Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was the first rap 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 hip-hop, I would like the people to put more of an effort to make hip-hop the culture of music 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-DMC, the rap group who mixed rap & rock with the release of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” was ushered in the hall. In 2012 the Beastie Boys were also inducted.
Watch Jay-Z induct Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five below.
