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Run-D.M.C. Vs. Jason Nevins
Why we feature this artist An early rap record finds another dancefloor Jason Nevins’ version of It’s Like That puts Run-D.M.C.’s emphatic vocal exchange inside a much later house framework. The rappers’ words and rhythmic identity remain recognisable, but the…
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The story of Run-D.M.C. Vs. Jason Nevins
Why we feature this artist
An early rap record finds another dancefloor
Jason Nevins’ version of It’s Like That puts Run-D.M.C.’s emphatic vocal exchange inside a much later house framework. The rappers’ words and rhythmic identity remain recognisable, but the production changes the body movement around them. The result connects two dance cultures without requiring the original performance to pretend it was made for the later one.
The recording behind the remix
It’s Like That first belonged to Run-D.M.C.’s early-eighties catalogue, where the spare sound and alternating voices helped establish the group’s direct approach. The performance treats social observations as short, forcefully delivered statements. Its impact depends on the fit between the rappers rather than a conventional sung refrain.
Nevins’ reconstruction changes the surrounding pressure. A house rhythm and a newly extended arrangement make the vocal phrases function in another kind of club sequence, with instrumental passages giving dancers room between the recognisable statements. The rap retains its attack because the production works around that existing character.
The 1998 crossover
The remix became a British number one in 1998 and remained at the top for six weeks. The shared Run-D.M.C. versus Jason Nevins credit made the reconstruction itself part of the public identity, acknowledging the original group and the later producer together.
Its success also brought an earlier rap performance to listeners who encountered it first through dance music. The changed setting did not make the voices anonymous. Their clipped exchanges remain the centre of the track, showing how an older recording can acquire a new physical use while keeping the specific performance that made it compelling in the first place.
Essential releases
It’s Like That — Jason Nevins version
The British crossover release places Run-D.M.C.’s original vocal performance inside Nevins’ house reconstruction.