In an exclusive interview with ROCK THE BELLS, D.M.C. explained that Run's MC name was Run The MC. "That was Run's whole record," he said. "Russell didn't want me in the studio, and he only let me rhyme on 'It's Like That' because I wrote it in the studio with Run. Run really fought for me, but Run was a solo artist called Run The MC. Fortunately, my name is D.M.C., so Run The MC became Run-D.M.C.
The stripped-down sound of "Sucker MCs" was actually more like what MCs rhymed over in the park jams and clubs of New York before rap records were a reality. Their style of dress was the way that B-Boys and early rap crews dressed off stage, but Run-D.M.C.'s cadence and attitude were something new, and "Sucker MC's" was a literal passing of the baton, signaling that things would never be the same.