Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are a U.S. hip-hop group, of which Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel were the most notable members. The group became notable in the early 1980s for their socially conscious lyrics. Their best known hit songs were The Message (1982) (1982) and White Lines (Don't Do It) (1983).
In 2019, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first rap group to be inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Frank Zappa about Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Interviewed by Edwin Pouncey for Sounds (23 January 1983) [1], Zappa was asked whether there were any current artists he admires:
Frank Zappa: One group that I like is Tom Tom Club and I like Grandmaster Flash.
Edwin Pouncey: What do you like about Flash?
Frank Zappa: It's correct for what it is. It's the real shit.
On 28 February 1984, Zappa was interviewed by Charlie Rose on Nightwatch, where he was given a list of various songs nominated for the Grammies and asked which one was the record of the year with the most artistic merit? Zappa felt none of the mentioned songs qualified and came up with an example of his own: The Message (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. When Rose told him that it wasn't nominated, Zappa stated that, in that case, he wouldn't vote at all. [2]
