In the late 1990s, a seismic shift occurred on dancefloors worldwide. If you walked into a club between 1997 and 1999, you would have witnessed a strange, beautiful phenomenon: punks with spiked hair moshing next to househeads in designer jeans, all while a thumping bassline dropped over a scratchy, anti-drug rap verse.
The track responsible for this chaos goes by many names. To the uninitiated, it is simply “The ‘It’s Like That’ Remix.” To crate diggers and Beatport historians, it is the holy grail of the Big Beat era. But the search string that unlocks this specific corner of music history is: "Run DMC Jason Nevins Its Like That Raxon E."
Let’s break down why these four keywords—and that mysterious "Raxon E"—represent one of the most important crossover moments in hip-hop and electronic music.
“It’s Like That” began as a stripped‑down manifesto of hip‑hop’s late‑1980s street realism and ended up, nearly a decade later, as a global dance‑floor phenomenon that reintroduced Run‑D.M.C. to a new generation. The song’s journey — from the group’s 1983/1984 era to Jason Nevins’s 1997 remix and its reverberations through club culture, radio programming, and cross‑genre collaboration — illustrates how remixes can reframe meaning, revive careers, and accelerate pop culture exchanges across time, geography, and musical taste.
Origins and original meaning Run‑D.M.C., formed in Queens in the early 1980s, were crucial to hip‑hop’s evolution from block‑party novelty to mainstream force. “It’s Like That” (originally released in 1983 as a single and later included on early releases) embodies that transformation: a spare beat, clipped drum machine hits, and direct, declarative verses about economic hardship, social struggle, and the toughness of street life. The lyricism is terse and pointed — less poetic flourish than social report — and the production’s minimalism places emphasis on rhythm and vocal delivery, a hallmark of early rap’s communicative urgency.
The song’s rhetorical core — repeated assertions like “It’s like that, and that’s the way it is” — functions as both statement and refrain, an acceptance of harsh realities but also a communal affirmation. In the context of 1980s New York, the track resonated as a factual snapshot: high unemployment, urban decline, and the crystallization of hip‑hop as the voice of marginalized youth. Its aesthetic matched its content: unadorned, percussive, and confrontational.
Jason Nevins’s remix: technique and cultural reframing In 1997 Jason Nevins — an American producer working in electronic and dance music — remixed “It’s Like That,” grafting modern club production onto Run‑D.M.C.’s original vocal track. Nevins introduced a four‑on‑the‑floor house beat, driving techno‑informed synth lines, recontextualized bass, and extended dance‑floor arrangements that emphasized groove and momentum rather than the original’s stark reportage.
Technically, the remix does several important things:
Culturally, the Nevins remix reframed the song’s affect. The grim resignation of the original becomes energizing defiance on the dance floor. The words remain unchanged, but their impact shifts: chanted refrains become sing‑alongs; statements of social reality morph into rallying cries for collective release. The remix thus demonstrates how production choices alter meaning without changing text, showing the power of context and sonic framing.
Commercial impact and significance Nevins’s remix became an international hit: it topped charts across Europe and reached high positions in multiple national singles charts. Its commercial success is significant for several reasons:
Critiques and complexities The remix’s success also generated debate. Purists argued that Nevins’s approach sanitized or appropriated the song’s original political edge by repackaging it for entertainment and mass consumption. Others defended the remix as an interpretive act that broadened the song’s reach and allowed its core message to resonate in new public spheres. Both critiques reveal tensions inherent in remix culture: who controls a song’s meaning, and how does commodification interact with art that originally emerged from marginality? run dmc jason nevins its like that raxon e
Legacy and continuing relevance “It’s Like That (Jason Nevins Remix)” stands as a landmark of 1990s remix culture. It exemplifies how production can transform reception, how global club networks can resurrect older works, and how the boundaries between hip‑hop and electronic dance music became increasingly porous. The remix also prefigured later trends: electronic producers collaborating with hip‑hop and pop artists, and legacy acts using contemporary production to access younger audiences.
Moreover, the remix invites reflection on the durability of Run‑D.M.C.’s message. Even when placed over euphoric beats, the lyrics’ insistence on hard realities remains audible — a reminder that popular music can shift tone while still carrying historical and social memory.
Conclusion The trajectory from Run‑D.M.C.’s spare 1980s original to Jason Nevins’s chart‑topping 1997 remix shows how musical meaning is malleable. The Nevins version repurposed a statement about social conditions into a unifying, kinetic experience for global dance floors, reviving the artists’ profile while raising questions about interpretation and commodification. Ultimately, the enduring appeal of both versions testifies to the strength of the original songwriting and to remixing’s capacity to forge new cultural life from established works.
The intersection of 1980s hip-hop royalty and 1990s European dance culture created one of the most significant moments in music history. While the world remembers the 1997 Jason Nevins remix of Run-D.M.C.’s "It's Like That" as a chart-topping behemoth, a new chapter has been written for modern dance floors. Specifically, the Raxon Remix (often referred to in underground circles as the "Raxon Edit" or "Raxon E") has breathed a dark, melodic techno soul into this timeless anthem. The Original Powerhouse: Run-D.M.C.
Released in 1983, the original "It's Like That" was the debut single from Run-D.M.C. It stripped hip-hop down to its barest essentials: a hard-hitting drum machine (the Oberheim DMX) and social commentary. It didn't just change the sound of the streets; it established the "New School" of hip-hop, moving away from the disco-influenced sounds of the late '70s. The 1997 Transformation: Jason Nevins
By the late 90s, the track underwent a radical metamorphosis. American producer Jason Nevins took the vocal stems and married them to a high-energy house beat. This remix became a global phenomenon, famously spending weeks at #1 across Europe and the UK. It was the "bridge" that introduced a new generation of clubbers to the legends from Hollis, Queens, while simultaneously defining the "big beat" and "house" crossover era. The Modern Rebirth: The Raxon Influence
In the contemporary electronic scene, Raxon—an Egyptian-born, Barcelona-based producer signed to prestigious labels like Ellum Audio and Kompakt—has become synonymous with sophisticated, architectural techno.
The Raxon Edit of the Jason Nevins version of "It's Like That" (the "Raxon E") is a masterclass in tension and release. Here is why it has become a "secret weapon" for DJs like Solomun and Tale Of Us:
Deconstructed Vocals: Raxon strips away the flashy 90s synths, leaving the iconic "It's like that / and that's the way it is" vocal to float over a cavernous, driving bassline.
Hypnotic Grooves: Unlike the frantic energy of the Nevins mix, Raxon opts for a steady, 4x4 pulse that fits perfectly into a 3:00 AM techno set. The Immortal Fusion: Deconstructing "Run DMC Jason Nevins
Melodic Texture: He introduces subtle, modular-style synth stabs that give the track a futuristic, "space-age" feel while respecting the grit of the original 1983 production. Why This Version Matters Today
Music operates in cycles. Just as Jason Nevins revitalized Run-D.M.C. for the 90s, Raxon has revitalized that energy for the modern melodic techno movement. The "Raxon E" represents a full circle: it respects the boom-bap origins, acknowledges the 90s club explosion, and fits seamlessly into the high-fidelity sound systems of modern festivals like Tomorrowland or Coachella.
For fans of Run-D.M.C., Jason Nevins, and the dark, driving sounds of Raxon, this specific version remains a testament to the fact that a truly great vocal and message—no matter how many decades pass—is always "like that."
The Raxon Edit of "It's Like That" breathes new life into the 1997 club anthem by Run-D.M.C. and Jason Nevins
, stripping away the high-energy house beats for a moodier, techno-focused approach. This version has gained significant traction in the underground scene, often circulating as an unreleased "edit" played in major sets. The Remix Legacy
The original 1983 hip-hop classic by Run-D.M.C. was transformed into a global phenomenon in 1997 by Jason Nevins. His remix: Sold over 5 million copies worldwide.
Topped charts in multiple countries and famously ended the Spice Girls' streak of six consecutive UK number ones.
Bridged the gap between hip-hop and electronic dance music, revitalizing Run-D.M.C.’s career for a new generation. Raxon’s Modern Spin
Barcelona-based, Egyptian-born producer Raxon—known for his releases on elite labels like Kompakt, Drumcode, and Ellum Audio—takes a more "stripped-back melodic techno" approach with this edit. Run DMC vs. Jason Nevins - It's Like That (Raxon Edit)
Stream Run DMC vs. Jason Nevins - It's Like That (Raxon Edit) by IDJunkie | Listen online for free on SoundCloud. SoundCloud·IDJunkie Tempo and rhythm: It raises the track’s BPM
Run DMC vs. Jason Nevins - It's Like That (Raxon Edit) ¨[Unreleased]
The search results suggest that "Run DMC Jason Nevins Its Like That Raxon E" refers to a modern techno edit by the artist Raxon of the classic 1997 remix by Jason Nevins of Run-D.M.C.'s 1983 debut single, "It's Like That." The Original and the Nevins Remix
1983 Original: "It's Like That" was the debut single for Run-D.M.C., characterized by its stark, heavy beat and street-level lyrics.
1997 Jason Nevins Remix: American producer Jason Nevins remixed the track into a house/dance hit. This version became a global phenomenon, famously knocking the Spice Girls' "Stop" off the UK #1 spot in 1998 and staying there for six weeks.
Music Video: The 1997 version is well-known for its video featuring male and female breakdance crews in a battle in downtown Los Angeles. The Raxon Edit
Modern Twist: Raxon, an established figure in the techno scene, created an edit of the Run-D.M.C. vs. Jason Nevins version. His edit adds modern hypnotic and techno-inflected beats to the iconic 90s dance floor hit.
Status: While highly popular in DJ sets and frequently shared on platforms like SoundCloud and Instagram, the Raxon Edit is often cited as an unreleased or white-label track used by major DJs like Maceo Plex in their live performances.
Other Versions: There is also a Raxon vs. B-sensual Mix of the track available on streaming platforms like YouTube.
There is sometimes confusion in tracklists. If you see "Raxon E" in a tracklist, it is almost certainly a typo or a file-naming error for:
There’s no official “Raxon” track with Run–D.M.C./Jason Nevins.
Possible intended meanings:
| If you meant… | Explanation | |---------------|-------------| | Roxon (media monitoring service) | They charted the song’s massive airplay in Europe. | | Raxor / Razor (misspelling of Razormaid) | Razormaid! remixers released an edit of “It’s Like That” around 1998. | | Raxon (producer/DJ) | No known collaboration. Could be a mislabeled MP3 from early P2P days. |
If you have a specific vinyl or CD with “Raxon” on it, it’s likely a bootleg remix or track name error.