Saddler's family migrated to the United States, and he grew up in the Bronx. He became involved in the earliest Queensbridge, New York DJ scene, attending parties set up by early luminaries. Learning from Pete Jones and Kool Herc, he used duplicate copies of a single record and two turntables but added a dextrous manual edit with a mixer to promote the break (a point of isolated drum rhythm) - the ordinary playing of the record would be interrupted to overlay the break, the break could be repeated by using the mixer to switch channels while the second record was spun back. The speed and dexterity needed showed why Saddler was called Flash, although he got the nickname in school due to the fact that he hung around with another guy named Gordon (from Flash Gordon). He also invented the technique initially called cutting, which was developed by Grand Wizard Theodore into scratching (AMG).
Flash played illegal parties and also worked with rappers such as Kurtis Blow and Lovebug Starski. He formed his own group in the late 1970s, after promptings from Ray Chandler. The initial members were Cowboy (Keith Wiggins), Melle Mel (Melvin Glover) and Kid(d) Creole (Nathaniel Glover) making Grandmaster Flash & the 3 MCs. Two other rappers briefly joined, but they were replaced more permanently by Rahiem (Guy Todd Williams, previously in the Funky Four) and Scorpio (Eddie Morris, also used the name Mr. Ness) to create Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. Soon gaining recognition for their skillful raps, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five pioneered MCing, freestyle battles, and invented some of the staple phrases in MCing. They performed at Disco Fever in the Bronx beginning in 1978.
Signed to Sugar Hill Records in 1980 by Joe Robinson, they released numerous singles, gaining a gold disc for "Freedom," and also toured. The classic "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," released in 1981 was the best display of their skills (combining elements of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust", Chic's "Good Times" and samples from Blondie's Rapture), but it was their least successful single at the time. The group's most significant hit was "The Message" (1982), which was produced by in-house Sugar Hill producer Clifton "Jiggs" Chase and went platinum in less than a month. Flash sued Sugar Hill in 1983 over the non-payment of royalties, and in 1984 the group split between Flash and Mel before disintegrating entirely. Flash, Kid Creole and Rahiem signed to Elektra Records while the others continued as "Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five." (Mel notably appeared on Chaka Khan's I Feel for You). They reformed in 1987 for a charity concert, to release one album and then fell apart again. There was another reunion, of a kind, in 1994, although Cowboy died in 1989 from a drug overdose due to the effects of his crack cocaine addiction.
Ten Percent
Grandmaster Flash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Ten percent of that something)
Ten percent of something
It beats one hundred percent
Of nothing at all
I only see you
Maybe once or twice a week
You make it worth my while
You treat me like a king
(Treat me like a king)
I cherish any time
That I can spend with you
Just say the words
And I'll do anything
But you must be true, oh
Ten percent of something
(Ten percent of that something, baby)
Ten percent of something
It beats one hundred percent
Of nothing at all
Ten percent of something
(Ten percent of that something, baby)
Ten percent of something
It beats one hundred percent
(Oh, oh, baby) of nothing at all
I do not like those guys
Who try to get all they can
(To get all they can)
Cause when it's over
They're right back where they began
(Back where they began)
It's better to have loved
Than never to have loved at all
(To have loved at all)
I'm with you til the water runs uphill
Ten percent of something
(Ten percent of that something, baby)
Ten percent of something
It beats one hundred percent
Of nothing at all
Ten percent of something
(Ten percent of that something)
Ten percent of something
(Is better than nothing)
Ten percent of something
Ten percent of something
(Than nothing at all)
Ten percent of something
(Now you only see me, baby)
Ten percent of something
(Maybe once or twice a week)
Ten percent of something
(But you treat me, treat me, treat me)
Ten percent of something
(Just like a dog instead of a king)
Ten percent of something (oh, baby)
Ten percent of something (oh, girl)
Just say the word
I'm not like those guys, love
I try, try, try, try all I can, girl
I'm gonna be with you
Be with you til the water runs up hill
Yes, I will, yes, I will, baby
Said I'll cherish, I'll cherish
I swear, my darling
And I'll try my best
To do the best, girl
I need not one
Not two, not three, baby
I need ten percent, ooh
The song Ten Percent by Grandmaster Flash is a beautifully crafted piece that uses intricate wordplay to convey its message. The song is about valuing what you have, even if it's just a small percentage of something. The majority of the lyrics are about how the singer only sees his significant other once or twice a week but cherishes every moment they have together. The singer addresses the listener, saying that ten percent of something is better than nothing at all, acknowledging that many people tend to take what they have for granted. The song concludes with the singer reaffirming his love for his partner and his willingness to do whatever it takes to make the relationship work.
The song was released in 1981 as part of a compilation album called "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel." The song was written by two members of the Sugar Hill Records house band, keyboardist Michael Leech and guitarist Ronald Bell. The lyrics are performed by rapper Melle Mel.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten percent of something
Ten percent of that something
Ten percent of something
It's better to have something, even if it's just ten percent, than to have nothing at all
Ten percent of something
Ten percent of that something, baby
It beats one hundred percent
Having even a little something is better than having nothing at all
Of nothing at all
Being empty-handed, with nothing at all
I only see you
I don't see you very often
Maybe once or twice a week
Only occasionally
You make it worth my while
You make me happy, you're worth spending time with
You treat me like a king
You treat me well, like royalty
I cherish any time
I value each moment
That I can spend with you
That I get to spend with you
Just say the words
Just tell me what you want
And I'll do anything
I'll be there for you, I'll help you out
But you must be true, oh
You need to be honest, loyal
I do not like those guys
I don't like men who only care about themselves
Who try to get all they can
Who are selfish, only taking from others
Cause when it's over
When everything is said and done
They're right back where they began
They end up with nothing, back where they started
It's better to have loved
It's better to have experienced love, even if it ends
Than never to have loved at all
Than to have never experienced love
I'm with you til the water runs uphill
I'll be with you forever, as impossible as that might seem
Is better than nothing
Something, even just ten percent, is still better than nothing at all
Now you only see me, baby
Now I'm the one you don't see often
But you treat me, treat me, treat me
But when we are together, you treat me well
Just like a dog instead of a king
You treat me poorly, like a dog instead of royalty
Said I'll cherish, I'll cherish
I promise to value every moment spent with you
I swear, my darling
I promise, my love
And I'll try my best
I'll do everything I can
To do the best, girl
To be the best partner possible
I need ten percent
I don't need much, just a little something
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALLAN WAYNE FELDER, TALMADGE G. CONWAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@skdkskdk
Even though a few of the lines were meant to apply only to Africa: A newspaper burns in the sand
And the headlines say 'Man Destroys Man'
Extra extra, read all the bad news
On the war for peace that everybody would lose
The rise and fall, the last great empire
The sound of the whole world caught on fire
The ruthless struggle, the desperate gamble
The game that left the whole world in shambles
The cheats, the lies, the alibies
And the foolish attempts to conquer the sky
Lost in space, and what is it worth?
Huh, the President just forgot about Earth
Spendin' multi-billions and maybe even trillions
The cost of weapons ran in the zillions
There's gold in the street and there's diamond under feet
And the children in Africa don't even eat
Flies on their faces, they're livin' like mice
And their houses even make the ghetto look nice
Huh, the water tastes funny, it's forever too sunny
And they work all month and don't make no money
A fight for power, a nuclear shower
A people shout out in the darkest hour
Sights unseen and voices unheard
And finally the bomb gets the last word
@logan5326
🎶🎵 It's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
Broken glass everywhere
People pissing on the stairs, you know they just don't care
I can't take the smell, can't take the noise
Got no money to move out, I guess, I got no choice
Rats in the front room, roaches in the back
Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat
I tried to get away, but I couldn't get far
'Cause the man with the tow-truck repossessed my car
Don't push me
'Cause I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
Ah-huh-huh-huh
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
Standin' on the front stoop, hangin' out the window
Watchin' all the cars go by, roaring as the breezes blow
A crazy lady, livin' in a bag
Eatin' out of garbage piles, used to be a fag-hag
Said, she danced the tango, skipped the light fandango
A Zircon princess, seemed to lost her senses
Down at the peep show, watching all the creeps
So she can tell the stories to the girls back home
She went to the city and got so saditty
She had to get a pimp, she couldn't make it on her own
Don't push me
'Cause I'm close to the edge
I'm tryin' not to lose my head
Ah-huh-huh-huh
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
My brothers doin' bad, stole my mothers TV
Says, she watches to much, is just not healthy
All My Children in the daytime, Dallas, at night
Can't even see the game or the Sugar Ray fight
The bill collectors, they ring my phone
And scare my wife, when I'm not home
Got a bum education, double-digit inflation
Can't take the train to the job, there's a strike at the station
Neon King Kong standin' on my back
Can't stop to turn around, broke my sacroiliac
A midrange migraine, cancered membrane
Sometimes I think I'm going insane
I swear I might hijack a plane
Don't push me
'Cause I'm close to the edge
I'm tryin' not to lose my head
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
My son said, Daddy, I don't wanna go to school
'Cause the teacher's a jerk, he must think, I'm a fool
And all the kids smoke reefer, I think it'd be cheaper
If I just got a job, learned to be a street sweeper
Or dance to the beat, shuffle my feet
Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps
'Cause it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funny
You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey
They pushed that girl in front of the train
Took her to the doctor, sewed the arm on again
Stabbed that man right in his heart
Gave him a transplant for a brand new start
I can't walk through the park, 'cause it's crazy after the dark
Keep my hand on the gun, 'cause they got me on the run
I feel like an outlaw, broke my last glass jar
Hear them say, you want some more? Livin' on a see-saw
Don't push me
'Cause I'm close to the edge
I'm tryin' not to lose my head (Say what?)
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
A child is born, with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smilin' on you, but he's frownin' too
Because only God knows, what you'll go through
You'll grow in the ghetto, livin' second rate
And your eyes will sing a song of deep hate
The place, that you play and where you stay
Looks like one great big alley way
You'll admire all the number book takers
Thugs, pimps and pushers and the big money makers
Driving big cars, spendin' twenties and tens
And you wanna grow up to be just like them
Smugglers, scramblers, burglars, gamblers
Pickpockets, peddlers and even pan-handlers
You say I'm cool, I'm no fool
But then you wind up dropping out of high school
Now you're unemployed, all null 'n' void
Walking 'round like you're Pretty Boy Floyd
Turned stick-up kid, but look what you done did
Got sent up for an eight year bid
Now your manhood is took and you're a Maytag
Spend the next two years as an undercover fag
Being used and abused and served like hell
'Til one day you was found hung dead in a cell
It was plain to see that your life was lost
You was cold and your body swung back and forth
But now your eyes sing the sad, sad song
Of how you lived so fast and died so young
So, don't push me
'Cause I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
Ah-huh-huh-huh
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
Huh-ah-huh-huh-huh
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
Huh-ah-huh-huh-huh
Yo Mel, you see that girl there?
Yo, that sounded like Cowboy man
Cool
Yo, what's up Money?
Yo, hey, where's Creole and Rahiem at?
They upstairs cooling out
So what's up for tonight y'all?
Yo, we could go down to Fever man
Let's go check out "Junebug" man
Hey yo, you know that girl Betty?
Yeah man
Her moms got robbed man (What?)
Not again man
She got hurt bad (When did this happen?)
What's goin' on?
Freeze
Don't nobody move nothin'
Y'all know what this is
Get 'em up, get 'em up (What?)
Oh man, we're Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
What is that, a gang?
No
Shut up
I don't wanna hear your mouth
Shut up
Officer, officer, what is the problem?
You the problem
Yo, you ain't gotta push me man
Get in the car, get in the car
Get in the God...
I said, "Get in the car"
Why is he doggin' us man?🎶🎵🗽
@trentonayershandsoffire3620
The most important Rap song in the history of Rap… 2023 who else…
@anthonylloyd6105
Amen!!
@jaimerene0101
Agreed!
@Xsonic378X
This song is turning 40 years old but a lot of this still holds true today wtf
@jackmemphis3203
yeah cuz we live in a society
@godzillamegatron3590
That NYC from.the 70's is coming back in 2022
@budalaidiotska6947
Only fasion changed since than, a little. Everything else, politics as usual.
@joesickler5888
Bum education double digit inflation.
@justin_your_cousin9273
@@godzillamegatron3590 *80s not 70s
@elhefe4581
8 foster homes, 2 group homes and a whole lot of pain at a young age. This song woke me up immediately and changed my life. Thank you Grandmaster.