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.
We Speak Hip Hop feat. Afasi Kase. O Maccho Abass & KRS One
Grandmaster Flash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Micidi mic check mic check ett och två ett och två,
Af-afasi på micen ingeting som do kan ändra på,
Ut me de nya in med det gammla, men snabba på att ta mig fram på svenska,
I brooklyn för vi snackar samma språk,
We Speak Hip Hop is a song by Grandmaster Flash featuring Afasi, Kase. O Maccho Abass & KRS One, which emphasizes the importance of hip hop as a global language that brings people together. Afasi starts off the song with a mic check and emphasizes his mastery on the mic, stating that there's nothing anyone can do to change that. He then speaks about the need to balance the old and new while also pushing forward in Swedish hip hop. The lyrics ultimately reinforce hip hop as a unifying language that transcends borders and brings together people from all walks of life.
Throughout the song, the sense of unification among hip hop artists from around the world is palpable, with mentions of Brooklyn and other diverse locales. The song also touches on issues of social justice, with KRS One's verse, which highlights the importance of using hip hop to inspire positive change. The song features a blend of Swedish and English lyrics, a nod to the multilingual nature of hip hop and how the genre has spread across the globe.
Overall, We Speak Hip Hop is a powerful celebration of the transformative impact of hip hop, and how it has emerged as a cultural force that unites people across geographic and linguistic boundaries.
Line by Line Meaning
Micidi mic check mic check ett och två ett och två,
I'm testing the microphone by saying 'mic check, one two, one two'
Af-afasi på micen ingenting som do kan ändra på,
I'm Afasi and no one can change that I'm holding the microphone and ready to perform
Ut med det nya in med det gammla, men snabba på att ta mig fram på svenska,
Out with the new, in with the old. But hurry up and let me rap in Swedish
I Brooklyn för vi snackar samma språk,
In Brooklyn, we speak the same language: hip hop
Kase o represento hasta en japón,
I represent Kase O all the way to Japan
Donde aprendí la forma y el fondo y el son,
Where I learned the style, rhythm, and sound of hip hop
Caminando con el Rey y el Señor de Lyon,
Walking with the King and the Lord of Lyon - legendary hip hop artists
El hip hop en los genes por eso mi amor.
Hip hop is in my DNA, that's why I love it
O'maccho aka don't touch my mic frost,
I'm O'maccho and my mic is my possession, don't even try to touch it
I'm the hip hop generation's albatross,
I represent the burden of hip hop's generation to carry on its legacy
If you see me in your town don't hesitate to say wassup,
If you see me in your town, don't be afraid to greet me
Cause I never hesitate to take my rhyme book out and bust.
I'm always ready to perform and bust out some rhymes from my book
When I say hip-hop, y'all say culture,
When I mention hip hop, it's not just music, it's a whole culture
Hip-hop!
The crowd responds with 'culture' to further emphasize the point
From the boogie down Bronx to the street named after me,
Hip hop started in the Bronx and now there's even a street named after me
KRS One reigns supreme in MCing,
I, KRS One, am considered the best MC in the game
So when it comes to the books, I wrote the first chapter,
My contributions to hip hop are significant, I even wrote the first chapter on it
What y'all think about that, my brothers and sisters?
Now what do my fellow hip hop enthusiasts think about that?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind