Rock music, synonymous with guitar solos and heavy handed drummers, has been popular for decades. Sprouting in the early 50s and still holding it's own as a major genre today; rock music has under gone many changes, including clashes and combinations with other genres. During the 1980s in America, as rock music blared through car radios everywhere, the new, hip genre of rap became popular among many age groups. Rap music struggled to hold it's own in the vast music industry, however, with help from other genres, including rock, it has become one of the most popular music genres in America.

Aerosmith and RUN-DMC's rap and rock combo, the cover of Aerosmith's original single "Walk This Way", shocked many as one of the first combinations of rap and rock. The 1986 music video's purpose is to explain this new combination by portraying the two bands as equally confused as American fans with the new sound. The video opens to Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry rehearsing their hit "Walk This Way" in a studio adjacent to one being occupied by the young hip hop-rap group RUN-DMC. This visual juxtaposition shows not only how different the two genres are but how well they work together in producing the hit cover of "Walk This Way". Steven Tyler's angered reaction to the interrupting noise of his neighboring studio, leads to his bashing of the the conjoining wall in an effort to sing through the rap group's new, stylistically opposite, sound. Steven Tyler's crash through the wall, just in time to sing the famous chorus, "Walk this way, Talk this way", serves as a symbolic breaking of the wall between rap and rock. As the two bands jump back and forth between studios, the sounds mingle and combine to form one song; one song that joined the two genres thought to be vastly different. The music video progresses as Aerosmith and RUN-DMC take the stage in a live performance of "Walk This Way". As the two bands dance and interact seamlessly in front of millions the world is faced with the realization that the two genres may actually be similar. 

Although, the video can serve a more simple purpose of pure entertainment, it's explanation of the shocking new combination is successful and helpful to viewers throughout their confusing understanding of one of the music industry's newest, most surprising sounds.