History Music / GrandmasterFlashAndTheFuriousFive

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are one of the pioneers of HipHop. They introduced many innovations that are still a cornerstone of the genre today. Grandmaster Flash was a skillful DJ and turntable expert, who introduced the backspin technique, punch phrasing and perfected scratching. Band member Cowboy was the first to use the word ''hip hop'', while Melle Mel was the first rapper to call himself ''MC'' (Master of Ceremony).

They are best known for their three hit singles ''Music/TheMessage'', ''The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel'' and ''White Lines (Don't Do It)'' and are seen as the progenitors of ConsciousHipHop and PoliticalRap. While many other hip hop acts were basically clowning around Grandmaster Flash and his band used their skills to provide socially conscious messages about the hardships of modern life.

Despite being huge during the early 1980s the band faded away halfway the decade. Grandmaster claimed his label didn't pay their royalties and tensions in the band caused a split. Grandmaster Flash, Kid Creole and Rahiem continued as ''Grandmaster Flash'', while Melle Mel, Cowboy and Scorpio went on as ''Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five''. They briefly reunited in 1987 for a charity concert. Band member Cowboy died of a cocaine overdose in 1989. A definitive reunion came about in 1994, but they never managed to return to the charts again. Their musical contributions haven't been forgotten, though. In 2002 they became the first rap act to have one of their songs, ''The Message'' inducted in the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry and in 2007 they were the first hip hop artists to be honored into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

* ShoutOut:
** "Dreamin'" opens with a dedication to Music/StevieWonder, "cause he's the greatest!"
** The Furious Five in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' are a shout-out to them.
** A fictionalized version of Grandmaster Flash appears in ''Series/TheGetDown.''

* DespairEventHorizon: "The Message"
--> ''Don't push me\\

--> "Don't push me"
--> "Cuz I'm close to the edge."
--> "I'm trying not to lose my head..."

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Just say the band's name out loud.

Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five are one of the pioneers of {{HipHop}}. They introduced many innovations that are still a cornerstone of the genre today. Grandmaster Flash was a skillful DJ and turntable expert, who introduced the backspin technique, punch phrasing and perfected scratching. Band member Cowboy was the first to use the word ''hip hop'', while Melle Mel was the first rapper to call himself ''MC'' (Master of Ceremony).

They are best known for their three hit singles ''Music/TheMessage'', ''The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel'' and ''White Lines (Don't Do It)'' and are seen as the progenitors of ConsciousHipHop and PoliticalRap. While many other hip hop acts were basically clowning around Grandmaster Flash and his band used their skills to provide socially conscious messages about the hardships of modern life.

!! Tropes On The Wheels Of Steel:

* AwesomeMcCoolName: Just say the band's name out loud.

* PoliticalRap, ProtestSong: "The Message" talks about the hardships of living in the ghetto, "Survival (Message II)" continues the themes, while "White Lines (Don't Do It) warns of the dangers of cocaine use.

* {{Sampling}}: Used samples often. "The official adventures of..." from "The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel" would be [[StockShoutOuts sampled in itself countless times]].

* SingerNamedrop: Just like any other hip hop band they enjoyed doing this too.
* SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer: Despite being credited under the group's name Grandmaster Flash himself doesn't actually appear on many of the group's songs and was more visible during stage performances when he played the turntable.

* EpicRocking: "The Message" and "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel". Even then, both are outdone by their first single, "Superappin'", that clocks in at twelve minutes.

* InstrumentalHipHop: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel" is a track made entirely out of samples.

* FollowTheLeader and GenrePopularizer: Together with Music/TheSugarHillGang, Music/AfrikaBambaataa and Music/KurtisBlow they are seen as pioneers who popularized hip-hop and influenced all socially conscious rap acts after them.

* TwoHitWonder: They are best known for "The Message" and "White Lines (Don't Do It)".

Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five are one of the pioneers of {{HipHop}}. They introduced many innovations that are still a cornerstone of the genre today. Grandmaster Flash was a skilful DJ and turntable expert, who introduced the backspin technique, punch phrasing and perfected scratching. Band member Cowboy was the first to use the word ''hip hop'', while Melle Mel was the first rapper to call himself ''MC'' (Master of Ceremony).

'''Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five''' are one of the pioneers of {{HipHop}}. They introduced many innovations that are still a cornerstone of the genre today. Grandmaster Flash was a skilful DJ and turntable expert, who introduced the backspin technique, punch phrasing and perfected scratching. Band member Cowboy was the first to use the word ''hip hop'', while Melle Mel was the first rapper to call himself ''MC'' (Master of Ceremony).

[[caption-width-right:350: From left to right: Scorpio, The Kidd Creole, Grandmaster Flash, Keef Cowboy, Rahiem, Melle Mel]]

[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

* TheBigRottenApple: "New York, New York" directly talks about the dog-eat-dog, hand-to-mouth world of the poor districts of New York. "The Message" also contains the same themes.

* EpicRocking: "The Message" and "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel".Even then, both are outdone by their first single, "Superappin'", that clocks in at twelve minutes.

* PoliticalRap, ProtestSong: "The Message" talks about the hardships of living in the ghetto, "Survival (Message II)" continues the themes, while "White Lines (Don't Do It) warns for the dangers of cocain use.

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Furious Five
* AlliterativeName: Melle Mel.

* TheBigRottenApple: "New York, New York" directly talks about the dog-eat-dog, hand-to-mouth world of the poor districts of New York. The Message also contains the same themes.

* DespairEventHorizon

* DrugsAreBad: "White Lines (Don't Do It)"

* InstrumentalHipHop: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel"

* TwoHitWonder
* PrisonRape: The fate of one who does not heed the message in "The Message" and "Survival (Message II)".

Despite being huge during the early 1980s the band faded away halfway the decade. Grandmaster claimed his label didn't pay their royalties and tensions in the band caused a split. Grandmaster Flash, Kid Creole and Rahiem continued as ''Grandmaster Flash'', while Melle Mel, Cowboy and Scorpio went on as ''Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five''. They briefly reunited in 1987 for a charity concert. Band member Cowboy died of a cocaine overdose in 1989. A definitive reunion came about in 1994, but they never managed to return to the charts again. Their musical contributions haven't been forgotten, though. In 2002 they became the first rap act to have one of their songs, ''The Message'' inducted in the NationalRecordingRegistry and in 2007 they were the first hip hop artists to be honored into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

!! Tropes On The Wheels Of Steel

--

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Their first few singles,[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L_YHWQMFu4 "Superappin'"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFh8baehGpE "Freedom"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdKwEVT1_9U "The Birthday Party"]], didn't have the social-conscious element present in later recordings, being not too different in theme from other contemporary rap groups' recordings, and also were longer than their later material.

* PoliticalRap, ProtestSong: "The Message" talks about the hardships of living in the ghetto, while "White Lines (Don't Do It) warns for the dangers of cocain use.

* AWildRapperAppears: Music/Steppenwolf rerecorded "Magic Carpet Ride" in 1988 with Grandmaster Flash.

They are best known for two hit singles ''Music/TheMessage'', ''The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel'' and ''White Lines (Don't Do It)'' and are seen as the progenitors of ConsciousHipHop and PoliticalRap. While many other hip hop acts were basically clowning around Grandmaster Flash and his band used their skills to provide socially conscious messages about the hardships of modern life.

Despite being huge during the early 1980s the band faded away halfway the decade. Grandmaster claimed his label didn't pay their royalties and tensions in the band caused a split. Grandmaster Flash, Kid Creole and Rahiem continued as ''Grandmaster Flash'', while Melle Mel and the others went on as ''Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five''. They briefly reunited in 1987 for a charity concert. Band member Cowboy died of a cocaine overdose in 1989. A definitive reunion came about in 1994, but they never managed to return to the charts again. Their musical contributions haven't been forgotten, though. In 2002 they became the first rap act to have one of their songs, ''The Message'' inducted in the NationalRecordingRegistry and in 2007 they were the first hip hop artists to be honored into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

* EpicRocking: "The Message" and "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel".Even then, both are outdone by their firsat single, "Superappin'", that clocks in at twelve minutes.

* EpicRocking: "The Message" and "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel"
* FollowTheLeader and GenrePopularizer: Together with Music/TheSugarHillGang, Music/AfrikaBambaataa and Music/KurtisBlow they are seen as pioneers who popularized hophop and influenced all socially conscious rap acts after them.

->"Don't push me"
-> "Cuz I'm close to the edge."
-> "I'm trying not to lose my head..."

---

** ''Music/TheMessage'' (1982)

!!

'''Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five'' are one of the pioneers of {{HipHop}}. They introduced many innovations that are still a cornerstone of the genre today. Grandmaster Flash was a skilful DJ and turntable expert, who introduced the backspin technique, punch phrasing and perfected scratching. Band member Cowboy was the first to use the word ''hip hop'', while Melle Mel was the first rapper to call himself ''MC'' (Master of Ceremony).

* BadassName: Just say the band's name out loud.

* RuleOfFive: Grandmaster Flash is backed by five furious rappers.

* SirNotAppearingInThisFilm: Despite being credited under the group's name Grandmaster Flash himself doesn't actually appear on many of the group's songs and was more visible during stage performances when he played the turntable.

* * AWildRapperAppears: Music/Steppenwolf rerecorded "Magic Carpet Ride" in 1988 with Grandmaster Flash.