I don’t like to make a big deal of “hip-hop firsts.” After all hip-hop culture is such an international phenomenon that even your grandmoms knows about it.
Today, however, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five became the first hip-hop act elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. (And no, hipster dummies, Blondie doesn’t count.) The Bronx sextet — Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Scorpio/Mr. Ness, Kid Creole, (the late) Cowboy and Raheim — joined a 2007 slate that also includes R.E.M., Patti Smith, Van Halen and the Ronettes. That, my friends, is pretty cool.
Grandmaster Flash is arguably the greatest DJ in hip-hop history, the one who pioneered the “quick mix” and expanded on cousin Grandwizard Theodore’s scratching techniques. In his own words, he is the first “to make the turntable an instrument.” He assembled an early version of the group in the late 70s to hype the crowd during his DJ sets. It included Cowboy (whom some argue is the first hip-hop MC), Melle Mel and Kid Creole. The group was content to rule New York until 1979, when the Sugar Hill Gang’s worldwide success of “Rappers’ Delight” prompted them to start a recording career.
Many music historians consider the group’s 1980 debut “Superrappin'” to be the first real hip-hop record, since earlier first documented singles in that style (the Fatback Band’s “King Tim III” and “Rappers’ Delight”) were made by artists who weren’t part of the fomenting Bronx scene. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five went on to record many classics, including “Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (which is considered the first turntablist record), “The Message” (the first socially-conscious rap single), “New York New York” and “White Lines (Don’t Do It).” Unfortunately, the success of “The Message” and “White Lines” led to a lot of ugly lawsuits and the classic lineup splintered. It’ll be interesting to see who tries to bumrush the stage when the awards are handed out.
In related news, Muscles, a new album by Melle Mel (under the name Grandmaster Mele Mel), comes out through New York indie Redline Music Distribution on January 23. The 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place on Wed., March 7 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
www.grandmasterflash.com
www.myspace.com/only1djgrandmasterflash
www.melemel.net
www.myspace.com/grandmastermellemel
www.furious5.net
www.myspace.com/furious5
