The name of the album is a homage to Run DMC, and in anticipation of the album the group released the mixtape "Funner than Leather", a play on the Run DMC inspired, Rick Rubin directed film Tougher Than Leather.
leather | Nights in Black Leather | Imperial Leather | Tougher Than Leather | The Leather Boys | Leather Goddesses of Phobos | Something Leather | Peggy Lee Leather | Leather subculture | Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz | Black Leather Mojo | Tougher Than the Rest | Tougher Than Leather (Willie Nelson album) | Tougher Disguises | Stephen Leather | National Leather Association International | Morocco leather | Leather Pride flag | Leather District | Leather | Latigo leather | International Fur & Leather Workers Union | Diane Leather | Chrome and Hot Leather | Central Leather Research Institute | Blood Orgy of the Leather Girls |
The band was often seen performing for tourists on the streets of Washington, D.C. This popularity led to appearances in a 1984 Cavalier Men's Store television advertisement, the 1983 film D.C. Cab and the 1988 film Tougher Than Leather with Run-D.M.C. It was this interaction with Run-D.M.C.'s DJ Run that led to an eventual recording contract with older brother Russell Simmons' Def Jam Recordings.
The first recording on the studio was Nelson's release Tougher Than Leather and his collaboration with Merle Haggard Pancho and Lefty.