Run-DMC star Darryl McDaniels has shot down rumours the hip-hop icons will reunite at The Roots' annual festival this summer, insisting it would be "disrespectful" to their late DJ, Jam Master Jay.
Rappers Reverend Run and McDaniels, also known as DMC, vowed never to perform together again following the tragic murder of Jason 'Jam Master Jay' Mizell in 2002, but rumours have continued to swirl for months.
The Roots drummer ?uestlove fuelled the speculation in March when he announced plans for the band's third annual 'picnic' event in June, hinting on Twitter.com that the concert would feature "a reunion we thought we would never get".
In another telling 'tweet', ?uestlove posted a video of himself wearing the group's iconic thick gold chain and a black fedora, adding, "This should say it all." McDaniels insists the highly-anticipated reunion won't be happening anytime soon.
He tells The BoomBox, "That's not gonna happen. For me, personally, I'll put it like this... As of now, a reunion is possible, but it's really got to make bigger sense, because a lot of people say Run-DMC was much more than just a rap group to them.
"People hit me with all the groups that did get back together after death, but I just feel I can't replace my drummer. Do you really want to see me and Run running around without Jay back there? With some other DJ? It'll be disrespectful."
But McDaniels is not ruling out a possible collaboration in the future: "We can probably get back together, but it's got to be in a different form. So it's not going to happen yet."
The Third Annual Roots Picnic will take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 5 June and will feature headline performances from rap duo Clips, Vampire Weekend and Mayor Hawthorne.
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