Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

Formed in the Bronx in the late 1970s around Grandmaster Flash, the Furious Five paired his turntable mastery with five MCs including Melle Mel and the Kidd Creole. They were among the first crews to make rap a tightly rehearsed group performance rather than party improvisation. Their 1982 single "The Message" turned that craft toward social commentary, and the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.