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Grandmaster Flash Bio |
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Detailed Biography of Grandmaster Flash
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Flash was born Joseph Saddler in Barbados on January 1, 1958; he began spinning records as teen growing up in the Bronx, performing live at area dances and block parties. By age 19, while attending technical school courses in electronics during the day, he was also spinning on the local disco circuit; over time, he developed a series of groundbreaking techniques including "cutting" (moving between tracks exactly on the beat), "back-spinning" (manually turning records to repeat brief snippets of sound), and "phasing" (manipulating turntable speeds) -- in short, creating the basic vocabulary which DJs continue to follow even today.
Flash did not begin collaborating with rappers until around 1977, first teaming with the legendary Kurtis Blow. He then began working with the Furious Five -- rappers Melle Mel (Melvin Glover), Cowboy (Keith Wiggins), Kid Creole (Nathaniel Glover), Mr. Ness aka Scorpio (Eddie Morris), and Rahiem (Guy Williams); the group quickly became legendary throughout New York City, attracting notice not only for Flash's unrivalled skills as a DJ but also for the Five's masterful rapping, most notable for their signature trading and blending of lyrics. Despite their local popularity, they did not record until after the Sugarhill Gang's smash "Rapper's Delight" proved the existence of a market for hip-hop releases; after releasing "We Rap More Mellow" as the Younger Generation, Flash and the Five recorded "Superappin'" for the Enjoy label owned by R&B legend Bobby Robinson. They then switched to Sugar Hill, owned by Sylvia Robinson (no relation), after she promised them an opportunity to rap over a current DJ favorite, "Get Up and Dance" by Freedom (the idea had probably been originally conceived by Crash Crew for their single "High Powered Rap").
That record, 1980's "Freedom," the group's Sugar Hill debut, reached the Top 20 on national R&B charts on its way to selling over 50,000 copies; its follow-up, "Birthday Party," was also a hit. 1981's "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" was the group's first truly landmark recording, introducing Flash's "cutting" techniques to create a stunning sound collage from snippets of songs by Chic, Blondie, and Queen. Flash and the Five's next effort, 1982's "The Message," was even more revelatory -- for the first time, hip-hop became a vehicle not merely for bragging and boasting but for trenchant social commentary, with Melle Mel delivering a blistering rap detailing the grim realities of life in the ghetto. The record was a major critical hit, and it was an enormous step in solidifying rap as an important and enduring form of musical expression.
Following 1983's anti-cocaine polemic "White Lines," relations between Flash and Melle Mel turned ugly, and the rapper soon left the group, forming a new unit also dubbed the Furious Five. After a series of Grandmaster Flash solo albums including 1985's They Said It Couldn't Be Done, 1986's The Source, and 1987's Da Bop Boom Bang, he reformed the original Furious Five lineup for a charity concert at Madison Square Garden; soon after, the reconstituted group recorded a new LP, 1988's On the Strength, which earned a lukewarm reception from fans and critics alike. Another reunion followed in 1994, when Flash and the Five joined a rap package tour also including Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C. A year later, Flash and Melle Mel also appeared on Duran Duran's cover of "White Lines." Except for a few compilations during the late '90s, Flash was relatively quiet until 2002, when a pair of mix albums appeared: The Official Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on Strut and Essential Mix: Classic Edition on ffrr. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
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Contact a booking agent about hiring Grandmaster Flash |
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| Grandmaster Flash in the News |
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Grandmaster Flash's new LPinthemix, Australia 7 hours ago He might not be the best, he might not be the worst, but he was the first… so says legendary hip hop DJ Grandmaster Flash. After 20 years in the wilderness, ... |
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Feed Me |
Hip-hop DJ Grandmaster Flash hits HONUFeed Me, NY Nov 25, 2008 None other than Grandmaster Flash himself, one of the founders of the hip-hop movement, was spotted at HONU Kitchen & Cocktails in Huntington last Thursday ... |
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Booking Agency-related Disclaimer: |
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Fees to hire a speaker or celebrity are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Booking fees often vary based on a number of factors including: speakers schedule, supply and demand, length of presentation, location of event and other factors. Fee Ranges listed on this website are intended to serve only as a guideline. In some cases, the actual price quote may be above or below the stated range.
We do not keep individual speaker booking schedules, but if you contact an agent, we can find an appropriate speaker available for your event or provide dates when the speaker you want to hire is available. For the most current celebrity fees or to check availability, please contact a booking agent now.
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All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, private events, public relations campaigns, promotions or commercials. We represent companies, non-profits, agencies and public relations firms seeking to hire top celebrity talent for appearances, branding campaigns, marketing, awareness campaigns, advertising, licensing, voice-overs and product endorsements. We help find the top celebrity talent, negotiate the engagement and handle the entire booking process from beginning to end.
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