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Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was een invloedrijke Amerikaanse hiphopgroep gevormd in het New Yorkse stadsdeel The Bronx in 1978. Bestaande uit een DJ (Grandmaster Flash) en vijf rappers (Melle Mel, Kidd Creole, Cowboy, Mr. Ness/Scorpio, en Rahiem), maakte de groep gebruik van turntablism, breakbeat deejaying en had ze een beslissende invloed op de ontwikkeling van hiphopmuziek.

De groep werd beroemd in het begin van de jaren 1980 met hun eerste single "Freedom", en later met hun magnum opus, "The Message", dat vaak wordt genoemd als een van de meest invloedrijke songs in de geschiedenis van de hiphop. In 1983 ontstonden er spanningen tussen Grandmaster Flash en Melle Mel wat leidde tot de ontmanteling van de groep. Er werd een reünie georganiseerd in 1987, met een nieuw album, dat redelijk werd ontvangen. Vervolgens heeft het zestal zich permanent ontbonden.

In totaal was de groep vijf jaar actief en heeft ze twee studioalbums uitgebracht. In 2007 werd het de eerste hiphopgroep ooit die werd ingewijd in de Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were an American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. The group's members were Grandmaster Flash, Kidd Creole (not to be confused with Kid Creole), Keef Cowboy, Melle Mel, Scorpio, and Rahiem. The group's use of turntablism, breakbeat DJing, and conscious lyricism were significant in the early development of hip hop music.

In the late 1970s, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five built their reputation and achieved local success by performing at parties and live shows. By 1980, the group had signed with Sugar Hill Records. Under Sugar Hill Records, the group rose to prominence in the early 1980s with their first hit "Freedom". It was not until the release of the song "The Message" in 1982 and the album The Message that they achieved mainstream success. The song provided a political and social commentary and went on to become a driving force behind conscious hip-hop.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five split into two separate groups in 1983 until a brief reunion in 1987 led to the release of the original line-up's second album On the Strength. Afterwards, they disbanded permanently. Today, the group's legacy continues as Grandmaster's Furious Five with only Melle Mel and Scorpio as remaining members.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are widely regarded as one of the greatest groups of all time. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007; the first hip hop group to be inducted. They have been ranked as one of the greatest rap groups of all time by Billboard (2023). In 2002, "The Message" was one of the 50 inaugural recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone ranked "The Message" number 59 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2021.