Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five began recording for Enjoy Records and released "Supperrappin'" in 1979. They later moved on to Sugarhill Records and were popular on the R&B charts with party songs and the like. In 1982 Mele Mel began to turn to more socially aware subject matter, in particular the Reagan administrations economic (Reaganomics) and drug policies, and their effect on the black community. A song entitled "The Message" became an instant classic and one of the first glimmers of conscientious hip-hop. Mel recorded a rap over session musician Duke Bootee's instrumental track "The Jungle". Some of Mel's lyrics on "The Message" were taken directly from "Supperrappin'", a song he had recorded three years earlier. Although credited to the entire group, "The Message" was really a Mele Mel solo record. Neither Grandmaster Flash nor any of the members of the Furious Five performed on it. Mel would also go on to write songs about struggling life in New York City ("New York, New York"), and making it through life in general ("Survival (The Message 2)"). Grandmaster Flash split from the group after contract disputes between Mele Mel and their promoter Sylvia Robinson in regards to royalties for "The Message". When Flash filed a lawsuit against Sugar Hill Records, their label, the factions of The Furious Five parted.
Mel became known as "Grandmaster Mele Mel" and the leader of the Furious Five. The group went on to produce the anti-drug song "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" (the unofficial music video was directed by then unknown film student Spike Lee & starred an unknown Laurence Fishburne). Mel then gained higher success appearing in the movie Beat Street, with a powerful song based on the movie's title. He also won a Grammy award performing a memorable rap on Chaka Khan's smash hit song "I Feel for You" which introduced hip-hop to the mainstream R&B audience. Grandmaster Mele Mel & The Furious Five had further hits with "Step Off" & "Pump Me Up".
In 1985, Grandmaster Mele Mel released two singles, "King of the Streets" and "Vice", the latter being released on the soundtrack to the TV show Miami Vice.
In 1988, after an almost 4 year layoff, Mel and Flash reunited and released the album "On The Strength", but with up and coming new school artists such as Eric B. & Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and Big Daddy Kane dominating the hip-hop market, the album failed miserably. Mel performed with The King Dream Chorus and Holiday Crew on "King Holiday" aimed at having Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday declared a national holiday. Mel also performed with Artists Against Apartheid on the anti-aphartheid song "Sun City" aimed at discouraging other artists from perfoming in South Africa until that government ended its policy of apartheid. Mel ended the decade by winning two more Grammy awards for his work on Quincy Jones "Back On The Block" album.
In 1997, Mele Mel signed to Straight Game Records and released Right Now. This album featured Scorpio from the Furious Five, Rondo and the legendary Grandmaster Flash. The album barely sold at all in the USA and the UK even though it marked the return of one of hip hop's greatest. This album took more of a harder rap style to show the world that Mele Mel could stay with the times.
In 2001, he released the song "On Lock" with Rondo on the soundtrack of the movie Blazin under the name Die Hard. Die Hard released an album of the same name in 2002 on 7PRecords.
On November 14, 2006, Mel released a children's book "The Portal In The Park", which comes with a bonus CD of his rapped narration. Also in 2006, Mele Mel attended professional wrestling school and in 2007, stated in an interview with allhiphop.com that "I'm going to try to take some of John Cena's money and get with WWE and do my thing". Mel released his first ever solo album, Muscles on January 30, 2007. The first single and music video is "M3 - The New Message".
On March 12, 2007, The Furious Five (joined by DJ Grandmaster Flash) became the first rap group ever inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Vice
Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You have the right to remain silent
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law
You have the right for an attorney
If you do not, or cannot afford an attorney
An attorney will be appointed to you, you are now under arrest
Crime, it pays real nice
It pays once in money, twice in years
In the jail cell, tryin to hide your tears
And the trip bad, cause you tried to get rich
In the graveyards, or in the shallow ditch
It's money or time so make up your mind
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
Vice
Vice
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
Fraud, the girl he adored
Turned out to be another dirty old broad
Took all the money, told all the lies
I heard she even, slept with other guys
Nothing she wouldn't do for a dollar or two
But every lie she told he knew to be true
He loves his honey, but she loved money
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
Talk about ya-yo, uh, it's everywhere you go
They said in Miami it'll never snow
Now it's snow in the palm trees, snow on the sand
It snows all day, for sixty dollars a gram
Now they're strung out and high, hung out to dry
The air that they breathe the food that they buy
They think that they can fly, but that's a white lie
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
Vice
Vice
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
The mob, a full time job
Known to extort and steal or rob
Started as a hitman, lookin for wealth
And now he's the boss workin' for his self
For all the blood money that he did earn
It made him take lives with no concern
But soon he would learn that next is his turn
Prostitution, it's a low down shame
How any girl, would want to play that game
From pillow, to post, a sidewalk host
But the lady's got a condo out on the coast
She thought that the hole, was better than gold
Now she worked on her back 'til she got too old
Layin' down on the job, has made her a slob, uh
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
It's a stickup, so throw your hands in the air
And don't, ah put 'em down, keep 'em way up there
Just let me your wallet empty all your pockets
Got a itchy trigger finger and I'm gonna cock it
My eyes got wide as they pulled away
I said, 'Who are you the cops?' He began to say
'No I'm Clint Eastwood, make my day, get in the car!'
Homicide is on the rise, and it's no surprise
The bums are in the alleyways tryin to take lives
People burglarize then suicidal criminals are never idle
Court procedures at your leisure eight finger Visas circle seizures
Con man fencer, arson is a trip
Take all the fingerprints, and give him the book
And then hope that the judge don't let him off the hook, uh!
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice
Vice, vice, vice, vice, vice, vice vice, vice vice, vice, vice
The song "Vice" by Grandmaster Melle Mel is a cautionary tale about the dangers of engaging in criminal activity. The lyrics make reference to the Miranda rights read to individuals who are under arrest and warns them that anything they say can be used against them in a court of law. The second verse presents crime as a short-sighted pursuit because the cost is ultimately much higher than any financial gain. The consequences are not just in the form of years spent in jail but also the emotional toll that comes with trying to hide one's tears behind bars. The song lists various forms of vice, such as fraud, drug addiction, prostitution, and organized crime, with each verse serving as a warning about the damaging effects they can have on one's life.
The overall message of the song is clear: crime doesn't pay, and vices lead to a life of misery and despair. The raw and unapologetic lyrics, combined with the hard-hitting beat, create a sense of urgency and danger, reflecting the harsh reality of life on the streets.
Line by Line Meaning
You have the right to remain silent
You are entitled to keep quiet and not incriminate yourself
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law
Your words will be used as evidence in a court of law
You have the right for an attorney
You are allowed to have a lawyer to represent you
If you do not, or cannot afford an attorney
If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you
An attorney will be appointed to you, you are now under arrest
You are under arrest and will be provided with a lawyer if you cannot afford one
Crime, it pays real nice
Criminal activities are often lucrative
But what you really didn't know that crime pays twice
Criminal activities not only yield money, but also result in imprisonment
It pays once in money, twice in years
Criminal acts pay in money and cost in years spent in jail
In the jail cell, tryin to hide your tears
After getting caught, you'll cry while in jail
And the trip bad, cause you tried to get rich
It's a bad outcome from trying to make a quick profit
In the graveyards, or in the shallow ditch
Crime may lead to death or imprisonment
It's money or time so make up your mind
You have to choose between money and freedom
Fraud, the girl he adored
A woman he loved scammed him
Turned out to be another dirty old broad
She was untrustworthy and deceitful
Took all the money, told all the lies
She stole all his money and lied to him
Nothing she wouldn't do for a dollar or two
She had no moral compass and would do anything for money
But every lie she told he knew to be true
He knew that she was lying to him, even though she didn't admit it
He loves his honey, but she loved money
He loved her, but she was only interested in money
Talk about ya-yo, uh, it's everywhere you go
Drug culture is prevalent everywhere
They said in Miami it'll never snow
People doubted that drug culture would ever be prevalent in Miami
Now it's snow in the palm trees, snow on the sand
Drug use is widespread even in sunny places like Miami
It snows all day, for sixty dollars a gram
Drugs are sold at an inflated price
Now they're strung out and high, hung out to dry
Drug users are addicted and financially depleted
The air that they breathe the food that they buy
Even the basic necessities are affected by drug use
They think that they can fly, but that's a white lie
Drug users often have a false sense of security and capability
The mob, a full time job
Working for the mob is a full-time commitment
Known to extort and steal or rob
The mob is infamous for acts of coercion and theft
Started as a hitman, lookin for wealth
Some people start as hitmen hoping to accumulate wealth
And now he's the boss workin' for his self
Now, he's a boss with his own enterprise
For all the blood money that he did earn
The money he earned from criminal activities was tainted with blood
It made him take lives with no concern
He killed people without remorse because of his financial gain
But soon he would learn that next is his turn
He's aware that he will not be exempt from the violence he's inflicted
Prostitution, it's a low down shame
Prostitution is a shameful and often exploitative industry
How any girl, would want to play that game
It's difficult to understand why anyone would want to engage in prostitution
From pillow, to post, a sidewalk host
Prostitutes sell their bodies in a variety of locations
But the lady's got a condo out on the coast
Prostitutes earn a lot of money and may have luxurious personal lives
She thought that the hole, was better than gold
She believed that selling her body was more valuable than anything else she could do
Now she worked on her back 'til she got too old
When she was no longer physically attractive, she stopped engaging in prostitution
Layin' down on the job, has made her a slob, uh
She has become a lazy person after her time as a prostitute
It's a stickup, so throw your hands in the air
It's a robbery, so put your hands up
And don't, ah put 'em down, keep 'em way up there
Don't lower your hands or make any sudden movements
Just let me your wallet empty all your pockets
Give me your wallet and everything in your pockets
Got a itchy trigger finger and I'm gonna cock it
The person robbing has a shaky finger on the trigger and might shoot
My eyes got wide as they pulled away
The victim was frightened after the robbers left
I said, 'Who are you the cops?' He began to say
The victim asked if they were police officers
'No I'm Clint Eastwood, make my day, get in the car!'
The robber joked that he was Clint Eastwood and ordered the victim into a car
Homicide is on the rise, and it's no surprise
There is an increase in murders and it's not unexpected
The bums are in the alleyways tryin to take lives
Homeless people are resorting to violence and homicide
People burglarize then suicidal criminals are never idle
Burglars and criminals attempt murder or suicide, and they keep active
Court procedures at your leisure eight finger Visas circle seizures
The legal process and credit card (Visa) systems can be confusing
Con man fencer, arson is a trip
Con men and fences are involved in arson
Take all the fingerprints, and give him the book
Collect fingerprints as evidence and arrest the perpetrator
And then hope that the judge don't let him off the hook, uh!
Hope that the judicial system will bring about justice and won't acquit the perpetrator
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Douglas Arthur Wimbish, Leland Roy Robinson, Melvin Glover, Sylvia Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind