Aerosmith Recreate Run-D.M.C. ‘Walk This Way’ Collaboration at the 2020 Grammy Awards
While the Grammys are geared toward a younger demographic, there's also the desire to celebrate some groundbreaking history. With Aerosmith already being honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year, the veteran band also got a spotlight on the 2020 Grammy Awards stage, rocking "Walk This Way" with rappers Run-D.M.C.
In 1986, the song got a second run for Aerosmith as they teamed up with the rappers, serving up one of the first rap-rock collaborations. In the process, the video for the pairing became an MTV hit, helped to legitimize the burgeoning rap genre to a mainstream audience and brought Aerosmith back from a lull ahead of their career reviving Permanent Vacation album the following year.
After an introduction from rapper Common, Aerosmith opened their performance with "Living on the Edge." The performance featured the band backed by a video wall and flames of pyro popping up behind the stage. Midway through the song, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry made their way through the crowd to a stage in the middle of the audience, eventually being joined onstage by Run-D.M.C.'s Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Joseph "Run" Simmons, who busted through a wall constructed onstage.
While the nostalgia factor seemed to resonate with the crowd, the performance seemed a little off for two acts who don't always perform together.
The performance also included a nod to the late Kobe Bryant who had died earlier in the day as a jersey was displayed during the performance. The Lakers legend, of course, played most of his games at the Staples Center where the Grammys were being held.
The Aerosmith performance once again found them playing without drummer Joey Kramer, as the musician lost a court ruling in his attempt to return to the band after a layoff from injury, against the band's approval. Kramer did take the podium with his Aerosmith bandmates in accepting the MusiCares Person of the Year honor on Friday, but did not perform with the group at the event.
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