ENGLEWOOD, N.J. (PIX11) — It is not tricky to love Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, founding member of the legendary Run-DMC.
His words are still making an impact.
“It’s me coming here as the great, mighty DMC but letting them know I’m no different than any of you boys and girls,” said McDaniels.
The hip-hop pioneer graced the halls of Mc Cloud Elementary in Englewood on Tuesday to do what he has done his whole life: uplift others with his words. He does that now with a children’s book called Darryl’s Dream, which includes a poem he wrote in elementary school about his dreams of making it big.
“A lot of this stuff I was writing was about who I was at that time, 3rd, 4th, 5th grade, but it also was a vision about my future,” said McDaniels, “and what blows my mind is a lot of this stuff I wrote really came true.”
Apart from the book’s message about overcoming bullies and staying true to who you are, the school hopes the kids take away a renewed interest in language arts.
“If you look at test scores across the nation, our children are behind in reading and in math,” said Englewood Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marnie Hazelton. “DMC recently published a children’s book, and I thought it was perfect timing to bring him in with the message of his children’s book.”
“You are perfect just the way you are,” said McDaniels’. “You being who you are now will manifest into you being the greatest person at whatever it is that you’re going to be doing when you’re older.”
