Profile Records

American company

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July 16, 2026

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Profile Records was an American record label that played a significant role in establishing the commercial viability of hip-hop music. While the established music industry initially dismissed hip-hop, Profile Records achieved a breakthrough in 1986 with the release of Run-D.M.C.'s collaboration with Aerosmith on a revival of "Walk This Way." This track became the first rap song to reach the Top Five on the pop charts and its music video was a staple on MTV, propelling Run-D.M.C. to stardom. Although Profile Records did not produce another act of comparable stature, its success demonstrated the significant commercial potential of rap music, paving the way for other labels to capitalize on the genre.1

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Profile Records
“Run This Way”
Hip-hop was scorned by the established music industry as a novelty idiom until 1986, when Run-D.M.C. enrolled Aerosmith’s vocalist, Steven Tyler, and guitarist, Joe Perry, to take part in a revival of the hard rockers’ hit “Walk This Way” from 10 years earlier. Released on…
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Hip-hop was scorned by the established music industry as a novelty idiom until 1986, when Run-D.M.C. enrolled Aerosmith’s vocalist, Steven Tyler, and guitarist, Joe Perry, to take part in a revival of the hard rockers’ hit “Walk This Way” from 10 years earlier. Released on…
Read More