod Stewart on vocals and later Rolling Stones member Ron Wood.

Among other honorees are early doo-wop vocal group Little Anthony & the Imperials, led by powerful vocalist Anthony Gourdine, 69, who is heard on such indelible hits as "Tears on My Pillow" and such later pop-soul hits as "Goin' out of My Head."

The Hall will also welcome the Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson, 71, who blazed a trail for female rock singers with her raw, uninhibited work on such early hits as "Let's Have a Party" and "Right or Wrong." Rounding out the performers list is soul/gospel powerhouse and Cleveland native, Bobby Womack, 65, who began his career playing guitar in Sam Cooke's band and went on to a long career as a session guitarist (Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles), songwriter (Wilson Pickett, Janis Joplin) and solo star in the 1970s with such gospel-tinged soul hits as "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "If You Think You're Lonely Now."

Also entering the Hall in the sidemen category is Bill Black, the late bassist for Elvis Presley who was present at the recording of the King's first single for Sun Records in July 1954 and who is credited with helping to come up with the rocked-up arrangement for Presley's signature early single, "That's All Right." Joining Black in that category is Elvis' legendary drummer, D.J. Fontana, 78, considered the first rockabilly drummer and best known for his laid-back, no frills style.

The sidemen category will also welcome Muscle Shoals Sound progenitor keyboardist/vocalist Spooner Oldham, 65, who has played on such landmark tracks as Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," as well as sessions with everyone from Bob Dylan and Neil Young to Cat Power and the Drive-By Truckers.

Among the scheduled presenters at the ceremony in the Public Auditorium in Cleveland are Jimmy Page, the Rolling Stones' Ron Wood, Flea (who will induct Metallica) and Smokey Robinson.

Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record, and inductees are selected by a panel of 500 "rock experts" who evaluate each candidate.

• Run-DMC: The Kings Of Rock

• Run-D.M.C.
• Metallica

Run-DMC's Darryl McDaniels
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images

Lil Wayne's venture into rock music has landed one huge fan in hip-hop icon DMC.

The Queens rapper — who, as one-third of legendary group Run-DMC, is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this weekend by Eminem — said he applauded the Cash Money lyricist's genre experimentation. In fact, as DMC preps the final touches on his second solo album, the rock-tinged The Origins of Block Music, due out in June, he has an idea he wants to propose to Wayne.

"When he drops that album and goes on tour, I would love to open for him," DMC told MTV News. "I would open for Lil Wayne. I'm only DMC, I'm not Run-DMC. It'd be a privilege. I take joy in the creation of new music — I did what I did with Run-DMC, but now I'm starting from the bottom."

DMC's first solo outing, 2006's Checks Thugs and Rock N Roll, featured collaborations with rockers like Kid Rock and Sarah McLachlan on the somber "Just Like Me." The album was put together during a dark moment in the rapper's life, while he was reeling from the murder of Jam Master Jay, the death of his father and the discovery that he had been adopted. He turned to alcohol and described his music as being suicidal, saying he felt "all alone" at the time.

For The Origins of Block Music, DMC has a number of rap producers onboard to give the project a "fun" feel. Underground legend Freddie Foxx, DJ Premier and Public Enemy's Chuck D are set to contribute to the album. The first single, "She Gets Me High," is produced by newcomer Sonix, and D said he hopes to release the song on May 31 — his birthday.

Having had a hand in writing songs like "King of Rock" and performing at infamous punk venues like Manhattan's CBGB's, D said he understands Wayne's move to rock right now.

"There's a whole 'nother excitement," he explained. "For me, hip-hop and rock and roll are brother and sister. I like the instruments, the sound of the guitars, the harmonica ... I love Neil Young, he makes b-boy records [to me], 'cause the drummer will hit the breakdown and he'll start breaking down on his harmonica like he's Doug E. Fresh.

"Rick Rubin told me, 'Just find the musical sounds that fit who you are and tell your stories to that,' " D added. "So I don't separate the two."

• Run-D.M.C.
• Lil Wayne

Eminem
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

He's the King of Detroit and they're the Kings of Rock. Sounds like royalty will be in the building next month as Eminem is scheduled to induct Run-DMC into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4. Em was announced as a participant in the festivities late Friday afternoon (March 20).

According to The Associated Press, Em will join Jimmy Page, the Rolling Stones' Ron Wood, Flea and Smokey Robinson as presenters during the ceremony, held at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland.

The reclusive rapper is slowly starting to re-enter the public consciousness. Recently, his label, Interscope, announced the rapper would release his forthcoming project, Relapse, on May 19. Slim Shady's protégé, 50 Cent, told MTV News it was his idea for Eminem to also put out a second album before the year's up.

"You can't ask for more excitement from a hip-hop perspective than two Eminem albums," 50 said. "One is great. It's a treat. But the second one is exciting.

"Actually, it was my idea for him to release two albums, because he had so much material over a time period," the G-Unit star added. "The [second album] kind of feels like a sequel. They're both written to one topic almost ... it felt like part one and part two of the [same album]. They tie together."

Before he adds more credits toward his own future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Em is sure to speak graciously about Run-DMC. In interviews, the Detroit lyricst often name-checks artists who have had an influence on him, and certainly the trio from Queens made the list.

• Eminem
• Run-D.M.C.

Russell Simmons and Reverend Run
Photo: Brad Barket/ Getty Images

Russell Simmons isn't as enthusiastic as you might think about the planned biopic about his brother's group, Run-DMC. The hip-hop godfather says the film's makers should talk major dollars — or not at all.

"That movie has been a made few times already," Simmons told MTV News. "I don't know if it's that exciting to do that movie at this time. I certainly don't know if a third movie about Run-DMC should be made on a shoestring budget."

All three group members starred in 1985's "Krush Groove" — a film that covered some of their origins — as well as the 1988 shoot-'em-up tale of revenge, "Tougher Than Leather." A new film on the kings from Queens is in the works, also with the working title "Tougher Than Leather." Cheo Hodari Coker — who wrote the script for the film "Notorious" — is crafting an adaption of legendary hip-hop figure (and Run-DMC publicist) Bill Adler's "Tougher Than Leather: The Rise of Run-DMC."

"Most movies made about our culture have been made on a shoestring budget," Simmons said. "Sometimes they're very talented and creative, and they get through it, like 'Notorious.' I don't think Run-DMC's story ... it's not gonna change them if the story is told at this time. It depends on if the studio is as inspired to do it as the producer says he is."

DMC doesn't seem too thrilled about the potential film, either.

"I don't really have anything to do with it," he said about the movie recently. "I'm just happy that somebody thinks I'm important enough to do movie about."

If D had his way, a police officer would crack the Jam Master Jay homicide case, apprehend the criminals and then a movie would be made about the how the murder mystery was solved — not necessarily a big screener about the trio's rise to fame.

"If the movie gets made, I will be involved," Simmons added. "If the movie gets made, it will have the same type of budget of any mainstream Hollywood movie, which almost never happens. So it's really up to them. When they approach us the right way, we can have a discussion. Until then, it's not something we're excited about."

The Queens mogul was thrilled to hear about the group being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"Any time you get an honor like that, it's wonderful. It's great that their work is being acknowledged like that," Simmons remarked. "I'm sure for D and for Joey it's very satisfying. I'm sorry Jay couldn't be here to see it. It's a very beautiful thing that people recognize their work like that."

• Russell Simmons
• Run-D.M.C.
• Jam Master Jay

Run-DMC
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ ImageDirect

The screenwriter who brought the story of Biggie Smalls to the big screen with "Notorious" is at it again. This time, Cheo Hodari Coker is working on a script chronicling the story of rap pioneers Run-DMC based on the book "Tougher Than Leather: The Rise of Run-DMC," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Bill Adler, Run-DMC's longtime publicist and the author of "Tougher," is a former hip-hop journalist who was the second full-time employee at Def Jam Recordings, working with a who's who of the label's legendary roster, including Kurtis Blow, the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Public Enemy. Adler, who went on to found the Eyejammie art gallery in New York, will executive-produce the film.

Following the arc of the book, the "Tougher Than Leather" movie will lay down the history of hip-hop's first superstars, profiling the Hollis, Queens, trio that included Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and late DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell, who was murdered in a still-unsolved crime in his Queens studio in 2002.

Best known for indelible hip-hop hits like "It's Tricky" and "My Adidas," Run-DMC broke through to the mainstream in 1986 with their landmark collaboration with hard rockers Aerosmith on a beat-infused remake of that group's 1975 hit "Walk This Way." Run-DMC, who broke up in 2002 following Mizell's murder, are slated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4 as only the second hip-hop group to receive that honor.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

• Run-DMC In Hollis, 1985

• Run-D.M.C.

Run-DMC
Photo: Jason Campbell/ MTV.com

This Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction stuff has become pretty complicated in the past couple of years.

Last year, after Van Hallen's nomination, speculation began about which ousted frontman, David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar (or both), would perform with the group during the ceremony. Turns out neither one did, though Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony accepted the honor on behalf of the group.

For Run-DMC, whose induction was announced on Wednesday (January 14), a somewhat similar problem has arisen regarding their potential performance during the April production. The group previously announced they would no longer perform as Run-DMC after the murder of their DJ, Jam Master Jay, in 2001.

Reverend Run, one-third of the group, said he was honored by the recognition but still unsure if he and DMC will take to the stage despite the nod.

"I don't know, I'm leaving that in D's hands," Run told MTV News by phone Thursday. "The best comment was that working without Jam Master Jay wouldn't feel the same — I [actually] think D wrote that. So I'm just following his lead."

The reality-TV dad also said he wouldn't be interested in a younger group performing the Queens trio's hits as an homage — but he again deferred to DMC as to what exactly will take place.

A request made by MTV News to DMC for comment has not been returned as of press time.

Upon learning of the news, Run said he immediately thought about the video for the group's "King of Rock." The "Run's House" star took to YouTube to refresh his memory and laughed at the opening of the clip where Run-DMC is told "they don't belong."

"That video is coming to life now," he said, laughing. "It's just so funny that that guy said we don't belong in here, 'We're not rock and roll.' And here we are. I guess we did belong in there."

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