"It's Like That" is the debut single by American hip hop group Run-DMC. It was first released in 1983 on a cassette backed with the track "Sucker M.C.'s". The release marked the start of Run-DMC's career and is widely regarded as ushering in a new school of hip hop artists with a street image and an abrasive, minimalist sound that marked them out from their predecessors. Both tracks were collected on the trio's eponymous debut album in 1984. "It's Like That" is about life in the area where the group lives. Despite protesting those social and political problems, the song takes on a hopeful message encouraging listeners to abandon prejudice and to believe in themselves. In 2001, parts of the song was sampled in Jagged Edge's "Let's Get Married " featuring Run-DMC. The single was an international success. The song was remixed by house DJ Jason Nevins in 1997. His version was originally released in 1997 on 10" vinyl in the U.S., and became a sleeper hit in 1998. It sold around five million copies worldwide, placing it amongst the biggest selling singles of all time. In 2008, it was ranked number 40 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.
Background
In the re-release of the album in 2004, a booklet was included, and a reviewer, Angus Batey, wrote the background information about the album. When he wrote about "It's like That", he stated: The song was mixed by Kurtis Blow and Elai Tubo.
In 1997, a new version by American producer Jason Nevins was released. The Nevins version topped the pop charts in many countries, including the United Kingdom, where it stayed at the top for six weeks and became Britain's third biggest-selling single of 1998. Elsewhere, it also topped the chart in Australia, where it remains their only top five hit there. In the United Kingdom, Nevins remix gained notoriety for breaking the Spice Girls' run of consecutive number-one hits on the UK Singles Chart, keeping their song "Stop" from claiming the top spot.
Music video
The music video for the remix featured male vs. female breakdance crews battling each other. The video was shot in downtown LA in 1998 after the song became a hit in Europe. Jason is in the beginning of the video wearing his 'well known yellow tinted glasses' and holding a boom box.
