Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message (Vocal) b/w The Message (Instrumental) (1982)

 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, Melle Mel, Kidd Creole (not to be confused with Kid Creole), Keef Cowboy, Scorpio, and Rahiem. 

The group's use of turntablism, breakbeat DJing, and conscious lyricism were significant in the early development of hip hop music. 

"The Message" is a song by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. It was released as a single by Sugar Hill Records on July 1, 1982, and was later featured on the group's debut studio album of the same name.

"The Message" was an early prominent hip hop song to provide social commentary. The song's lyrics describe the stress of inner-city poverty. 

In the final verses a child born in the ghetto without prospects in life is lured away into a life of crime, for which he is jailed until he commits suicide in his cell. The song ends with a brief skit in which the band members are arrested for no clear reason.

"The Message" took rap music from the house parties of its origin to the social platforms later developed by groups like Public Enemy and KRS-One. 

Melle Mel said in an interview with NPR: "Our group, like Flash and the Furious Five, we didn't actually want to do 'The Message' because we was used to doing party raps and boasting how good we are and all that."

The song was first written in 1980 by Duke Bootee and Melle Mel, in response to the 1980 New York City transit strike, which is mentioned in the song's lyrics. Melle Mel's verse, starting with the line "A child is born with no state of mind, blind to the ways of mankind" was taken from the early Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five track "Superrappin'" from 1979 on the Enjoy label.

A - The Message (Vocal)  (4:33)

       Written-By – J. Chase, E. Fletcher, M. Glover, S. Robinson

B - The Message (Instrumental)   (3:15)

       Written-By – J. Chase, E. Fletcher, M. Glover, S. Robinson

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Sugar Hill Records Ltd.
• Copyright © – Sugar Hill Records Ltd.
• Distributed By – Vogue P.I.P.
• Made By – Disques Vogue P.I.P.
• Pressed By – Manufacture De Productions Phonographiques Vogue
• Printed By – P.P.P.
• Record Company – Sugar Hill Records Ltd.

Credits

• Featuring – Duke Bootee, Melle Mel
• Photography By – Hemu Aggarwal
• Producer – Jiggs Chase, E. Fletcher, Sylvia Inc
• Written-By – J. Chase, E. Fletcher, M. Glover, S. Robinson

Taken from the album "The Message" - 540040

Notes

Release:  1982

Format:   Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single

Genre:  Hip-Hop

Label:  Sugar Hill Records

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