Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Run-DMC Raising Hell (Gold)”?
Artist Statement
This "RUN-DMC Raising Hell" print is a collaboration with Glen E. Friedman and celebrates the release of his latest incredible book, "Together Forever!" The book showcases all of his amazing photos of RUN-DMC and Beastie Boys from before they were well known, through their time as collaborators/tour mates and well beyond. Glen made the photos that appeared on the Beastie Boys "Check Your Head" cover as well as Run-DMC's "Walk This Way" among many others. As creative pioneers, both groups expanded the cultural influence and reach of hip hop. I especially like that "Together Forever" explains how the two groups were friends and worked closely together, as it promotes racial unity. In the current climate of divisiveness, it's a great reminder that there does not need to be a racial divide. I have always loved Glen's original iconic photograph of RUN-DMC made in their own neighborhood of Hollis, Queens, NY, that I primarily based this illustration on. An oversized print of the photo has been displayed in the entry of my Studio Number One offices for many years. I also used this image as a reference for my "Jam Master Jay" tribute portrait when he passed away in 2002 (one of the first collaborations Glen and I worked on together). However, for this collaboration, Glen suggested I also look at an alternate photo from the same session where Run (Joseph Simmons) was holding up his fist and had a slightly different facial expression. I referenced both photos to create this new illustration and added in a lot of RUN-DMC vintage ephemera Glen had collected to the collage, including other well know photos of his. Run a.k.a. Rev Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) both loved how the piece came out, enough to sign it along with me and Glen. I've been a RUN-DMC fan since I was a teen, and they are the group, along with Beastie Boys, who turned me on to hip hop, so this collaboration is a huge honor. – Shepard RUN-DMC Raising Hell (two colorways: Gold and Red). A limited number of matching numbered sets will be available for $200. Gold and Red colorways sold separately for $100 each. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper. Numbered edition of 400. Signed by Shepard Fairey, Glen E. Friedman, Rev Run, and Darryl McDaniels.
Summary
Run-DMC Raising Hell (Gold) is a 2020 Shepard Fairey screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper, 18 x 24 inches, in a numbered edition of 400 at $100. Published by Obey Giant, it is a collaboration with photographer Glen E. Friedman celebrating his book Together Forever, and is based primarily on Friedman's iconic photograph of Run-DMC in Hollis, Queens. The Gold colorway is one of two (Gold and Red). The collaged image incorporates vintage Run-DMC ephemera and is signed by Shepard Fairey, Glen E. Friedman, Rev Run (Joseph Simmons), and Darryl McDaniels.
Why It Matters
This print is a standout hip-hop collaboration in Fairey's catalogue, distinguished by an unusually deep set of signatures: Shepard Fairey, photographer Glen E. Friedman, and Run-DMC members Rev Run and Darryl McDaniels all signed it. Built primarily from Friedman's iconic Hollis, Queens photograph of Run-DMC and released alongside his book Together Forever, it documents a friendship between Fairey, a foundational hip-hop photographer, and pioneering artists who, in Fairey's words, expanded the cultural reach of hip hop. Fairey frames the image around themes of racial unity, noting that Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys worked closely as friends and that their bond counters divisiveness. The collage layers in vintage Run-DMC ephemera, making it dense with cultural reference. For collectors, the multi-artist signing, the connection to a celebrated photographer and his book, and the link to Fairey's earlier Jam Master Jay tribute all add depth. Offered in Gold and Red colorways with matching numbered sets available, it sits at the intersection of music, pop culture, and portraiture in Fairey's work. The modest edition of 400 and the rare four-signature provenance make it a particularly desirable music collaboration.
Collector Perspective
This print is a strong target for collectors of hip-hop and music-related Fairey work, and for anyone who values multi-signature collaboration pieces. The signatures of Shepard Fairey, Glen E. Friedman, Rev Run, and Darryl McDaniels give it standout provenance that few prints match. At 18 x 24 inches on cream Speckle Tone paper, the Gold colorway frames boldly and pairs naturally with its Red counterpart, with matching numbered sets having been offered. Collectors drawn to Glen E. Friedman's photography or to Run-DMC's legacy will appreciate the documentary roots and the collaged vintage ephemera. With a numbered edition of 400, it fits music-focused or collaboration-focused collections, and its cultural-unity message and book tie-in add narrative appeal beyond the visual.
Historical Context
Released in March 2020 through Obey Giant, this print marks Fairey's collaboration with photographer Glen E. Friedman around Friedman's book Together Forever. It draws on Friedman's celebrated Hollis, Queens photograph of Run-DMC, an image Fairey says hung in his Studio Number One offices and that he had referenced earlier for his 2002 Jam Master Jay tribute, one of his first collaborations with Friedman. The work continues Fairey's deep engagement with hip-hop and music portraiture, layering collage and vintage ephemera in his established style. The participation of Rev Run and Darryl McDaniels as co-signers situates it among his most directly artist-endorsed music collaborations of the period.
FAQ
Who signed Run-DMC Raising Hell (Gold)?
It is signed by four people: Shepard Fairey, photographer Glen E. Friedman, Rev Run (Joseph Simmons), and Darryl McDaniels (DMC). Fairey notes that Run and DMC loved how the piece came out and chose to sign it alongside him and Friedman.
What is the print based on?
It is based primarily on Glen E. Friedman's iconic photograph of Run-DMC made in their own neighborhood of Hollis, Queens, with reference to an alternate photo from the same session. Fairey added vintage Run-DMC ephemera into the collage.
What colorways exist?
There are two colorways, Gold and Red. Each was sold separately for $100, and a limited number of matching numbered sets were also offered for $200.
What are the edition details?
It is a screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper, 18 x 24 inches, numbered in an edition of 400, published by Obey Giant in 2020. The Gold colorway was priced at $100.
Why did Fairey make this collaboration?
It celebrates Glen E. Friedman's book Together Forever, documenting Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. Fairey, a Run-DMC fan since his teens, highlights the groups' friendship as a message of racial unity against divisiveness.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.