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1 album / credit record(s) · Hip-Hop/Old-School

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five formed in the South Bronx, New York City, in 1978, pairing DJ Joseph 'Grandmaster Flash' Saddler -- an inventor of foundational turntablism techniques -- with five MCs: Melle Mel, Kidd Creole, Keef Cowboy, Mr. Ness/Scorpio, and Rahiem. Signed to Sugar Hill Records, the group became one of the first hip-hop crews to reach a mass audience, and their 1982 single 'The Message' (largely written and performed by session musician Duke Bootee rather than the credited members) is widely cited as the record that established rap's capacity for social commentary. Internal tension led to a 1983 split; Flash, Kidd Creole and Rahiem regrouped for a one-off 1988 reunion album, On the Strength, on Elektra before disbanding for good. The group became the first hip-hop act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

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