Grandmaster Flash Archives - Page 2 of 3

Grandmaster Flash Praises GloRilla’s “F.N.F.”

February 24, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Grandmaster Flash recently had some enthusiastic praise for GloRilla’s hit song, “F.N.F. (Let’s Go).” Moreover, HipHopDX caught him at the 65th Grammy Awards this year and asked him if he heard the Memphis rising star. Not only did Flash acknowledge her current dominance in the game, but confessed that his children had tried to get him to listen to Glo. Of course, the interviewer took the chance to play him the song right there on the red carpet. As the hip-hop legend bobbed his head, laughed and hummed along to the track, one can tell he enjoyed himself. If the reaction didn’t solidify it, his subsequent words sure will.

“Okay GloRilla! This s**t sounds like fun too,” he exclaimed. “She’s talking shit and she’s having fun which is what Hip Hop should be. Word up! Okay, my kids… They were right.” In fact, just moments after hearing her for the first time, the two MCs performed together on the Grammys stage for hip-hop’s 50th anniversary celebration. Alongside legends like Rakim and Scarface, and with current titans like Lil Baby and Lil Uzi Vert, they blessed the awards ceremony with a bombastic tribute to the genre.

Grandmaster Flash Reacts To GloRilla’s Breakout Hit

However, this isn’t the first time that Grandmaster Flash gave his flowers to the new generation recently, particularly the new wave of female rappers. A few months ago, Coi Leray released her single “Players,” which samples the classic rap track “The Message.” Moreover, Flash had nothing but positive words to say about the flip of his classic track, made alongside The Furious Five. Also, they had dinner in New York City in November and had a great time. He even gave Coi a custom hoodie with the phrase “Girls Are Players Too” emblazoned in it. Some might see it as a bit backhanded, but Leray took it as a compliment nonetheless.

“It was nice meetin Coi,” Flash captioned his post recapping their meet-up. “We chopped it up about Life, Music, the Business and she comes back with great answers — the Lady knows what she wants. Had a blast with her, until next time kid Watch out for her @coileray.” For her part, the Trendsetter artist spoke on how Flash’s energy resulted in her first No. 1 hit. “This guy, he can give me a lot of knowledge if you really think about it,” she shared. “That song was so big and I do know how much that it impacted Hip-Hop. I thought it was dope how humble he is. He’s very positive and I love positive energy.” Stick around on HNHH for the latest on Grandmaster Flash, GloRilla, Coi Leray, and more generational respect and love in the game.

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[WATCH] Grandmaster Flash Releases Part 2 of his New Vignette Series

February 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Fresh off his 2023 GRAMMY awards performance, Grandmaster Flash talks the history of Jay-Z, the proficiency of Eminem and his discovery of Drake in Part 2 of his 10-part vignette series. Click below to watch now!

The post [WATCH] Grandmaster Flash Releases Part 2 of his New Vignette Series appeared first on The Source.

Grandmaster Flash Praises Drake As A “Genius”

February 6, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Grandmaster Flash represented hip-hop to the fullest on Sunday night at the Grammys. Questlove’s Hip Hop 50 segment paid tribute to everyone in hip-hop, from pioneers like Grandmaster Flash to newcomers like GloRilla. Ultimately, the outcome was a proper representation of hip-hop culture, which the Grammys have undoubtedly struggled with since 1989. However, it was overall a beautiful moment that acknowledged the contributions of artists, like LL Cool J and Lil Uzi Vert, in transforming the culture over the years.

Drake undoubtedly shaped hip-hop in the past decade, though he’s often faced criticism for being too pop. Still, Grandmaster Flash said it’s part of Drake’s brilliance. During a conversation with Billboard on the Red Carpet of the Grammys, he praised Drake as a “genius” for his versatility.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 30: Drake attends “Til Death Do Us Part” on October 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

“He is probably the only rapper, and I want to speak on his talent because he’s a great rapper, but he’s the only one, in my opinion, that’s daring enough to rap on a trap beat, to rap on a disco beat, to rap on ballad beat,” Grandmaster Flash said. “I would call it like a Prince formula. When Prince makes records, it does not sound like his last record. Drake is daring enough to rap on all different types of beats. I think he’s a consummate genius.”

That’s undoubtedly a huge compliment coming from a founding father of hip-hop. Drake has yet to respond but he’s certainly showcased his ability to float on any beat as naturally as the next. Last year, he released his dance album, Honestly, Nevermind. Though it polarized fans, its success speaks directly to Grandmaster Flash’s assessment of Drake.

Last night, Drake took home his first Grammy award in four years, despite not submitting any music for nominations. His contributions to Future’s “WAIT FOR U” alongside Tems helped secure the Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance.

Grandmaster Flash clearly embraces the new generation of artists who came after him. Last year, he praised Coi Leray for sampling “The Message” in her viral hit, “Players” “When I got a call saying this girl wanted to resurrect the beat of a song from my past – I wanted to learn more,” he wrote on Instagram last year. “Then when I spoke with & met @coileray, I TOTALLY got it. Go listen to PLAYERS by Coi Leray now.”

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Coi Leray Talks Grandmaster Flash Co-Signing “Players”: “I Love His Positive Energy”

January 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Once again, social media has helped Coi Leray earn herself another hit with “Players.” The track features a notable sample from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five’s “The Message,” and according to Leray, she received a co-sign from the Hip Hop pioneer.

“Flash, he’s so funny,” she told Billboard about meeting Grandmaster Flash. “I would’ve thought I’ve known him. I felt like I was in a time machine when I met him. It’s like he didn’t even age. I feel like, ‘I’m meeting you back in the ’90s.’

Happy Birthday To Hip Hop Pioneer Grandmaster Flash!

January 1, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 1958, a man who will forever reform the stance of the turntable was born; Joseph Saddler best known as Grandmaster Flash.

Amidst the infancy of hip-hop culture, Grandmaster Flash dominated the disc jockey scene of the North Bronx as he once was the DJ for big-time house rockers Kurtis Blow and Lovebug Starski in the mid-70s. Flash’s DJ sets became notorious for shaking crowds and it was evident he was influenced by preceding disco DJs in the likes of Grandmaster Flowers and Pete DJ Jones. Not only was Flash intrigued by the identity of the disc jockey through New York City disco DJ legends, but also, by the “hip-hopper” house rockers of his time, who reigned the opposing regions of the boogie down, DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa.

The DJ is the first star to brew out of hip-hop culture. With knowledge of the crowd’s desire to get down to the drum break known in hip-hop culture as the break beat (A type of instrumental that extends the dance part of the record), Saddler’s innovative nature caused him to develop a strategy that would deem his influence on the genre, unmatched and unquestioned, the quick-mix theory. The quick-mix theory was Flash’s way of endlessly playing the drum break, by using two turntables and two copies of the same record, playing the break on one record while setting the destined part on the other, and with use of a mixer, he switched to the other turntable, giving birth to an easier way to extend the break, which is currently known as the art of looping. The quick-mix-theory was heralded as a next level tactic that stemmed from DJ Kool Herc’s groundbreaking “Merry Go Round Technique.”

The signature success of the quick mix theory leads to his most famed act as the DJ for Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, whose 1982 hit “The Message” embodied the essence of New York City and brought global prominence to the once “thought-to-be-faddy” hip-hop genre. “The Message” is known to be a track that document’s Flash’s mastery on the turntable and is nonetheless recognized as one of the greatest songs of hip-hop history. The song is responsible for refining the content landscape of the rapping trend by bringing to light social commentary from the black youth of the Bronx, exposing the daily trials and tribulations caused by historically sanctioned methods of oppression.

Happy born day Flash! Salute to you on your special day and wishingyou many more!

The post Happy Birthday To Hip Hop Pioneer Grandmaster Flash! appeared first on The Source.

The Kidd Creole Has Been Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison For A Fatal 2017 Stabbing

May 4, 2022 by newhiphopnews

After being convicted of first-degree manslaughter for a 2017 stabbing, Kidd Creole, formerly of pioneering rap band Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison, according to Rolling Stone. Creole, real name Nathaniel Glover, was accused of stabbing a John Jolly, a 55-year-old homeless man, to death on the street, believing that Jolly was propositioning him.

In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, “Mr. Jolly’s death was devastating to his family and those who knew him. Every life we lose to violent crime ripples throughout our entire city, and we will continue to ensure everyone in our borough can live their lives with the sense of safety and security they deserve. This case makes clear that if you commit a violent crime, we will hold you accountable, and I thank our team for their hard work achieving justice in this matter.”

However, Glover’s lawyer Scottie Celestin sees the sentence as “egregious and extreme.” He told Rolling Stone, “I continue to have faith in our judicial system. My focus is now on the appeal process. There are many appealable issues, specifically the denial of Mr. Glover being able to assert the justification of self-defense, despite the fact that he was retreating and the victim followed behind him. While some may be happy with the presumed victory of the acquittal on the top charge of Murder, we don’t view it as a win. I believe the 16 years given are heavy-handed and motivated not by the evidence and mitigating facts but by external factors.”

As a member of the Furious Five, The Kidd Creole was pivotal in the early development of the hip-hop music business. The group’s 1982 hit “The Message” is largely credited as one of rap’s first “conscious” songs and was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

Grandmaster Flash Praises GloRilla’s “F.N.F.”

Grandmaster Flash Reacts To GloRilla’s Breakout Hit

Grandmaster Flash Praises Drake As A “Genius”

Coi Leray Talks Grandmaster Flash Co-Signing “Players”: “I Love His Positive Energy”

Read More: Coi Leray Says She Freestyled “Players” Single In One Take

Read More: Coi Leray Posts Bikini Thirst Trap, Shares “Players” Club Mix

The Kidd Creole Has Been Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison For A Fatal 2017 Stabbing