No Benzo For This Rapper; He Prefers His F-150
Quick Stats: Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Run DMC
Daily Driver: 2009 Ford F-150 (Darryl’s rating: 10+ on a scale of 1 to 10)
Favorite road trip: New Haven to Hartford on I-95
Car he learned to drive in: 1978 Chevrolet
First car bought: 1986 Cadillac Fleetwood
When Darryl “DMC” McDaniels made it big in the iconic 1980s rap group Run DMC, he bought a brand-new Cadillac in 1986, fulfilling the line in their hit “Rock Box” on their debut album just two years before: “I’m driving a Caddy; you fixin’ a Ford.” But these days, McDaniels is loving his Ford. The rapper has always supported American car companies, and to say he loves his 2009 Ford F-150 Platinum is an understatement.
“I’ve always wanted a pickup since a little kid,” he says, giving his Ford a “10 plus” on a scale of 1 to 10. “It’s the best vehicle ever. Ford got it right. I had the Chevy Silverado. The Ram trucks look as good as the Ford, but they don’t ride as good as the Ford.” McDaniels makes sure he takes good care of his F-150 so that it stays looking new. “The crazy thing is I’ve got an ’09 F-150 that I keep spanking clean,” he says. “Everybody wants to buy it. People come up to me and say, ‘What year is that — 2015?’ And I go, ‘No, it’s an ’09,’ and they go, ‘Get the hell out of here!’ I get looks and compliments from old ladies and women all day. When I take it back for service, the service people tell me every time I go back, ‘Damn, D, you keep this car clean. We’ve never seen a car this clean.’ It is clean. I just make sure I take it to the car wash often.”
He says it isn’t just about supporting American car companies, though. “It’s just to support America,” he says. “I don’t live in Germany. Why would I want a German car?” McDaniels likes that the F-150 is strong and powerful. “It represents safety and positivity,” he says. “What I mean by that is a pickup truck is very versatile, especially a pickup truck that looks good. So it’s heavy duty, it looks good, and it has a style,” he says.