Who wrote The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five?
"The Message" was written in 1980 by rappers Duke Bootee and Melle Mel. The song was composed in response to the 1980 New York City transit strike, which is referenced in the lyrics.
Questions about The Message (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five song)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When was The Message by Grandmaster Flash released?
"The Message" was released as a single by Sugar Hill Records on the 1st of July 1982. It was later included on Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's debut studio album of the same name.
How did The Message chart in the United States and internationally?
In the United States, "The Message" reached number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. It performed more strongly overseas, reaching number 8 in the UK, number 2 in New Zealand, and number 11 in Switzerland.
What honors has The Message received from Rolling Stone?
Rolling Stone ranked "The Message" number 51 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in 2004, making it the highest-ranked song from the 1980s and the top hip-hop song on that list. In 2012, Rolling Stone named it the greatest hip-hop song of all time, and in 2025 ranked it number 16 on its 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time list.
Was The Message the first hip-hop recording added to the Library of Congress?
Yes. In 2002, its first year of eligibility, "The Message" was one of 50 recordings selected by the Library of Congress for the National Recording Registry, making it the first hip-hop recording ever to receive that honor.
What impact did The Message have on the role of the rapper in hip-hop?
Critics credit "The Message" with shifting the center of hip-hop from the DJ to the emcee. By slowing the beat and foregrounding the lyrics, the song elevated the rapper's voice above the turntable, a structural change that critics like David Hickley described in 2004 as rappers having "vaulted past the deejays as the stars of the music."