This early hip-hop classic is one of the genre's touchstones.
Personnel: Grandmaster Flash (vocals); Cowboy, Duke Bootee, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Raheem, Scorpio (vocals); Skip McDonald (guitar); Chops Horn Section (brass); Dwain Mitchell, Gary Henry (keyboards); Wain Mitchell, Keith Lablanc (drums); Ed Fletcher (percussion).
Audio Mixers: Jiggs Chase; Steve Jerome; Sylvia Robinson.
Audio Remixers: Lewis Dene; Paul Moessl.
Recording information: Sweet Mountain Studios.
Photographer: Hemu Aggarwal.
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five merged the Afrocentric consciousness expressed by such early rappers as Gil Scott-Heron and the Last Poets with b-boy production to create "The Message," an all-time rap anthem. It was the focal point of this LP, which also included "It's Nasty" and "Scorpio," two other strong cuts that might have been winners on their own. Unfortunately, rather than a starting point, this album proved to be their ultimate peak. ~ Ron Wynn
Professional Reviews
Uncut (magazine) (p.84) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[D]ominated by the urban gloom of 'The Message'....There's a more positive vibe on display in 'It's Nasty'..."
This title is unavailable for purchase as none of our regular suppliers have stock available. If you are the publisher, author or distributor for this item, please visit
this link.
