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During the 1980s and 1990s, Rev Run's rap group, Run-D.M.C. pioneered a powerful hip-hop sound that acted as a wrecking ball to break new ground and cross into the mass consciousness. Run-D.M.C. helped pioneer rap music's journey from underground urban sensation to mainstream cultural phenomenon. According to Rev Run, the fame, wealth, product endorsement deals and magazine covers did little to quell what was lacking within. His first marriage had ended, and he felt he had no spiritual center from which to rebuild. For him, Christianity was the catalyst that helped him find his center and higher purpose, which created the foundation from which to build his marriage to his beautiful wife, Justine Simmons. Audiences then fell in love with their blended family on the long-running MT V docu-series Run's House, and subsequent television shows on The DIY network and the Travel Channel. Their new book, Old School Love, certainly saves the best for last as they open up like never before, sharing the ups and downs and intimate details about their life and their marriage. Rev Run's performance at the 2020 Grammy Awards was, indeed, a full circle moment for the artist, reverend, and mentor to millions. Below, Rev Run and Justine discuss what makes their marriage and their family rock-solid, and the journey that has gotten them here. I want to compliment you on a job well-done. I've read many celebrity-authored books, and rarely do I feel compelled to recommend a book. This one, I'm going to recommend. I'm a single mom, like your two daughters, Angela and Vanessa, who you write about in the book. Dating can be disheartening, and I found this book inspiring as well as healing. Rev Run: What made you feel that way? I'm very interested… Reading about your loving, old-fashioned courtship makes me feel quite hopeful that such a thing exists. The two of you are emotionally responsible with one another. I love how you speak about being mindful during a conflict, and not being cruel or hitting below the belt, but really taking care of each other's feelings. RR: Well, thank you! You're very welcome. I watched your family's show, Run's House, when it was on, but this book is different. The two of you get very intimate and really take your fans inside your marriage, and even into your sex life. That's private stuff. What made you want to share those parts of your marriage? RR: People have been asking us for the longest to do a book, so we wanted to be very transparent and give people as much help as we could as to the dynamics of why we're here, and how we arrived at this place together. The only way to do that is to go as deep as we could into ourselves, to pour it out to you. Justine, what do you have to say? Justine: Joey and I so wanted to help people in their marriage, so much so, that we wanted to give them our all and say, "This is what we are doing, and hopefully if you try it this way, it could help you in your own marriage." We know it's not easy. We were blessed to have mentors that were trying to make their marriages work, so we had that early on to look at and see how to make our own marriage work. We just wanted to make sure we gave you all the lessons we've learned over the years. Are you that couple in your social circle that people go to for advice about their relationships? RR: We feel it when we walk down the street. We feel people wanting to look up to us. Because of the television show, Run's House, not just close friends, it almost feels like the world, whether they know us or not, feel that way. Run's House was so impactful in that way. I don't really get cornered by couples per se, but I get cornered by the world at large, to just feel admired by them. JS: Maybe one or two couples have come to us, but I'd rather not say names. If you notice, on Run's House, we showed ourselves going to church and different things like that. We tried to lead by example. Even on our cooking show (Rev Run's Sunday Suppers) and our renovation show (Rev Run's Renovation), we always tried to lead by example. RR: Do as we do, not what we say. That's what was so good about our reality shows. Michael Jordan never told people, "Here's how to dunk the ball." He just dunked, and [the late] Kobe [Bryant] became inspired. You can feel our truth, and it's been inspiring. JS: So many people would comment on my husband's Instagram, asking us to please put out a book, or saying, "You guys should write a book!" Rev, what have you done differently in your marriage to Justine that you didn't do in your first marriage? RR: I was young. I was on the road, and when I came back home and off the road, I didn't have what I needed. I was too young. Later, I went to church, and I had time to slow down and really be more attentive. Like other famous families, your marriage and your family are also a brand and a business. Are there ever times when the brand clashes with your personal relationship?