Discover the story of the song > The Message – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

The Message is a song by the band Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The song was written by Melle Mel and Duke Bootee and produced by the group with Sylvia Robinson. The song was released as a single in 1982 and reached number two on the Billboard R and B / Hip-Hop Songs and the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Message was written by Ms. Mel and Duke Bootee in response to the many problems of life for people in the ghettos in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The song addresses issues such as drugs, violence, poverty and racism. It is considered one of the first examples of political rap.

The Message was critically acclaimed and was considered one of the best hip-hop songs of all time. The Message was ranked number 51 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 best songs of the twentieth century and number 48 on the same publication's list of the 500 best songs of all time. In 2002, The Message reached number 25 on VH1 magazine's list of the 100 greatest songs of all time.