Grandmaster Melle Mel And The Furious Five - Step Off - (1985) • TopPop

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. The group's members were Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, The Kidd Creole (not to be confused with Kid Creole), Keef Cowboy, Scorpio and Rahiem. The group's use of turntablism, breakbeat DJing, and conscious lyricism were significant in the early development of hip hop music.

In the late 1970s, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five built their reputation and achieved local success by performing at parties and live shows. By 1980, the group had signed with Sugar Hill Records. Under Sugar Hill Records, the group rose to prominence in the early 1980s with their first hit "Freedom". It was not until the release of the song "The Message" in 1982 and the album of the same name that they achieved mainstream success. The song provided a political and social commentary and went on to become a driving force behind conscious hip-hop.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five split into two separate groups, due to differences, until a brief reunion in 1987 led to the release of the original line-up's second album On the Strength. Afterwards, they disbanded permanently. Today, the group's legacy continues as Grandmaster's Furious Five with only Melle Mel and Scorpio as remaining members.

The group are widely regarded as one of the greatest groups of all time. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007; the first hip hop group to be inducted. In 2002, its first year of archival, "The Message" was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone ranked "The Message" number 51 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.
This video was first broadcast by TROS Formula one on February 20, 1985

Broadcast date: 20 February 1985
This is to let you know that the video recording of the video clip was originally recorded by AVROTROS Broadcasting. AVROTROS Broadcasting hereby warrants and represents that it is the sole and exclusive owner of the physical film and/or videotape footage in this video clip.

The performance of the artist(s) in the clip was filmed and recorded with the written consent of the artist(s) and their representatives.

AVROTROS is a Dutch radio and television broadcaster, founded in 2014 from a merger of AVRO and TROS. From January 1st, 2014 the name of the merged broadcaster was used in joint programmes. AVRO was founded in 1923 as the Netherlands first public broadcaster. TROS started broadcasting in 1964. Toppop was a weekly AVRO pop program that was aired between 1970 and 1988.

AVROTROS Broadcasting
PO Box 2
1200 JA Hilversum
The Netherlands

TopPop was the first regular dedicated pop music TV show in the Dutch language area. Dutch broadcaster AVRO aired the programme weekly, from 1970 to 1988. Presenter Ad Visser hosted the show for its first fifteen years.
World famous music artists performed on TopPop: ABBA, 10CC, Bee Gees, The Jacksons with Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Earth & Fire, Queen, Golden Earring, Boney M, KC & The Sunshine Band, Chic, Donna Summer and many many more.

[Flagg]

Man, if rap stayed like this, I'd be the biggest homie ever.

[danielfinn]

Rap music back in the 80s and 90s era was awesome

[Rocco]

Melle Mel, my 80’s hero! Never heard a rapper with a voice like that!

[MrFinch-nimk]

That bass line is so funky! Shout out to the pioneers

[disconinja]

Best skilled ever MC Grandmaster Melle Mel

[dizmop]

the growth of hiphop is amazing, seeing these guys from the Bronx talking about Chaka Khan who was a huge star at the time and these guys got the unprecedented opportunity to Rap on her hit record, and go on to become huge stars in their own right. seeing the clothing is reminiscent of how funk musicians kinda looked, Parliament and funkadelic in particular, then Run DMC came along with the street style from Queens and changed everything forever, Hip hop fashion was born, the final piece of the Hiohop culture puzzle

[Jobes.music]

Back then, rap music was greatly influenced by R&b groups. So a lot of the style and Carisma were presented on stage and in the music.

[elvirariccardo]

Fantastica Band e Rapper. Grazie TopPop Auguro Buon Fine Settimana 😘❤🎤💃👌🎸🎹

[nightshiftblues]

Shame on you whoever thumbs down’d this. Tut tut.

[ElisabethKlaassen]

The 80's hero's great song and voice Nice weekend 💟

[cnizzy]

Hard to believe people disrespecting a legend … man created the phrase MC… they created hip hop… no comparison in contribution

[OgDj]

Back when the performance was just as important as the recording! I got to get this!

[Wazzupp]

This is fire!! Unlike his ""diss" towards Eminem..

[rtnocmr]

Melle mell you are truly the first i heard that lyrical phenomenon

[GreasyBelcher]

I was 11 when this came out. I used to rap the lyrics to it in school all day. I thought Melle Mel was the greatest.

[jbmaillet]

"I'm like shakespeare, Im a pioneer" is the rhyme that bought me here. (And notice these are actually 2 rhymes, both in EER".)

[fpujcyk]

The video was recorded in Munich for the weekly German TV show 'Formel Eins' and the first broadcasting was on German TV February 12th 1985. The Dutch TV show was using that material as franchise and did not record it. The German producers and directors invited the band to the show in Germany.

[nanodisco]

So cool... Makes me want to pull out a cardboard box and my ghettoblaster...

[leatricetodmann]

Yo, I was a shorty when this joint, used to see Melle Mell at the Shadow club in the 2000s.Shout out to the Grandmaster Melle Mell

[jbmaillet]

I had this infectious bass line on a tape, and I've been searching for years (I kid you not: as long as K7 Walkman have been out). Doug Wimbish rulez.