Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash, born Joseph Saddler, is an American performer and DJ who was instrumental in the development of hip-hop music. He was a founding member of the group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, formed in 1976 in the Bronx, New York City.1

Grandmaster Flash is credited with inventing and innovating many techniques associated with hip-hop deejaying. He also pioneered digital sampling by creating audio dramas on his 1981 single "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel".1

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were pioneers of socially conscious rap with their 1982 hit "The Message," which depicted the harsh realities of ghetto life. This inspired other artists to create provocative social commentary. In 2007, they became the first hip-hop act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Grandmaster Flash is considered one of the "godfathers" of hip-hop, alongside DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa.12