The Message is the debut studio album of the American hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, released in 1982 on Sugar Hill Records. It is considered one of the most prominent records in the history of hip-hop music with its most notable single being "The Message", which is often listed as one of the most influential hip-hop songs.
Sylvia Robinson, Melvin Glover, Gabrielle Jackson, Jiggs Chase, Gwendolyn Chisolm, Cheryl Cook, Michael Wright, Guy O'Brien, John Richard Deacon, Joseph Saddler, Angela Brown
7:06
2010 Expanded Edition CD reissue
No.
Title
Composer(s)
Length
8.
"Message II (Survival)"
Sylvia Robinson, Melvin Glover
6:46
9.
"New York, New York"
Sylvia Robinson, Edward G Fletcher, Reginald Lamar Griffin, Melvin Glover
7:19
10.
"The Adventures of Grandmaster Himself"
Unknown - see '2010 Expanded Edition' notes
5:45
11.
"The Message (Instrumental Version)"
Edward G Fletcher, Clifton Chase, Sylvia Robinson, Melvin Glover
This version added four bonus tracks (including the first time that the instrumental version of "The Message" had appeared on CD) but made several mistakes regarding their titles and credits. "Message II (Survival)" was originally credited to Melle Mel and Duke Bootee - prior to Mel's appropriation of the title Grandmaster[8] and "New York New York" did not originally feature a comma.[9] The biggest mistake is however, reserved for the track "The Adventures of Grandmaster Himself". The sleeve notes by Dean Rudland describe the track as being the intended follow-up to "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" and as only appearing "20 years later on a compilation"[10]. It is however, the un-faded "The New Adventures of Grandmaster" that closed the album Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five, being composed by Melvin Glover (Melle Mel) and the Furious Five. As such it had no involvement from Grandmaster Flash at all and was actually released in 1984.[11]
[1]