The Larry Smith produced single ushered in the stripped down "drum machine era", and single handedly placed the Queens trio on the small but growing list of top Rap recording acts. It was the groups 1983 sophomore release, "Hard Times"/"Jam Master Jay" that cemented them as ones to watch, and created anticipation for a full album.

Hard Times

"Hard Times" was actually Rap's first cover song, originally released on Kurtis Blow's 1980 debut self-titled album. The song, penned by Blow's friend and writing partner William "Billy Bill" Waring addressed the social ills of the late 1970's. "Get a hold of yourself, keep your eyes on the clock, and be prepared for the future shock", the song warns.

“I wrote that during the Jimmy Carter and early (Ronald) Reagan years," Waring told The Foundation in 2007. "People in the inner cities were really struggling and there wasn’t a lot of money available. I was inspired to write that by Marvin Gaye’s 'Inner City Blues' and by Curtis Mayfield. I even used [Mayfield’s] term 'future shock' on 'Hard Times.'"

Musically "Hard Times" mirrored "Its Like That" from earlier that year, with Larry Smith's Oberheim DMX drum machine programming and simple horn stabs. Run and DMC would apply their back and forth signature cadence to Waring's lyrics, creating another hit.

Jam Master Jay

"Jam Master Jay" was an ode to Run D.M.C.'s D.J. of the same name, who wasn't mention on their first release. The Scratching on "Jam Master Jay" was incredible for the time, and came primarily from Cerrone's foundational break beat , "Rocket In The Pocket".

The drum sequence was odd at the time, as it didn't contain a snare drum. Sal Abatiello, owner of the legendary Disco Fever Hip-Hop club said in an interview with The Foundation: "The first time that was played that in The Fever everyone just stood there. Nobody danced, not because it wasn't good, it was just so different."

This "different" song serve as an early template for Run and DMC to praise their DJ il later songs such as "Jam Master Jammin'" and "Peter Piper", and also a blue print for Rap artist to pay homage to their DJ's The "DJ homage" song would become an almost necessary song on future Rap releases.

"Hard Times" and "Jam Master Jay" would both be contained on the group's 1984 full length album, and they still serve as one of the groups finest moments.