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Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the first rap group inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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and was the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, 2007 by Jay-Z. “Rock played a huge part in what we do,” Grandmaster Flash said during his acceptance speech. “It’s been an incredible trip to do what I do on the turntables with five incredible vocalists – the Furious Five.”

Melle Mel added, “To all of the industry people that have control of what we called , I would like the people to put more of an effort to make hip-hop the culture of that it was instead of the culture of violence that it is right now.” Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five performed their socially-conscious hit “The Message” that night.

Two years later, Run-, the rap group who mixed rap & rock with the release of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” was ushered in the hall. In 2012 the were also inducted.

Watch induct Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five below.

Read: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five’s “The Message” was the first hip-hop song inducted into the National Recording Registry

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