It's Tricky

"It's Tricky"
Single by Run–D.M.C.
from the album Raising Hell
B-side "Proud to Be Black"
Released February 8, 1987
Format Vinyl
Recorded 1986
Genre Hip hop, rap rock
Length 3:03
Label Profile
Songwriter(s) Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, Doug Fieger, Berton Averre
Producer(s) Rick Rubin, Run–D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. singles chronology
"You Be Illin'"
(1986)		 "It's Tricky"
(1987)		 "Christmas In Hollis"
(1987)

"You Be Illin'"
(1986)		 "It's Tricky"
(1987)		 "Christmas In Hollis"
(1987)

"It's Tricky" is the fourth and final single released from Run–D.M.C.'s third album, Raising Hell. It was released early in 1987 through Profile Records and was co-produced by Rick Rubin and the group themselves. The song peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 21 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In the UK, the song made #16 on the UK Singles Chart upon its original release and #74 in 1998, while the Jason Nevins remix of their song "It's Like That" spent its fifth week at #1.[1] Two decades after the song's release, The Knack sued Run-D.M.C. on the grounds "It's Tricky" sampled their song "My Sharona" without permission.[2]

The song is used in the promotional clip for the FX television series Snowfall, which began airing in July 2017.[3] The original song appeared in the movies Road Trip and The Bounty Hunter and in the video games SSX Tricky, WWE 2K16 and Forza Horizon 3.

Track listing

7"

  • A. "It's Tricky" – 3:02
  • B. "Proud to Be Black" – 3:14

12"

  • A1. "It's Tricky" (Club Mix) – 7:19
  • A2. "Up Tempo" – 2:35
  • B1. "It's Tricky" (Remix) – 4:31
  • B2. "It's Tricky" (Scratchapella) – 3:51
  • B3. "Tricky Reprise" – 2:54
  • B4. "Proud To Be Black" – 3:14

Music video

The music video features Penn and Teller, who are hustling a group of people with a game of three-card Monte in front of the Rialto Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Run–D.M.C. are called and shut their business down by winning every hand they play. Penn then asks the group if they can teach them to dance, which they do after insisting that Penn and Teller change their clothes. The video ends with Run–D.M.C. showing up to a gig in Japan six months later, where they find the duo impersonating them; unable to tell the difference, the concert promoters deny Run–D.M.C. the chance to perform.

Sampling

This song contains samples of "My Sharona" by The Knack, as well as the entire vocal structure from "Mickey" by Toni Basil. The Knack sued Run DMC over the track in 2006, and the lawsuit was settled out of court.[4][5][6]

References

  1. ↑ "RUN D.M.C." The Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  2. ↑ ""My Sharona" Writers Sue Run DMC For Sampling "It's Tricky"". Chartattack.com. September 18, 2006. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  3. ↑ Jeng, Jonah (May 11, 2017). "FX Crack Cocaine Drama Snowfall Receives Two Exuberant New Promos". Paste. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  4. ↑ It's Tricky - Run-D.M.C.
  5. ↑ Whosampled.com analysis
  6. ↑ Creative License: The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling
    "I just changed the chorus around and we just talked about how this rap business can be tricky to a brother."
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