Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

Grandmaster Flash (born Joseph Saddler) and the Furious Five, the New York City-born founding fathers of hip hop, stepped on the scene in 1978 when disco and punk rock were going strong. Grandmaster Flash was known as the DJ who created the beats the Furious Five (Melle Mel, Kidd Creole, Cowboy, Mr. Ness/Scorpio and Rahiem) rapped over. With two turntables and five mics, the group released their magnum opus "The Message" in 1982. In 2003, Grandmaster Flash perfomed a greatest hits mix during the that year's BET Awards and appeared again with the Furious Five in 2004 when they wowed the crowd with "The Message."