By any account, Darryl “D.M.C” McDaniels has had a legendary career. As part of the groundbreaking New York hip-hop trio Run-D.M.C, McDaniels and his groupmates Joseph “Run” Simmons and Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell were the first set of rappers to have a gold album and be nominated for a Grammy Award. Run-D.M.C was also the first hip-hop act to have videos shown on MTV and the first to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. But despite being a pioneer in hip-hop culture, McDaniels found himself fighting deep depression, abusing prescription pills and drinking up to a case of 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor a day. By the late 1990s, McDaniels, the Devastating Mic Controller, was extremely close to taking his own life.
In 10 Ways Not to Commit Suicide: A Memoir, McDaniels recounts how, in the midst of huge success as a rapper, he battled emotional and psychological demons, including dark feelings of loneliness, isolation and alienation. 10 Ways Not to Commit Suicide follows McDaniels from the aftermath of the murder of Jam Master Jay in 2002 to his emotional journey two years later to reunite with his biological mother after discovering as an adult that he had been adopted.
At a time in our history when suicide has become the third-leading cause of death for black men between the ages of 15 and 24, according to a 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, McDaniels opens up about his personal struggles and shares essential information on how to find hope in the midst of suffering. McDaniels will share his moving story at Boswell Book Co. at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Book Happening:
Michail Takach
7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 25
Boswell Book Co.
2559 N. Downer Ave.
The new release LGBT Milwaukee by local resident Michail Takach is considered the first comprehensive social history of the gay and lesbian community in Milwaukee. This ambitious project includes historical archived materials, personal interviews and hundreds of print advertisements and photographs. While this Rust Belt city may seem an unlikely LGBT hotspot, the city boasts some of the nation’s oldest gay bars and a long-running Pride celebration. Takach’s appearance at Boswell is co-sponsored by Outwords Books, Gifts & Coffee.
