McDaniels Encourages Students to Find Their Purpose

Baton Rouge- “Do your assignments now, so you will be ready for your assignments later in life.”  That was the message Darryl “DMC” McDaniels had for students at Capitol Middle School.  The member of the former rap group Run-DMC spent an hour at the school on Wednesday, August 22. 

The entire student body, faculty and staff gathered in the school gym to hear McDaniels’ message.  He spent much of the time speaking to students about their purpose at school and encouraging them to focus on being the best person they can be. “Everybody wants to be Jay-Z or Beyonce, but you can’t be them.  You have to be the best you, you can be!” 

McDaniels also recalled the history of how the rap trio formed. He said his ninth grade English class prepared him for his life as a hip hop star.  “My English teacher would give us five minutes at the beginning of class to be creative. I spent that time writing rhymes,” McDaniels said.  “By the end of the year, I had a hundred notebooks filled with rhymes.”  McDaniels told the students those rhymes opened the door to his successful career.  McDaniels revealed that he was accepted to and attended St. John’s University in New York.

McDaniels was in Baton Rouge as a guest of the State Department of Social Services, Office of Community Support.  He will be featured as a spokesperson for an ad campaign which encourages more Louisiana families to become foster parents.  McDaniels said he found out seven years ago that he was adopted and made it his mission to help other children in foster care. “I realized if my mother had not adopted me, I would not have moved to Hollis, New York, I would not have met Run and Jay and there would have been no Run-DMC.” 

Run-DMC became the first rap act with a platinum and multi-platinum album, as well as the first rappers to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.  They were also the first rap group to receive a Grammy Nomination.

McDaniels’ recent documentary, “My Adoption Journey”, which recounts how he discovered he was adopted, is nominated for a 2007 Emmy Award.