2008 Woodie Awards
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Honored
David Olah
Issue date: 5/8/07 Section: Entertainment
Rock fans have always known Van Halen would one day make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and perhaps some had the same gut feeling for Patti Smith, The Ronettes and REM, who are all very talented, well-established names in Rock as well. All have used their talents to make their mark on Rock and Roll history in one way or another, and they have all earned their induction in their own right.
But there's a fifth name that should be in there even though they sparked a fire of controversy when their name came up. Supporters claimed that this group has worked hard to get where they're at and they deserve to get in just as much as everyone else that was honored.
Others disparaged the whole idea, claiming this group isn't considered "Rock and Roll," and shouldn't be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But this is a group that pioneered an entirely new culture of music that would go on to become the voice of a future generation. Isn't that Rock and Roll?
People argued over this for months leading up to induction ceremonies and finally on March 12, the disparagers were proven wrong and the fathers of Hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five stomped their way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and went down in Hip-hop (and Rock) history.
Some people may have been reluctant to let a Hip-hop act into the Hall of Fame, and they had every right to be. But after considering what Grandmaster Flash and his group of five furious MC's did for music and the world in general, you can't help but want to pay them their due. They set out to spread a positive message that would hopefully make the world open it's eyes, and they did just that with nothing more than two turntables and a microphone.
"He is the most innovative DJ ever, and he has the Furious Five who invented rapping." said fellow artist and MC Kurtis Blow during the Rock Hall induction ceremonies.
Thanks to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, no type of music has had as much of an impact on the world as Hip-hop. It has fought and won wars of censorship with the government, and it has taken harsh criticism by one-sided minds for its abrasive subject matter, but it has overcome every opponent it has faced, and now Hip-hop has the world in the palm of its hand.
But there's a fifth name that should be in there even though they sparked a fire of controversy when their name came up. Supporters claimed that this group has worked hard to get where they're at and they deserve to get in just as much as everyone else that was honored.
Others disparaged the whole idea, claiming this group isn't considered "Rock and Roll," and shouldn't be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But this is a group that pioneered an entirely new culture of music that would go on to become the voice of a future generation. Isn't that Rock and Roll?
People argued over this for months leading up to induction ceremonies and finally on March 12, the disparagers were proven wrong and the fathers of Hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five stomped their way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and went down in Hip-hop (and Rock) history.
Some people may have been reluctant to let a Hip-hop act into the Hall of Fame, and they had every right to be. But after considering what Grandmaster Flash and his group of five furious MC's did for music and the world in general, you can't help but want to pay them their due. They set out to spread a positive message that would hopefully make the world open it's eyes, and they did just that with nothing more than two turntables and a microphone.
"He is the most innovative DJ ever, and he has the Furious Five who invented rapping." said fellow artist and MC Kurtis Blow during the Rock Hall induction ceremonies.
Thanks to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, no type of music has had as much of an impact on the world as Hip-hop. It has fought and won wars of censorship with the government, and it has taken harsh criticism by one-sided minds for its abrasive subject matter, but it has overcome every opponent it has faced, and now Hip-hop has the world in the palm of its hand.
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