direction: while others were content to ride the "Double Dutch Bus" down to the disco, the Furious Five spoke out about social decay. The chorus of "The Message" ("Don't push me, 'cause I'm close to the edge / I'm trying not to lose my head / Sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under") describes the effect of Reaganomics in ways that Dan Rather never could. Of course, Grandmaster Flash and company weren't against partying. In fact, they cut some of the best party tracks in the genre's history ("Freedom," "The Birthday Party"), along with some battle raps ("Step Off," "Showdown") to complete the package. Copyright restrictions probably kept the beat-edit classic "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" off the track listing. Still, one glaring omission isn't reason enough not to pick this up.--Todd Inoue
direction: while others were content to ride the "Double Dutch Bus" down to the disco, the Furious Five spoke out about social decay. The chorus of "The Message" ("Don't push me, 'cause I'm close to the edge / I'm trying not to lose my head / Sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under") describes the effect of Reaganomics in ways that Dan Rather never could. Of course, Grandmaster Flash and company weren't against partying. In fact, they cut some of the best party tracks in the genre's history ("Freedom," "The Birthday Party"), along with some battle raps ("Step Off," "Showdown") to complete the package. Copyright restrictions probably kept the beat-edit classic "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" off the track listing. Still, one glaring omission isn't reason enough not to pick this up. --Todd Inoue
Advantages: Classic Hip Hop Disadvantages: Ballards are weak
..."The Message" is the debut EP from one of the legendary Hip Hop group (the first of this genre to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame), GrandmasterFlash & The FuriousFive. The EP came as a result of the popularity of their single "The Message", which went out a very different message from what Hip Hop was about at the time, 1982.
The group consists of GrandmasterFlash, the DJ, and the MCs: Melle Mel, Kid Creole, Cowboy (now deceased), Scorpio and Rahiem, who do all of the vocals for the recording. These were some of the pionners in the genre and created staple phrases which were heard during most Hip Hop tracks of the time, and Cowboy of the group is known for inventing the term 'Hip Hop' after immitating the marching of soldiers in a scat style, and prior o this the genre of music was simply called 'Disco Rap'. Had...
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Advantages: Full-length versions of classics, empowering, intelligent, good natured. Disadvantages: Old School, dumbed down lyrics occasionally, very rough around the edges
...Hip-Hop culture was born in the Ghetto communities to express the experiences of young blacks living with various oppressions, poverty, police harrasment and the fear of crime. In the best hands Hip-Hop has been a very political and revolutionary music, raising its fist against the establishment and coaxing the downtrodden to raise up and fight the system. For me I decided to review the band who did it before anyone else- before Paris, before Krs-One, before Public Enemy, there was GrandmasterFlash and the FuriousFive, back in the early 80's.
Da Band
In the early 80's, GrandmasterFlash and the FuriousFive were one of the first Rap groups to sign a record deal with SugarHill Records. From the New York ghetto, the Rap group was composed of lead rapper Melle Mel, backing rappers Mr. Ness, Cowboy, Kid Creole, Raheim (who...
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Advantages: Inspiring and fresh Disadvantages: Inconsistant
..., the world is forced to take notice.
This is a tale about a 12-year-old girl who became pregnant and hid this from everyone around her, even afer the birth where she throws the baby "...in a trash heap", and the downward sprila contunes from her as she gets involved with drugs, then forced into prostitution, and is eventually killed by her lifestyle. You are suddendly hit by this in the way that GrandmasterFlash & The FuriousFive did with "The Message" in 1988 as the lyrics use the conscious style of Hip Hop, where the MCs take on the troubles in the ghettoes, and use their powers as well-known musical figures to spread the word of what happens in the places which America ignores as "Brenda" is a metophor for all the teenage mothers throughout the country (and now all over the world).
**Five Stars**
11.Tha' Lunatic (feat. Stretch...
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very helpful 12.06.2008
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12.06.2008
