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.
White Lines
Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rock
Bass
Ooh, white, white
Ooh, white, white
Ooh, white, white
(Blowin' through my mind) and all the while I think of you
(High price) a very strange reaction
(For us to unwind) the more I see, the more I do
(Something like a phenomenon) baby
(Tellin' your body to come along, but white lines blow away)
Ticket to ride, white line highway
Tell all your friends, that they can go my way
Pay your toll, sell your soul
Pound for pound costs more than gold
The longer you stay, the more you pay
My white line go a long way
Either up your nose or through your vein
With nothin' to gain except killin' your brain
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
(Blow)
(Ahh) higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, baby
And don't ever come down, freebase (rock)
Rang-dang-diggedy-dang-di-dang
Rang-dang-diggedy-dang-di-dang
Rang-dang-diggedy-dang-di-dang
Diggedy-dang-di-dang, diggedy-dang-di-dang
(Pipeline) pure as the driven snow
(Connected to my mind) and now I'm havin' fun, baby
(High price) it's getting kinda low
('Cause it makes you feel so nice) I need some one-on-one, baby
(Don't let it blow your mind away) baby
(And go into your little hideaway 'cause white lines blow away)
A million magic crystals, painted pure and white
A multi-million dollars almost overnight
Twice as sweet as sugar, twice as bitter as salt
And if you get hooked, baby, it's nobody else's fault, so don't do it
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
(Blow)
(Ahh) higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, baby
And don't ever come down, freebase (rock)
(Don't you get too high) don't you get too high, baby
(Turns you on) you really turn me on and on
('Cause you gotta come down) my temperature is risin'
(When the thrill is gone) no, I don't want you to go
A street kid gets arrested, gonna do some time
He got out three years from now just to commit more crime
A businessman is caught with twenty four kilos
He's out on bail and out of jail
And that's the way it goes, rock
(Kane, sugar, kane)
Athletes rejected, governors corrected
Gangsters, thugs and smugglers are thoroughly respected
The money gets divided
The women get excited
Now I'm broke and it's no joke
It's hard as hell to fight it, don't buy it
Freeze (ha-ha, ha, ha), rock, freeze, rock
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock (rock)
(Blow)
(Ahh) get higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, girl
(Ahh) get higher, baby
C'mon, rock
(White Lines) vision dreams of passion
(Blowin' through my mind) and all the while I think of you
(High price) a very strange reaction
(For us to unwind) the more I see, the more I do
(Something like a phenomenon) baby
(Tellin' your body to come along, but white lines blow away)
Little Jack Horner sitting on the corner
With no shoes and clothes
This ain't funny, but he took his money
And sniffed it up his nose
Hey man, you want to cop some blow?
Sure, what you got, dust, flakes or rocks?
I got China White, Mother of Pearl, Ivory Flake, what you need?
Well yeah, well let me check it out man
Just let me get a freeze (don't)
Go ahead man (do it), stuff I got should kill ya
(Yeah man th-that's that's raw, whoa)
Freeze (ha-ha, ha, ha), rock, freeze, rock
Freeze (ha-ha, ha, ha), rock, freeze, rock (uh)
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
In Grandmaster Flash's song "White Lines," the chorus "Ooh white lines" refers to cocaine, which is sometimes referred to as "white lines" due to its resemblance to lines of salt or sugar. The lyrics also detail the dangerous and addictive effects of the drug, including the toll it takes on personal and financial well-being. The verses tell stories of drug-related crimes, the allure of the drug's euphoric effects, and the societal and moral issues that arise from its use.
The lyrics of "White Lines" packed a powerful message when it was released in the early 1980s. The song's candid portrayal of drug use and its associated dangers was groundbreaking in a time when many musical artists shied away from discussing such issues. Since its release, the song has come to be regarded as a classic in the genre of hip hop and has been sampled and remixed by numerous artists.
Line by Line Meaning
Rock
Let's rock and roll!
Rock
The sound of the bass rocks my world.
Bass
The driving beat and bass have got me moving.
(Ooh white lines) vision dreams of passion
An intoxicating dream world I visit when I use cocaine.
(Blowin' through my mind) and all the while I think of you
I can't stop thinking about you while I'm high on cocaine.
(High price) a very strange reaction
The high cost of cocaine and the erratic behavior it causes.
(For us to unwind) the more I see, the more I do
The more cocaine I use, the more I need to feel the high, and the harder it is to quit.
(Something like a phenomenon) baby
Cocaine is an incredible sensation that feels like a phenomenon.
(Tellin' your body to come along, but white lines blow away)
Cocaine may make you feel like you're telling your body what to do, but it's all a fleeting illusion that never lasts.
Ticket to ride, white line highway
Cocaine is a one-way ticket to a dangerous destination.
Tell all your friends, that they can go my way
Sharing the addiction with your friends is a common way to spread the problem.
Pay your toll, sell your soul
Cocaine takes a heavy toll and will consume your soul if you let it.
Pound for pound costs more than gold
Cocaine is one of the most expensive drugs, and the cost adds up fast.
The longer you stay, the more you pay
The longer you use cocaine, the more you need to get the same high, and the more it will cost you.
My white line go a long way
The cocaine I have will last me a long time, but the addict's mentality will make it run out faster than I think.
Either up your nose or through your vein
Cocaine can be snorted or injected, and either way, it's dangerous.
With nothin' to gain except killin' your brain
Cocaine provides only a fleeting high and a lot of damage to your brain and body.
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
Move to the music with these dance moves (or freeze while trafficking/using drugs).
(Blow)
Snort some cocaine.
(Ahh) higher, baby
The rush from cocaine makes you feel amazing.
(Ahh) get higher, baby
I don't want this high to end. I want to keep using cocaine to feel higher and higher.
(Ahh) get higher, baby
I want to go back to that intoxicating high.
And don't ever come down, freebase (rock)
Keep using cocaine in its purest form (freebase) so you can stay high forever.
Rang-dang-diggedy-dang-di-dang
Nonsense sounds that resemble the drums played in disco music.
(Pipeline) pure as the driven snow
Cocaine is often mixed with other substances, but this cocaine is as pure as it comes.
(Connected to my mind) and now I'm havin' fun, baby
This pure cocaine is making me feel amazing and connected to my own thoughts and emotions.
(High price) it's getting kinda low
The cost of cocaine is depleting my bank account.
('Cause it makes you feel so nice) I need some one-on-one, baby
I want to be alone with my cocaine because it makes me feel good.
(Don't let it blow your mind away) baby
Don't let cocaine consume you or you'll lose your mind.
(And go into your little hideaway 'cause white lines blow away)
Cocaine can give you the illusion of privacy and safety, but it never lasts.
A million magic crystals, painted pure and white
Cocaine consists of tiny sparkling crystals that look too good to be true.
A multi-million dollars almost overnight
Cocaine is a huge industry with fast profits that can quickly spiral out of control.
Twice as sweet as sugar, twice as bitter as salt
The high of cocaine is incredibly pleasurable, but the lows are incredibly painful.
And if you get hooked, baby, it's nobody else's fault, so don't do it
Cocaine addiction is your own fault, so don't start using in the first place.
Little Jack Horner sitting on the corner
A poor and desperate person sitting on the street corner.
With no shoes and clothes
Lacking even the basic necessities of life.
This ain't funny, but he took his money
This is not a joke, but the person used the money for drugs instead of food or shelter.
And sniffed it up his nose
The person snorted cocaine.
Hey man, you want to cop some blow?
Hey, do you want to buy some cocaine?
Sure, what you got, dust, flakes or rocks?
Yes, what forms of cocaine do you have for sale?
I got China White, Mother of Pearl, Ivory Flake, what you need?
I have different types of cocaine, which one do you prefer?
Well yeah, well let me check it out man
Yes, let me inspect the cocaine before I buy it.
Just let me get a freeze (don't)
Let me try a small amount of cocaine (but maybe I shouldn't).
Go ahead man (do it), stuff I got should kill ya
Take a risk and try the cocaine I'm selling. It's strong enough to be deadly.
(Yeah man th-that's that's raw, whoa)
Woah, this cocaine is strong and uncut. It's very dangerous.
Athletes rejected, governors corrected
Even famous and successful people can be involved with drugs and must face consequences.
Gangsters, thugs and smugglers are thoroughly respected
Drug dealers and criminals often earn respect on the streets for profiting off of drug addiction.
The money gets divided
The profits from drug sales are split among many different people.
The women get excited
Drug dealers and their lifestyles can be attractive to some people.
Now I'm broke and it's no joke
Addiction will drain your finances until you're broke.
It's hard as hell to fight it, don't buy it
Addiction is incredibly difficult to overcome, so don't get involved with drugs in the first place.
(ha-ha, ha, ha)
Laughter that could be nervous or menacing.
(rock)
This word is repeated to show a rock n' roll mentality.
(White Lines) vision dreams of passion
Repeated refrain about the powerful and intoxicating effects of cocaine.
(Blowin' through my mind) and all the while I think of you
The cocaine-induced high is so powerful that it's the only thing I can think of.
(High price) a very strange reaction
The cost of cocaine might be high, but the high itself is even stranger.
(For us to unwind) the more I see, the more I do
The more drug use I see, the more I am drawn to it myself.
(Something like a phenomenon) baby
Cocaine is an incredible sensation that feels otherworldly.
(Tellin' your body to come along, but white lines blow away)
Though cocaine can make you feel like you're in control of your body and mind, it's only temporary, and the effects will always wear off.
Freeze (ha-ha, ha, ha), rock, freeze, rock
More instructions for dance moves or commands for drug-dealing.
(uh)
A grunt or exclamation of pleasure, added for emphasis.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Melvin Glover, Sylvia (usa) Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Rizzlyricist
I used to listen to this when I was 63, and now I'm 17. This will forever be a classic.
@JoseSoto-cd9od
Ok you Benjamin Button ass.
@LetsGoFlyers2011
@@AndreaStewart-tr2gv Cocaine's a hell of a drug
@SargeScum
So you're 36
@Brevetfish
Found Benjamin Button.
@dragonmartijn
@@SargeScumMake sure this person isn’t a minor.
@leswater5065
Who's still listening to this in 2024 if you get hooked baby it's nobody else's fault so don't do it.
@Neverforget1967
Hell yes..
@user-im7rn9dg8q
Love the reply keep sending 😮😅😮❤
@user-tv2nk6oj2h
😂😂😂😂😂