By: Jarrod Horton
Staff Writer
10. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
- The Message(1982)
- On the Strength(1988)
Even though Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five came out before my time, I still have to honor the legends. How can I have a top ten and not have the group that’s a DJ pioneer and revolutionized the turntables in it? How can I have a top ten and not have a group that put the first scratching on record? How can I have the top ten groups and not have the group who had an emcee whose style spurn the label, Hip Hop? They had the first superstar emcee in Melle Mel. Who probably could be considered rap’s first “King of New York.” They are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. displays their historical archives, the vinyl records, and the turntable used by DJ Grandmaster Flash. Salute to the pioneers.