In 1999 Castle Music releases a 3CD compilation album by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Grandmaster Melle Mel, including 34 tracks (2 unreleased) for three and half hours of music.
This is the first track by Flash and his group in this compilation, being the first released on Sugar Hill, however, it's not the first single released by the boys: in 1979, The Furious Five (without Flash) are featured on "We Rap More Mellow", a single that Terry Lewis produced and released without their knowledge under the name Younger Generation, a project of his own under which various emcees will perform in the future. Around the same period, "Flash to the Beat" was released, as well as "Superappin'", released in 1979 on Enjoy Records. 18 verses in which Grand Master Flash is joined by the Furious Five, a group originally composed of five emcees: Melle Mel, his brother Kid Creole, Mr. Ness aka Scorpio, Cowboy and Rahiem.
Released in 1980, featuring the Furious Five but not Grandmaster Flash, this first single under Sugar Hill Records is the first to enter the Billboard charts (#19 among rnb singles) and for a few years will be the group's biggest hit. Production is by Joey Robinson Jr. The beat is simple, heavy drum lean and slow, smooth delivery, functional hook with festive jazzy bridge from Freedom's "Get Up and Dance". "Freedom" will be part of the dj mix "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel". The cut is cheerful, it's so cheerful that you almost don't realize it could be the pioneer of mafia rap, as the guys place a direct quote from the film "The Godfather" (1972) by Francis Ford Coppola.
1.2 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — "The Birthday Party"
Second single from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five under the Sugar Hill label, released in 1980. Production credits to Jiggs and Sylvia Robinson. The track is upbeat, with a good funky groove, vibrant bassline, light drum, honest rap from the boys creating their second hit. This song also ends up on the Billboard charts, effectively making the group one of Sugar Hill Records' flagship acts.
Song of the Year 1981. Credited also to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, is a live DJ mix recording of Grandmaster Flash scratching and mixing records using three turntables. Highly influential, it's an early example of what would eventually be defined turntablism. One of the best DJ mixes of the decade, if not ever. Production is credited to Sylvia Robinson and Jigsaw Productions (sometimes also Joey Robinson Jr.), but the work is totally attributed to Grandmaster Flash, this is a single of him released in 1981 and then included in his group's debut album the following year. The mix is based on the rhythms of "Good Times" by Chic, a foundation for the first hit of the musical genre, "Rapper's Delight", and on that of "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen. The mix begins with a tribute to Spoonie G ("Monster Jam"), followed by another to "Rapture" by Debbie Harry, one of Blondie's biggest hits, the first song to reach the top of the Hot 100 containing rap, contributing to the spread of the genre. Then the mix weaves hip-hop and genre tracks, such as "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band, "Freedom" and "Birthday Party" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, "Life Story" by The Hellers, "The Decoys of Ming the Merciless" by Jackson Beck and "8th Wonder" by Sugarhill Gang. It deservedly enters the rnb charts, it's monumental. The mix is beautiful, magical, ethereal, still sounds fresh today, it's a classic, Flash did a masterful job. This is the first anthology song released in hip-hop, in the early eighties.
Aka The Furious Five Meets the Sugarhill Gang. Sugar Hill Records puts its two biggest artists on the same track to smash the market and make another big hit, "Showdown" was born. Production by brothers Michael and Larry Johnson with Sylvia Robinson. The beat is simple dance with funky vibes, there's a good bassline and the drum is dry. The rap is honest, but the guys don't seem to be at their best, they sound a bit plastered, they don't excel. The single hits the charts (it's the Furious Five's fourth in a row, the Sugarhill Gang's third in a row) and is included on the Sugarhill Gang's album "8th Wonder", becoming the first Furious Five song to end up on an LP. This makes the Furious Five (again credited with Flash) the only guest on that album and the second guest in history on a hip-hop album, after the Sequence, who also featured on the Sugarhill Gang's first CD.
1.5 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — "It's Nasty (Genius of Love)"
Production provided by Sylvia Robinson and Jigsaw Productions, funky beat with good groove, decent rap, simple lyrics. Take advantage of a sample from "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club released the same year. The cut ends up on the group's first album, "The Message" (1982). Third song released by the group in 1981 and above all the first single from their album, this is one of their major commercial successes, and the fifth single in a row to enter the charts: with this piece, in 1981, the group surpasses the Sugarhill Gang as the number of singles that have reached the rnb chart.
1.6 Grandmaster Flash — "Flash to the Beat (Parts 1 & 2)"
Produced by Sylvia Robinson and Jigsaw Productions, the track boasts a fresh and funky rhythm, with melodic elements in a hymn created by Flash behind the turntables.
1.7 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — "The Message" (Melle Mel & Duke Bootee)
Song of the Year 1982, best hip-hop song of the eighties and, according to many, the best ever. In 2002 it was included in the Library of Congress, the first hip-hop song to do so. Critics have welcomed what is a truly timeless and immortal anthem of the genre. The Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five group suddenly changes pace, makes a change of direction that no one expects and leaves everyone stunned, forcing the others to chase them, also given the incredible response from the public: the boys deviate from the usual songs in which they constantly brag and create a narrative in which they describe in a compelling way the problems and struggles of life in the ghetto, carrying forward a socio-conscious message.
Production credits Sylvia Inc., Ed "Duke Bootee" Fletcher and Jiggs Chase. The soundscape, built mainly by Duke Bootee, is beautiful, extraordinary, mixes elements of funk, disco dance, electro and dub, it's slower than the average of the period, allowing the lyrics of the interpreters to get more space. With this track, the emcee gets to be the star of the hip-hop track bypassing the dj, that before that he was the star of the song and in this way the lyrics of the interpreter start to have a greater importance in the track than the music. The song was born around 1980, when Sylvia Robinson requests a "protest rap song", rapper Duke Bootee, collaborator of the Furious Five but not a member, and Sugar Hill Records' in-house producer Clifton "Jiggs" Chase took it upon themselves to create the track. Duke Bootee realizes all music and lyrics, the last verse is written by Melle Mel. Although the song is created entirely by Duke Bootee with the final addition of Melle Mel, it's credited entirely to the group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, but precisely, hardly anyone takes part in it, just Melle Mel and not even Flash. Duke Bootee introduces the song with a hook that goes down in history:
"It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from going under"
It's now accepted that the reference to the jungle is to New York, although Duke Bootee writes thinking about the neighborhood where he grew up in the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Then the kid leaves two of the four verses he wrote to Melle Mel. Two more verses, this time performed by Duke Bootee. For the last verse, it's decided that all members of the group will have the opportunity to record it and be part of the song: originally, getting the final verse is Rahiem, who recited a full verse of Melle Mel from the group's first single, "Superappin'", released in 1979 on Enjoy Records. In agreement with Sylvia Robinson, it's decided that Melle Mel will have the last verse reciting that same verse.
The cut is a masterpiece of socio-conscious hip-hop, detailing the urban decay and frustration of the kids due to poverty in the ghetto. The final verse of Melle Mel tells of a poor boy born in the ghetto who has the only prospect in life to become a criminal, so he's arrested and commits suicide in prison. The piece ends with a short skit in which the members of the group are arrested for unexplained reasons.
"The Message" is their first track of 1982, the album's second single, sixth single in a row to chart (the boys are the first to do it), seventh rap song ever to chart on the Hot 100 and their biggest hit ever. The song reached number 4 among rnb songs, the only one to enter the Hot 100 (second act to place a rap single on the charts after the Sugarhill Gang, who were at three at the time). The track is an international hit charting on three continents.
1.8 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — "Scorpio"
Sugar Hill Records electro/go-go group West Street Mob had earlier attempted to make songs performed with the use of the vocoder, getting a lukewarm response from the public. After the success of "The Message", the group of Grandmaster Flash does the same thing, with a rhythm made by Jigsaw Productions and Sylvia Robinson, which doesn't shine personally, even if it was definitively the greatest early electro track. Electro lovers might appreciate it better. The title pays homage to one of the Furious Five, Eddie "Mr. Ness" Morris aka Scorpio. Tenth single from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, third from their first CD, second released in 1982. With this track the group reaches seven singles in a row on the rnb chart.
1.9 Melle Mel & Duke Bootee — "Message II (Survival)"
A few months after the release and enormous success of "The Message", Duke Bootee and Melle Mel go back to their own business and come up with a sequel to that socio-conscious anthem, realizing "Message II (Survival)", another socio-conscious song that narrates the social problems and poverty in the ghetto. This time the track is credited solely to Melle Mel and Duke Bootee and produced by Sylvia Robinson. The head of Sugar Hill Records believes that electro is the right horse to bet on, so the rhythm follows that precise path: on generic electro beats that mean little or nothing to me, but could very well be of interest to fans of the subgenre, Duke Bootee and Melle Mel deliver two verses in a row each, two in which they recite half a verse each, and the last one is reserved for Melle Mel, who at the end of the piece refers again to "The Message". Here Duke Bootee is one of the first emcees to refer to the crack epidemic and especially crack babies. The single hits the charts, achieving some success also in the UK in the wake of the previous singles by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, however, the track wasn't inserted on an LP, making it on a hits collection by the group released in 1984.
1.10 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — "New York, New York" (Melle Mel & Duke Bootee)
The production, credited solely to Sylvia Robinson, is one of the year's finest: lively, cheerful, fantastic, it's one of the richest, fullest beats in the label's catalogue. There's a sample from "Don't Call Me Brother" by Instant Funk, released in the same year. This soundscape is sublime and resounding, as in "The Message", the song is credited entirely to the group Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, but in reality it's a duo effort between Melle Mel & Duke Bootee. Chorus by Melle Mel, who later in history will be used to wage the greatest war in rap, introductory verse by Furious Five member, then space for Duke Bootee with two verses, the rest of the song is practically a solo by Grandmaster Melle Mel, who delivers another four stanzas and the hooks, sending the track over seven minutes. They pass quickly, and this says a lot about the goodness of the song. Musically, bass and guitar try to steal the show amidst the noise. Lyrically, this is one of the greatest tests ever from an emcee.
In the vein of "The Message", this is another powerful and impressive socio-conscious take on poverty in the ghetto, its alienating reality and the people who live there. Duke Bootee goes down in history as probably the first, and in any case, one of the first rappers to use the word "bitch" in a rap track. In the final verse, Melle Mel delivers lyrics that directly recall one of the most famous scenes from the movie "Foxy Brown" (1974), when Link complains about the excessive ambition that television transmits to him with its everyday heroes while the reality he lives is totally different from that shown by tv.
The song didn't fit on an LP and ended up on a group hits compilation released in 1984. "New York, New York" is the second greatest success credited to the group after "The Message", and both are songs performed solely by Melle Mel & Duke Bootee. This is also the last single released by the group on Sugar Hill Records, because "Pump Me Up" is originally credited to Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five and the next one will be "Gold", released in 1988 on Elektra as first single from the group's new album. This is the eighth consecutive single from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five to enter the rnb chart, and it's also the last. For four years in a row (1980-1983), the group put a song in the charts, Flash will be able to place others in a row even as a soloist until 1987.
2.1 Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel — "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" (Melle Mel)
Following the major success of "The Message", a track featuring Furious Five member Grandmaster Melle Mel and group collaborator Duke Bootee, Sugar Hill Records head Sylvia Robinson decides that Melle Mel should be the new leader of the group in place of the Flash, due to Flash not actively taking part in "The Message". The name of the group would change from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five to Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five and would also see the exclusion of the Flash from the lineup. Around this time, the singles released by the group "Message II (Survival)" and "New York, New York" are released under the name Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five although Flash never takes part in them.
Flash stops touring with Melle Mel, a lawsuit arises between the two artists (or rather, between Flash and Sugar Hill for back royalties), Flash wins, so that the label and Melle Mel could not use the new name Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five, falling back on Grandmaster & Melle Mel for the release of this single. Subsequently, other projects are released under the name of Grandmaster Melle Mel, then the rapper abandons the Grandmaster and makes peace with the Flash in the late eighties, rejoining the Furious Five in the group Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five in the following years.
The beat is provided by Sylvia Robinson, Melle Mel and Joey Robinson Jr. The production is fresh, lively and bubbly, for the bassline it uses an unauthorized sample from "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid, released around the same time: Sugar Hill Records cannot settle Liquid Liquid for use of their song, leading to lawsuits that drag on for years. In the end, a payment of more than half a million dollars ($600,000) from Sugar Hill is settled against the group and in order to circumvent the sentence and not pay it, the label is forced to declare bankruptcy, marking the end of the historic hip-hop label.
"White Lines (Don't Do It)" was released in 1983, Melle Mel's first solo single, although the credits add a "Grandmaster &" or "Grandmaster Flash &" before his name, despite Flash not being present this time either. The track soon became one of the emcee's signature songs and an anthem against cocaine use, although it was originally intended to be an "ironic celebration of a cocaine-fueled party lifestyle", only to be changed for commercial reasons.
With "The Message", "Message II (Survival)" and "New York, New York", this track is one of Melle Mel's great commercial successes: among rnb singles doesn't climb the top 40, nevertheless, it becomes popular globally, entering the charts around the world, including that of the United Kingdom where it reaches the top ten, it becomes one of the best-selling singles of 1984 and that year it's certified silver in the UK. The song is therefore included in the self-titled debut album of the group Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five.
2.2 Grandmaster Melle Mel — "Jesse" (ft. Sylvia Robinson & Ronald Isley, both uncredited)
Production credited to Sylvia Robinson and Reggie Griffin. The rhythm is good, simple, mixing funk and disco dance, linking some sounds from "The Message" with others closer to electro. Dedicated to Jesse Jackson, the track features contributions from Sylvia Robinson and Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers, both uncredited. This is the second single released by Melle Mel in 1984 after "Beat Street Breakdown", a successful song for the soundtrack of the film "Beat Street" (1984), and it's his last single to enter the American rnb singles chart, the following will enter the chart in the UK. The track is inserted in the Vinyl LP and cassette of the UK edition of "Greatest Messages", compilation of 1984, but not in the US edition of the record.
2.3 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "Beat Street" (Melle Mel, Mr. Ness & Cowboy)
Aka Beat Street Breakdown, created for the soundtrack of the film "Beat Street", released in 1984 by Atlantic, is the first single released by the group Grandmaster Melle Mel And The Furious Five. The production veers on sounds close to electro and disco vibes, the beat is made by Melle Mel and Sylvia Robinson. Rapping is performed by Melle Mel with Mr. Ness aka Scorpio and Cowboy, the only two of Grandmaster Flash's Furious Five who followed him into the new group, later completed by other members. The single garnered a comforting response from audiences, reaching the top ten rnb singles at home (the only one to do so other than "The Message") and charting in the UK and Australia (third to do so after "The Message" and "White Lines").
2.4 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "We Don't Work for Free" (Melle Mel & Clayton Savage)
The production is done by Sylvia Robinson and Melle Mel's Furious Five member Clayton Savage, who also takes part in the song together with Melle Mel. The beat is still focused on electro and dance sounds, the track is almost a solo by Clayton Savage who sings for most of the song also stealing some adlibs from Michael Jackson himself, while Melle Mel is almost secondary. Sixth single credited to Melle Mel or his group, fourth released in 1984, second single from the group's debut album, it ranks in the UK, sixth in a row to do so (eighth also counting "The Message" and "New York, New York").
2.5 The Furious Five — "Step Off" (Melle Mel, Cowboy & Scorpio)
The track is also credited as "The Furious Five featuring Cowboy, Melle Mel & Scorpio" and "Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five". Sylvia Robinson entirely produces this piece made by The Furious Five, the rapping is made by Melle Mel, Cowboy & Scorpio who are some of the boys members of the original Grandmaster Flash's Furious Five, then also passed into Melle Mel's group. There's also something curious behind this piece from the early days of hip-hop, because Grandmaster Flash's Furious Five have in their ranks, in addition to the aforementioned Scorpio and Cowboy, also Rahiem and Kid Creole who is the brother of Melle Mel. Why didn't Kid Creole join his brother's newborn group? The answer is quite simple: when The Furious Five group split, Scorpio and Cowboy followed Melle Mel in the new adventure, while Rahiem and Kid Creole remained with the Flash.
Flash, Rahiem and Kid Creole leave the Sugar Hill Records in 1984. This split resulted in the song "Step Off", which is a diss track by Melle Mel, Cowboy and Scorpio against the other faction of the Furious Five, Flash, Kid Creole and Rahiem. Released by Sugar Hill, distributed by MCA, this would be the Melle Mel [group]'s fifth single and fifth in a row to chart in the UK. It's their third released in 1984 and isn't included in an LP. The single doesn't spark what could have been hip-hop's first feud, unlike Roxanne Shanté's "Roxanne's Revenge" against UTFO.
2.6 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "Pump Me Up"
Splendid initial music that mixes soul, jazz and funk and turns out to be a bridge, then the boys deliver bars over an honest beat by Sylvia and Joey Robinson Jr., but not as good as the bridge for the chorus.
2.7 Grandmaster Melle Mel — "Mega-Melle Mix"
Aka "Step Off Megamix", this is a remix made by Sanny X in 1985 of Melle Mel songs, some of his biggest hits are inserted and mixed.
2.8 Grandmaster Melle Mel — "King of the Streets"
The song is one of Melle Mel's last singles and was released in 1985. The rhythm, realized by Mel himself with Leland Robinson, still lays its foundations on the electro genre which at the time was all the rage and at the same time saw the beginning of its end.
2.9 Grandmaster Melle Mel — "Vice"
Leland Robinson and Melle Mel produce Grandmaster Melle Mel [and the Furious Five]'s last single, 'Vice', one of two not to chart alongside 'King of the Streets' released later that year (all others had luck in UK). The production is questionable, the rap not totally inspired and the hook is quite functional (the title is repeated until you drop) in this song made for the soundtrack of the TV series "Miami Vice 1".
2.10 Mass Production — "Street Walker" (ft. Grandmaster Melle Mel)
Mass Production is a ten-piece funk/disco group, in 1979 they put out the hit "Firecracker", then the group broke up in 1983, soon forgotten. This song is from 1985. Maybe 1986. In any case, at least two years after the group broke up. It's also possible to find it under the group name "Smash", perhaps a new identity of the group itself, I have no idea. The creation of the beat, a stylish mix of funk and dance, is credited to group producer Ed Ellerbe aka T. Ellerbe, and group members James "Otiste" Drumgole and Larry Marshall. After the verses sung by the boys, Melle Mel gets to kick things up a notch with some rapping that differs from what you might have heard from the emcees, but is still carried on nice and stylish, the track is a hidden gem. Maybe inspired by the movie "Streetwalkin'" (1985), maybe it was supposed to be in the soundtrack of that b-movie? Who knows, someone should investigate.
It's also unclear which label this single came on — site discogs has an entry for both the release featuring Paran, label that somehow releases a Mass Productions single after their breakup, in 1984 ("Come Get Some of This") — however, on the CD pressing of "Street Walker" stands out 1986 — both for release with Sugar Hill Records, in two different versions, one under the name Mass Productions and another under the name Smash, act who signed to Sugar Hill in 1985 releasing a single ("Bite the Beat") that fell on deaf ears, produced on the minor Pepper Sons label and released by Two Pepper Music — who will release two Mass Productions double CDs for the UK market in 2014 and 2016 — and by Ghati Music, the label with which Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five release a single in 1985 ("Pump Me Up").
2.11 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — "Super Rappin' No. 1" (Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Kid Creole, Mr. Ness, Cowboy & Rahiem)
This is the first single recorded and released officially by the group Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five. It's published by Bobby Robinson's label Enjoy Records in 1979. 18 verses for 12 minutes in which Grand Master Flash is joined by the Furious Five, a group originally composed of five emcees: Melvin "Melle Mel" Glover, his brother Nathaniel "Kid Creole" Glover, Edward "Mr. Ness" Morris aka Scorpio, Keith "Cowboy" Wiggins and Guy Todd "Rahiem" Williams.
While recording the socio-conscious single "The Message" a few years later, Rahiem decides to perform Melle Mel's last verse from this song: his performance convinces Sylvia Robinson to keep it for the last verse of "The Message", but Rahiem claims he recited Mel's verse from "Superappin" and by mutual agreement it's decided that Melle Mel will (also) have the last verse of "The Message" reciting the same verse.
3.1 Grandmaster Melle Mel — "Trinidad Spot"
Almost impossible to find on internet.
3.2 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — "She's Fresh"
Track from "The Message" album published in 1982. The rhythm is honest, not excellent. Discreet rap of the boys, functional and simple hook that repeats the title.
3.3 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — "It's a Shame (Mt. Airy Groove)"
Another choice from their debut album, average beat, good sample, the rap is fine, functional chorus that repeats the title.
3.4 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — "Internationally Known" (Melle Mel, Mr. Ness & Cowboy)
Disco dance party tune, the funky beat is simple and better rather than the previous ones, simple hook, rapping well-executed. Sometimes credited to Grand Master Melle Mel & The Furious Five. It should be one of the two unreleased tracks.
3.5 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "Hustlers Convention"
Electro-dance funk production in this cut dedicated to DJ Kool Herc, the rhythm is made by Melle Mel and Sylvia Robinson, Melle Mel delivers alone on this track, a cover of Lightnin' Rod's "Sport".
3.6 Grandmaster Melle Mel — "The Truth"
This song, credited originally to Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five and part of their homonymous debut LP, is the b-side of the single "World War III", published as a single in 1985 for the UK market. Melle Mel flies on a tight production with an excellent rap, the other uncredited guys also did well. Dry musical carpet, hard drum, solid bass, melodic samples, scratches, this minimal beat is dominated by a very fit Melle Mel.
3.7 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "World War III"
This single, present in the first CD of the group (1984), released in 1985 for the UK market by Sugar Hill Records, is the penultimate to be published by the group of Melle Mel and the last to charted in the UK. Robust productions, beautiful rhythm with good bass, dry drum and melodic samples, boasts a good rapping and stops at eight minutes.
3.8 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "The New Adventures of Grandmaster" (Grandmaster Melle Mel, Scorpio, Cowboy, Tommy Gunn, Kami Kaze, King Lou & Clayton Savage)
The title refers to the 1981 hit "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel", from which it differs in numerous aspects, in this way Sugar Hill tries to fool the public unaware that Flash had left the label along with two other members of the Furious Five in 1983, one year before the song's release and the album of the new group that the label had formed to replace the original, with Melle Mel as emcee leader and other guys composing The Furious Five.
The piece is composed of a simple rhythm, some rapping from the group and some cuts from the songs that are featured with it on Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five's debut album, released in 1984. The beat is produced by Melle Mel, Scorpio and Cowboy and features live instrumentation by Doug Wimbish on bass, Clayton Savage and Scorpio on keyboards, Skip McDonald on guitar, Sammy Lowe on horns, Scorpio on drum programming and Leland Robinson aka Vicious Lee scratching.
3.9 Grandmaster Melle Mel — "Freestyle"
This tune is part of the album "Piano" released in 1989 with New Day label: the production is simple and minimal, good rapping.
3.10 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "Black Man"
The beat is minimal and simplistic in this rare cut by Melle Mel, hard to find.
3.11 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "Drug Wars"
Melle Mel sounds inspired here and the beat is better than the previous one, nevertheless the musical carpet provided by Joey Robinson Jr., Sylvia Robinson and Swing is still not good.
3.12 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "Kick the Knowledge"
This song is released in the album "Piano" (1989) by Melle Mel, the rap is ok, but the rhythm chosen by Sylvia Robinson, Swing and Joey Robinson Jr. is old, weak and poor with a tired drum.
3.13 Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five — "D.C. Cab"
Almost impossible to find on internet.
These three albums contain all the best that Melle Mel, Flash and the guys from the Furious Five offered in the greatest period of their career. Essential purchase if you want to get their best in a single release.
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