Saddler's family migrated to the United States from the West Indies, and he grew up in the Bronx. He currently lives in the Morrisania section of the South Bronx. He became involved in the earliest 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 (for cutting) but added a dexterous manual edit with a mixer to promote the break (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). He also developed the technique initially called cutting, (which was developed by Grand Wizard Theodore into scratching).
Grandmaster Flash's parents played an important role in his interest in music. His parents came from Barbados and his father was a big fan of Caribbean and black American records. As a child, Flash was fascinated by his father's record collection, "My father was a very heavy record collector. He still thinks that he has the stronger collection. I used to open his closets and just watch all the records he had. I used to get into trouble for touching his records, but I'd go right back and bother them."[2] Murray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal's book That's the Joint describes how Flash's entry into "cutting" came from this fascination with his father's record collection as well as his mother's desire for him to educate himself in electronics.
Flash played 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 (with Melle Mel being the first rapper ever to call himself an "MC"). 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 and the Furious Five. Soon gaining recognition for their skillful raps, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five pioneered MCing, freestyle battles, and invented some of the staple phrases in MCing. The group performed at Disco Fever in the Bronx beginning in 1978. Cowboy created the term "Hip hop" while teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army, by scat singing the words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers.
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five were signed to Bobby Robinson's Enjoy Records and in 1979 released the classic "Superrappin'". They later signed to Sugar Hill Records and 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 Flash's skills (combining elements of Blondie's "Rapture," Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache," Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" and Chic's "Good Times." It also marked the first time that record scratching had been actually recorded on a record. The group's most significant hit was "The Message" (1982), which was produced by in-house Sugar Hill producer Clifton "Jiggs" Chase and featured session musician Duke Bootee. Other than Melle Mel, no members of the group actually appear on the record. Rahiem lip-synced Duke Bootee's vocal in the music video. "The Message" went platinum in less than a month. In 1982, Flash appeared in the movie "Wild Style" and sued Sugar Hill over the non-payment of royalties. The group split between Flash and Mel before disintegrating entirely. Flash, Kid Creole and Rahiem signed to Elektra Records and continued on as simply "Grandmaster Flash" while Mel and the others continued on as "Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five." In 1984, Mel released a 12" single, "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" which went on to become one of his signature songs. Although frequently credited on the records, Flash doesn't actually appear on "The Message", "White Lines (Don't Do It)", or many of the other Furious Five songs (if you don't hear scratching on a track, then Flash isn't on it). Mel notably appeared on Chaka Khan's "I Feel for You" becoming the first rapper ever to win a Grammy Award for "Record of the Year". He also appeared in the film "Beat Street" performing "Beat Street Breakdown" in the grand finale. Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five reformed in 1987 for a charity concert, and in 1988 to release an album that did poorly. Melle Mel closed out the decade by winning two more Grammy awards for his work with Quincy Jones. There was another reunion, of a kind, in 1994, although Cowboy died in 1989.
Grandmaster Flash has a clothing line, "G.Phyre", and has signed a deal with Doubleday who will publish his memoirs. He hosts a show on Sirius Satellite Radio & he was recently presented with the BET "I Am Hip Hop" Icon award.
Melle Mel (now known as Mele Mel) has a clothing line with Sedgwick & Cedar. He released the children's book/CD/DVD "Portal In The Park" in November 2006 and he released his first ever solo album "Muscles" on January 30, 2007. The first single and music video is "M3 (The New Message)", released on the 25th anniversary of "The Message".
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the first hip-hop/rap group ever inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, 2007 by Jay-Z. In 2008, he remixed the single "Into the Galaxy" by the Australian group, Midnight Juggernauts.
The Truth
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're all the same
Plastic faces
Plastic faces
Society's to blame
Open your eyes
Clear your fuckin' mind
Deep in your mind
Replicas of today's world
Commercially programmed
Plastic faces
Plastic faces
Society's to blame
Posing bodies
Unclear minds
Posing bodies
Society's crimes
The lyrics to Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's song The Truth aim to address the issue of conformity in society. The repetition of "Mannequin, Mannequin, They're all the same, Plastic faces, Plastic faces, Society's to blame" indicates the lack of individuality and the loss of the sense of self that comes with conforming to societal norms. The lyrics urge the listener to "Open your eyes, Clear your fuckin' mind, Remove that disguise, Deep in your mind," urging them to truly see the world around them and remove the mask they put on to fit in with society. The lyrics also denote that the world is becoming increasingly replicated, with people being "Commercially programmed" and losing their unique identities.
The chorus "Posing bodies, Unclear minds, Posing bodies, Society's crimes" further emphasizes the idea that people are not fully in control of their actions or ideas, but rather are just following what society dictates. This lack of critical thinking and individuality can lead to harmful actions that have a negative impact on society as a whole. In summary, the song encourages listeners to break free from societal norms and embrace their true selves.
Line by Line Meaning
Mannequin, Mannequin
Referring to the uniformity of people in modern society
They're all the same
They lack individuality and are conforming to societal norms
Plastic faces
Metaphor for people’s superficiality
Plastic faces
Metaphor for people’s superficiality
Society's to blame
Society encourages people to be superficial and conformist
Open your eyes
Advice to see the world without illusions
Clear your fuckin' mind
Remove the fog of society's indoctrination and be free
Remove that disguise
The false image that society forces on everybody
Deep in your mind
The need to critically think to challenge the status quo
Replicas of today's world
People's characters and personalities are a mere reflection of the societal norms
Commercially programmed
A reference to the idea that society is like a business which profits on people's superficiality
Plastic faces
Metaphor for people’s superficiality
Plastic faces
Metaphor for people’s superficiality
Society's to blame
Society encourages people to be superficial and conformist
Posing bodies
People putting on a facade, pretending to live the life society wants them to live
Unclear minds
Their own personal identity needs to be clarified
Posing bodies
People putting on a facade, pretending to live the life society wants them to live
Society's crimes
Society is guilty of causing people to be fake and superficial
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Strong
@Xbot SevenHere you go mate 😀🤘
The birth of “hip hop”
Hip hop evolved during the 1970s and in 1977 Keith “Cowboy” Wiggins unintentionally coined the term. He mimicked the rhythm of marching soldiers singing “hip hop hip hop” jokingly to a friend who had just joined the Army. Later he used the phrase in a performance and disco musicians caught on, helping the term to spread like wildfire.
What does hip hop really mean?
While many think of hip hop as a genre of music, hip hop is much more than that. It is an attitude and a culture. It is a voice of people and something you live rather than do. It’s a passion and a love. It is a message you tell the world.
As a cultural movement, Hip Hop has been around since the 1970s but it wasn’t given it’s name until the early 80s. Legend has it that Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s Keith “Cowboy” Wiggins originally coined the phrase in 1977 when teasing a friend that had recently joined the army. He told his friend that his days of freedom were finished and began to march on stage, chanting the words “hip/hop/hip/hop”. Needless to say that the bit went down well with the crowd. It was after this little stunt that Cowboy and DJ Lovebug Starski played with the idea backstage. Starski told the journalist Peter Scholtes, “I’d say the ‘hip,’ he’d say the ‘hop.’ And then he stopped doing it, and I kept doing it.” The two played with variations on the words at gigs until they eventually worked their way into The song “Rappers Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang: “I said a hip, hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, a you don’t stop”
It wasn’t until 1981 that the term “Hip Hop” was immortalized in print. Journalist Steven Hager penned an article for The Village Voice on a youth movement that was displacing gang violence through the use of dance, art, style and music. The article followed Afrika Bambaataa, former leader of The Black Spades gang and was titled: “Afrika Bambaataa’s Hip-Hop.”
Years later when asked during a lecture at Cornell University, why he chose “Hip Hop” to define the movement that he had helped to create, Bambaataa said:“Well, I chose the name ‘hip-hop’ because of the cliches brothers was using in their rhymes- Love Bug Starski and Keith Cowboy from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,” he said. “And I liked the sound of what they were saying. And when the media come to speak to me- cause we could have called it ‘the go-off’, ‘the boyoyoing,’ the ‘scat rap’ and all that type- but I liked that sound.”
“I said, “This is hip and when you feel that music you gotta hop to it, so that’s when we called it ‘hip-hop.'”
1stOnehere
I haven't heard this song in over 20 years! I've been searching for this cut for years. I still remember Cowboy's verse like it was yesterday! "Check me out as I run my game, there's not another mc that can make me feel shame". He lives on in my mind for a lifetime. I can't thank you enough for posting this song.
GR AWAKENDREAM
One of the hardest verses in hip hop history imo. the first rap album i heard back in '83
Roberto Diego
This is one of the best hip hop songs of all time. Melle Mel and the Furious Five: True Legends.
Xbot Seven
that one had POWER, not like about 90% of al the hiphop tracks afterwards.,., btw: in THAT song the say it " take a hip to the hop" is THIS the official birth?
TFJ Boxing
@Xbot Seven No. This was a few years after.
Mark Strong
@Xbot SevenHere you go mate 😀🤘
The birth of “hip hop”
Hip hop evolved during the 1970s and in 1977 Keith “Cowboy” Wiggins unintentionally coined the term. He mimicked the rhythm of marching soldiers singing “hip hop hip hop” jokingly to a friend who had just joined the Army. Later he used the phrase in a performance and disco musicians caught on, helping the term to spread like wildfire.
What does hip hop really mean?
While many think of hip hop as a genre of music, hip hop is much more than that. It is an attitude and a culture. It is a voice of people and something you live rather than do. It’s a passion and a love. It is a message you tell the world.
As a cultural movement, Hip Hop has been around since the 1970s but it wasn’t given it’s name until the early 80s. Legend has it that Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s Keith “Cowboy” Wiggins originally coined the phrase in 1977 when teasing a friend that had recently joined the army. He told his friend that his days of freedom were finished and began to march on stage, chanting the words “hip/hop/hip/hop”. Needless to say that the bit went down well with the crowd. It was after this little stunt that Cowboy and DJ Lovebug Starski played with the idea backstage. Starski told the journalist Peter Scholtes, “I’d say the ‘hip,’ he’d say the ‘hop.’ And then he stopped doing it, and I kept doing it.” The two played with variations on the words at gigs until they eventually worked their way into The song “Rappers Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang: “I said a hip, hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, a you don’t stop”
It wasn’t until 1981 that the term “Hip Hop” was immortalized in print. Journalist Steven Hager penned an article for The Village Voice on a youth movement that was displacing gang violence through the use of dance, art, style and music. The article followed Afrika Bambaataa, former leader of The Black Spades gang and was titled: “Afrika Bambaataa’s Hip-Hop.”
Years later when asked during a lecture at Cornell University, why he chose “Hip Hop” to define the movement that he had helped to create, Bambaataa said:“Well, I chose the name ‘hip-hop’ because of the cliches brothers was using in their rhymes- Love Bug Starski and Keith Cowboy from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,” he said. “And I liked the sound of what they were saying. And when the media come to speak to me- cause we could have called it ‘the go-off’, ‘the boyoyoing,’ the ‘scat rap’ and all that type- but I liked that sound.”
“I said, “This is hip and when you feel that music you gotta hop to it, so that’s when we called it ‘hip-hop.'”
Xbot Seven
@Mark Strong cool tihng, didnt know that THIS cowby said it : )
any many thank you for all these words..
(omg i am listen to it again..)
Mark Strong
@Xbot Seven You're very welcome. I've been into.hip hop for 40 years, and it's my life. Check out this album. Mele Mel does the first song https://www.mixcloud.com/afrodamus/burning-out-of-control-the-sugarhill-mix-by-steinski/ Have you seen hip hop evolution on Netflix? First 3 episodes are the perfect history lesson for you 😀
ankokugaiBOSS
real hip hop in its purest form. this jam wasn't heard by a lot of people. "...got shot with a gun and stabbed with a knife people talk behind my back but never to my face!" "taught all the MCs the birds and the bees but they still can't get a young lady..!" this is the blueprint of all hip hop today.
GR AWAKENDREAM
those things happened too, on tour