The Message (Single) by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

“The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5 released “The Message” in 1982. Tsingle became a hit song due to it’s message and timing of release. With the rise of drugs, violence and poverty in the Bronx, “The Message” spoke to the political and social issues that impacted people who lived in the low-income regions of New York. “The Message” led a new wave of political consciousness in rap that highlighted many issues members of the hip-hop community would see and experience. Becoming a certified platinum hit, “The Message” sold half a million copies in a month, topped numerous critics’ and magazines’ lists of best singles for 1982 and named as the greatest rap song of all time by Rolling Stone.

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5 expanded the culture of hip-hop across the globe with their rapping and DJing skills. Making their debut as a group that performed for local parties in the Bronx then the world, the group included Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler, b. 1958), Melle Mel (Melvin Glover, b.1961), his brother, The Kidd Creole (Nathaniel Glover, b.1960), Keef Cowboy (Robert Keith Wiggins, b. 1960-1989), Mr. Ness a.k.a. Scorpio (Eddie Morris, b. 1960) and Rahiem (Guy Williams, b.1963) from the Funky 4+1 more. The group is often regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 as the first hip hop group to be inducted. With hits like, “Freedom”, “Birthday Party” and “The Message”, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five stood out as a unique group due to their ability to finish each other’s rhymes, mixing melodies and unique harmonies that kept the crowd hyped and engaged.