Their debut is already a greatest hits collection, stocked with an embarrassment of rich, stark, big beat classics. Stone monster jams like “Rock Box,” “30 Days,” “Hard Times,” “It’s Like That,” and “Sucker MCs” are still definitive examples of what hip-hop can be: streetwis... 

 King of Rock was the followup; unfortunately, the title track, a dope, metalled-out successor to “Rock Box,” is the only classic track. The rest of the album seems somewhat mashed together from outtakes and less scintillating attempts to pepper their rap with rock flava. By their third disc, ... 

 Raising Hell’s “My Adidas” made sneakers a definitive a hip-hop topic, just as “Rocket 88” had made cars a prime subject for rock & roll. “Walk This Way,” their crossover hit with Aerosmith, made rock-rap more than a notion. Unquestionably Rick Rubin’s high water moment as their p... 

 On Tougher Than Leather’s most memorable tracks–“Run’s House” and “Beats To The Rhyme”–you can feel the pressure to keep with the scratch-mad sampledelic frenzy of Public Enemy. The lyric writing geniuses emerging from hip-hop’s third wave (PE, EPMD, De La Soul, Eric B. and Raki... 

 Back From Hell is another Run-D.M.C. impression of a Public Enemy album, and a decent one at that–our two heroes probably made Chuck D. blush with such naked flattery.  

 But by the time 1993’s Down With the King rolled around, Run-D.M.C.’s gig was up; the group turned over production chores to Pete Rock, The Bomb Squad, and EPMD for tracks that run from hot (the title tune) to barely blazing. It doesn’t sound like fun anymore.  

 Comeback albums are hard on everybody. Old schoolers have to deny the wear of time and fashion, New Jacks have to play the role of the humble re-animators. That said, there’s still no excuse for how low the guys went on Crown Royal. Nas and Prodigy are the redemptive factors on the ‘hood-rall... 

 Greatest Hits is a fizzy delight–and a good place for the uninitiated to start.