Part of what makes GMFlash so great it that he is willing to give commentary about the craft of turntablism. And in the beginning he was scientific with his approach. He STUDIED this sh!t. His curiosity about platter torque, needle composition, s arm vs straight arm turntables - lead him to be a pioneering pillar of the genre. He's passionate, he cares, listen throughout the years with how he shares. A very special personality.
This is exactly why I don't dog on people for being passionate about a specific avocation. People that dissect star wars movies or online videogames, weed farmers interested in soil and different strains or some shit. Stop making fun of people that actually found something cool in this shitty world
@@xRand0mHero Like the naturalist in the movie "Master and Commander"; even the boy sailor had the innate decorum and RESPECT to recognize the significance of a man - passionate - about his/a calling.
Nearly 40 years on, and I am still mesmerized by the fact that Grand Master Flash created a deejaying style that would become the basis for a music genre that would still be going strong decades later. Brilliant!
Created? I would say he refined and perfected! Or are we completely ignoring people like Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flowers, and all the others who influenced Grandmaster Flash?
@@gorillaguerillaDK You seem to know a lot about the genre and its beginnings. I cannot acknowledge the contribution of others to a craft if I am not aware of them. Thank you for your reply. Stay safe.
@@edwardssistershands you look at them as skills, i see them as fundamentals or even a thing that created many things. Most sets are digital nowadays but in hip hop that's not the case so much, where many of these fundamentals still apply. Also, I learned how to dj on Technics MK2 in the mid 2000s and there where already cdjs around (and napster to get the stuff on cd). Digitalization didn't only occur for the clappers starting out today leaving the grandpas behind. Every 30+ year old guy that's around today probably has a vynil background.
@@edwardssistershands They are useful because without him and other pioneers we maybe wouldn't even use the equipment we have nowadays in a way to make music like this..
The music genre was already alive and well at that time - at the time this was recorded, The Message had been released the year before, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five had existed for five years and if they hadn’t split up at the time this was recorded, they were just about to - and DJ Kool Herc had been doing this for almost a decade, (and had been a huge inspiration) - but Grandmaster Flash definetly had a huge influence on the further development and refinement of techniques used in the genre and it’s important to remember the huge role he played!
@@gorillaguerillaDK facts! Each of the legends built up on the ones that came before. Once flash (and others) came on the scene that spelled the end for Herc. He got left behind but payed the foundation for GWT, Charlie Chase, etc. Once Herc got stabbed at a club in 1977 he became more reclusive, which didn't help matters. Great book on the subject "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by Jeff Chang!
What I always admired about Flash vs any modern DJ is, this all came natural to him. It's not like there was a handbook for this, he made up a lot of his own techniques.
which means he worked hard and developed his ideas into an actual practice that other DJs since then have built upon. it never came natural he busted his butt, and he always had an attitude of constant self-improvement..
Frank doss in 1983 there where already guys way better than him..yes he was good from 1978 to 1981 but from there everyone started getting real really goody good by the minute.. in 1983 he was already kind of stuck..on his old same ways already.
Edgardo Soto I feel so disrespectful by clicking the up Arrow. But yeah I got to agree... Mix Master ice UTFO took it to the next level in my opinion and then in Miami style DJs oh my goodness the boys was scratching their ass off back in the day but you got to give props to The Godfather though
And the rest, as they say, is history. He could not possibly know that he was in fact one of the founding fathers of hip-hop and turntablism. A true pioneer.
Also the artform of turntablism, the dudes who started all this should be recognised as being on par with the classical composers of the past, they created a global phenomenon that has grown many branches and has evolved numerous times. And all they were trying to do was make people dance
Saw Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five in concert back in the early 80s. Like most 60s children, I didn't really like hip hop at the time, but after that show, I became a fan for life. Never saw anything like it before. They were such an underrated group!
This guy did more with under a $100.00 worth of equipment scrounged from radio shack than any artists of today with multi-million dollar studios, it's called raw talent and dedication. it's called genius!
@@kepplerkeppler6407 Awhhh that's a sad story. But actually I've seen some great recent footage of him doing a great demo of mixing. It's by Hot 97; check it out here: ruclips.net/video/m3YXyK-gWvc/видео.html
@@MarinusMakesStuff He made his come back indeed :) And still playing worldwide to this day :) A true innovator of his time and will never forget when he came to our town, and because I was the resident dj at the club that booked him I got to play on the same bill. Thanks for the link :) Peace
This is absolutely insane. If you don't know, it's extremely different and difficult scratching vinyl Records in real life. If you don't have good timing or can't keep a rhythm your scratches and mixes will sound super bad. This mans timing & beat syncing skills are on a whole different level 🔥🎵🔥
the "scratching" itself isn't very difficult, it's the timing, choices, and use of the mixer. All of that mixed up - no pun intended - is incredibly difficult. I used to mix and scratch on 1200's mk2, and stopped when they went digital - the tech wasn't there, and no one was putting their music on wax. I have no idea why i'm writing all of this.
What a shame,we have a such a piece of music history here,Netflix does a series on the beginning of hip hop and this piece is no where to be found at least in the start of the series,what a shame!!!
Need to remember The Get Down is a fictional story based around real times. Some characters were real people (like GM Flash) - but it doesn't mean what the do or say they really did or say - it's a show for entertainment purposes.
I'm turning 55 June 20th, I can say that I was there as a 16 or 17 years old. But, at this time hip- hop was 10 years old in the Bronx and NYC. Almost 50 in 2 years.
Oh yeah, Just the pioneer of 80% of music going ahead from 1983. Hip-hop has touched all genres, electro, dance, country, rock, metal and even classical. this man started a snowball that has rolled over the planet
Who here can say they were actually on the Disco Fever dance floor while Flash was mixing? Me!!!!!!! This dude could rock shock the house like no other. Those were some really - GOOD TIMES!!
"Good Times" nice play on words/records! I was taught how to spin by Derrick "Disco Dee" Daniels - he was from the bronx - fall 1980 our freshman yr college. That was my practice record! you could hear the static in the groove from how we wore that joint out from cutting that part to death!
I wasn't at the Disco Fever but I saw him mixing live in Chicago in a place called Circus Circus and he was dope !!! He was rocking the hiuse with some B sides of the J5 (Jackson 5) with another crazy break beat. I stopped dancing and was mesmerized by the grooves he rocked.
Gdamn! So crazy that he had no inspiration to build off. He created his own lane that people still drive off today!! People are supporting their families off of what he did. That's hip hop.
Cool Herc was repeating breaks, he just mastered the missing piece which making it seamless by putting his hand on the record and controlling the records.
My absolute favorite DJ of alltime. Brings tears to my eyes and is my inspiration for doing it myself Cant forget some of the other GOAT's Skratch Pickles Magic Mike Mark Farina Jungle Brothers
Much respect to Grand Master Flash back in those days we had to learn this by listening to his style there was no youtube and most TV stations never aired these videos. ALL EARS!
DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash are true legends. Kool Herc discovered and inspired; Flash refined and innovated. Kool Herc created Hip-Hop, as well the foundation for many other genres (electronic music, drum-&-bass, etc). Flash refined the mixing game and gave finesse to turntablism. The music world wouldn't be the same without these two geniuses from a neglected corner of America.
People don’t give this man the proper credit for creating a music genre on his own. All DJ’s out today need to recognize the innovator, the creator never none greater than Grandmaster Flash!!!!!! Long live old school hip hop
It's a shame DJ's don't get any awards for this kind of work that they do,e specially for Grandmaster Flash. Cause without him and DJ Kool Herc, none of these local DJ's would have careers.
I can't believe this is almost 40 yrs ago, I was 23. My god how time flys and yes today's rappers should sit back in awe at the original master, that is Grand master flash!
Black Art. People don't understand how these early hip hop DJ's changed the game as far as how to cut and mix records. Without them you wouldn't have these big ass festivals and raves with DJ's perfecting their mixes.
bobby cowper Hip Hop was started by blacks and was/is a cultural art form birthed from our ingenuity. Whites came in and figured they can capitalize on it for profit; just like every other innovation created by the original man. This nation would be very boring and lifeless without us.
Neo X look at the literal message that comes from modern hip hop. Its not art. It’s lyrical garbage. At one time yes, it was artful but today its a cancer on the soul of everyone
C SALVO You are correct, today whatever it is(because its definitely not hip hop now), has devolved to garbage. This is what the powers that be wanted and continue to fuel. It's hard on my ears honestly to listen to these modern so called "hip hop" stations. It was not this bad even in 2007 and under. After 2012, I concluded it can only go down from their into the abyss. I was indeed correct with my predictions.
My top ten (10) DJs/Turntable Technicians: Flash, JMJ, Terminator X, Jazzy Jeff, Mix Master Mike, Q-Bert, DJ Logic, Davey-DMX (look him up), DJ Food Stamp, Green Lantern. Not in any order
GRAND MASTER FLASH TOOK A RISK IN 1983. THAT RISK HE TOOK TO INSPIRE AND SHARE HIS SKILL & KNOWLEDGE OF THE ART OF BREAK MIXING AND CUTTING AND SCRATCHING. SO SMOOTH AND SO CLEAN EVERY TIME, ALL THE TIME. HIS INNOVATING STYLE GAVE ME A SPARK TO WANT TO BE THAT CENTER OF ATTENTION WHERE YOU MOVE THE CROWD AND MIX AND BLEND MUSIC THAT NOONES HEARD OR SEEN DONE BEFORE. I ENTERED MY JOURNEY IN 1983 AND HAVE NOT STOPPED. DEVELOPING MY SKILLS AND SHARING THEM WITH OTHERS THAT HAVE A LOVE FOR THE SAME ART OF DJING. GROWING UP WITH SOME OF THE BADDED MOFO'S ON 2 TURNTABLES I WAS ALWAYS LEARNING FROM OTHERS AND ULTIMATELY MAKING MY OWN STYLE OF DJ MIXING AND SCRATCHING. I HAVE SEEN SOME DJ'S GET DOWN LIKE NO OTHER AND I HAVE MIXED AND SCRATCHED WITH SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED INDIVIDUALS I HAVE EVERY COME TO KNOW. IT WAS A BLESSING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF GROWING UP IN THE BAY AREA IN 1983 AND BUYING MY VINYL FROM HAYWARD RECORDS ON FOOTHILL BLVD AND TAKING BART TO BERKLEY TO DIG IN THE CRATES OF LEOPOLD'S RECORDS AND MAKING THE RARE VISITS THAT MY MOM OR DAD TOOK ME TO STAR RECORDS IN SAN JOSE / MILPITAS. WOW! HOW LUCKY AM I GROWING UP IN THOSE INFAMOUS EARLY YEARS OF THE ORIGINAL BAY AREA MOBILE DJ SCENE AND HAVING A HECK OF A LIFE OF A 2 1200'S TURNTABLE AND OG NUMARK 1900 MIXER WITH THOSE PEAVY SP-2'S AND PEAVY FH-1 SUBS AND CS-800 AMP. I AM GRATEFUL FOR HAVING THE HEART OF A TRUE DJ AND THAT FIRE WILL NEVER DIE! THANK YOU GRAND MASTER FLASH, THANK YOU!
@@quammelschroedinger780you dont know anything about it and you comment like you know about it. Let me educate you on that. The sync button doesnt work on every song and i never use it. And all the amazing djs you see that used real records like dj qbert, dj craze, or jazzy jeff all use modern shit now. So how come they use what you hate? Because you can do so much more to the music. Also they be mixing a complete different style of music now. You dont want to do crazy shit with break beats because that would probably sound like shit. There is different styles of djing. This would be considered scratch djing. Then you got ones like myself that dont like to scratch but love to beatmatch which is mixing songs into each other matching the beat. The idea of this style of mixing is to set a vibe wether it be a hype vibe, a chill vibe, or your giving a experience of both during your set like telling a story through the music. If it was just as easy as hitting play you yourself would be making 200 million a year. Hell id be a clown for 200 mill a year if i could. Now if you think its easy go do it otherwise dont talk out of your ass
Im tired of people that got a weak ass opinion with nothing to back it up. Having absolutely no clue whats going on. If you are talking about prerecorded sets yea that happens at big festivals but in the club expect it to be live played. No matter what piece of equipment you have you still have to prepare your set, know cue points because you cant just have the same gay ass transition everytime, and you gotta know what songs mix with each other to sound right. And here you are being a clown thinking its as easy as hitting a play button.
Live music you dont mess around with, but dance music you do. And thats what makes it fun. Djs dont like to just play music, they like to do things and the more things they can do the better. Like chopping up songs and playing different sections at different times. Its the same shit as flash's time but it just evolved. And i see the best of the best using this equipment i use so idk what the deal is
Hand being in the air all the time isn't a good point alone. It's because with new decks, they are very precise when it comes to beatmatching. You don't need to touch the decks.
Technology does all the work nowadays. I will defend modern music as long as I live, but I do dislike how much technology took control from the producer, and removed most humanity from the records that exist now
Just Ice debuted with the original gangster of hip-hop in 1985. The things talked about in the music are just what was already there. Blame the dying music industry for incentivizing people to make low common denominator music. Plenty of positive rap out there.
Simply awesome! Great video showing talent that is rarely understood or revealed to the masses,even to those that attend or dance at such venues, thanks for sharing!
It's mind boggling... The fact that - IN MY LIFETIME - an entire artform (Scratching) has been invented, perfected, celebrated, diluted and ultimately completely forgotten about... It is now a museal artform, like classical music or jazz - performed, heard and understood only by a select few "connoisseurs". And all of this has happened WITHIN MY LIFETIME! (God, I feel old...)
+griiseknoen Hey there griiseknoen, I know exactly what your saying & how you feel.....I was born in 69 & I've seen Hip Hop evolve from what it was to what it's become ( insert sad face ) I'm from Australia & have seen all the great DJ'S that come here......Going from two turntables to a laptop just breaks my heart, I know we all must move with the times but still....maybe I'm just an old fool ? It will come back to the purest form one day my friend, just be patient.......Peace from Australia !
@@iampeaking Pitch control seems to be lost on a lot of the younger digital djs with dvs. Now anybody with the money buy a controller and synch everything and be a DJ. You also see him moving the pitch fader on deck 1 and giving the record a little nudge to get it back in synch.
Flash basically changed the game by showing the older DJ’s that they were not doing their homework. After him you couldn’t be lazy. You had to not only know the tempos of the records but the key also. This is why you only had a few people during this time that could really touch him. With all the technology DJ’s have now, the applications do all the work.
That's not true, since the late 60's disco djs(nightclub djs) were blending in records smoothly, changing the energy of the party, and looping breaks, that shit was hard to do in the late 60's, early 70's.. Hip hop is foul for not admitting if it weren't for them, there probably wouldn't be hip hop. There might be rapping, because black America always had rhyming in our entertainment. Pigment markham's "here come the judge", and "who got the number" sound just like rap music, and they were released in 1968! Hip hop culture came about because everything was centered around the dj, and the party, in the 70'S. All that came from disco djs in NYC changing how we party
@@Pootjuice see what I mean with people not knowing the truth because of liars wanting shine! All you have to do is read the people who started these things, bio, they tell you themselves Jamaicans were emulating American radio djs when they would pick up the radio signals from florida. This is why they would talk between songs, and do little slick talk they called toasting, while djing with one turntable. In America the slick talk was called jive talking, radio djs like Jocko Henderson were known for doing it. Jamaicans started using two turntables after nyc disco djs changed the world, and mixers became available to most(disco djs had the first mixer made) but they don't really mix like disco djs, they keep it OG style most of the time or they just jump through different songs with the same riddim. People forget radio djs were big from the 1950's-1980s. Count matchuki was the one who created the first sound system in Jamaica called downbeat. In Jamaica a sound sytem is what we call being a mobile dj. He got the idea to get into music from working in the south, and watching them have outside parties. The reason why his system was the best in Jamaica was because he was able to come to the states, and get the new dance music coming out of black america that other Jamaicans couldn't get. Overtime Jamaica started doing it's own thing with dub, reggae, and ska. Dancehall in my opinion is a Jamaican version of rap, because I can't find any dancehall type of music until after 1980, by that time rap was known from sugar hill gangs "rappers delight". Also, some Jamaicans either lived or visited NYC during the time hip hop exploded in NYC, and they lived next to black Americans, so I believe they saw what was happening, and just did it there way. It couldn't be vice versa because most black Americans never left the states, and most West Indians didn't come to America in large numbers until the mid 70's, early 80's. This is why rap music had some West Indian flavor starting in the late 80's, early 90's, thanks to dj red alert combining the two genres on his radio show. Before that Americans wasn't trying to listen to reggae at a party in the 70'S, at least that's what kool herc said, as well as some other people I heard talking about this subject
Flash still made a big mark on Dj culture with his approach to spinning that's all was originally saying but yes he got influenced by many other dj's too.
@@Pootjuice no doubt, his quick technique helped make hip hop the best djs, to me. If you can cut, scratch, and mix clean, you are already ahead of other genre style of djs My thing is if he created his "break mixing" in 1973, the how can Kool Herc claim being the first to do it with his "merry go round" technique? If you watch flash's interview on hot 97 where demonstrates his clock method, he is going against herc with the claim, which may have some truth because I read somewhere herc didn't start spinning breaks until a year or two after the rec party in 1973 that is claimed the birth of hip hop. Even Zulu nation contests that date hip hop was born. So, the three people who once claimed to be the architects of hip hop are beefing about who started spinning the breaks, and doing parties which started everything! I think herc gets credit over flash is because he was more known I see it as if you start with not giving credit where it's due, people in your group are gonna start doing the same with each other. I respect them for what they did, but I'm not into anything other then the music now, too many liars in the game wanting fame, and will hog all the light to get it If you get a chance search kool herc dissing flash here on RUclips. He was being interviewed in a radio studio setting. It was called "why kool herc call the get down the let down" or something like that. The same with flash, but he was respectful about it. It was called "a letter to kool herc". Zulu nation just wrote a letter to allhiphop.com, but after the bambatta allegations, they had other stuff to worry about
@Beeblebrox One that's unfortunate. cause seeing the live performance routine that Jeff and Will had put together back when they were at the HEIGHT of their "superpowers" was something to behold. the Will Smith everyone knows from the movies is almost UNRECOGNIZABLE from the Will Smith from West Philly and the golden era of HipHop/Rap music.
Much respect to the Pioneering Trailblazer Grand Master Flash for laying the foundation of the culture. All DJ/Turntablists need to pay homage to this Man. Peace.
Part of what makes GMFlash so great it that he is willing to give commentary about the craft of turntablism. And in the beginning he was scientific with his approach. He STUDIED this sh!t. His curiosity about platter torque, needle composition, s arm vs straight arm turntables - lead him to be a pioneering pillar of the genre. He's passionate, he cares, listen throughout the years with how he shares. A very special personality.
@Satanic Panic Fun and Games grandmaster flash and mantronix were in a class by themselves
can only agree
Correct, i just watched him fully explaining how he invented this.
This is exactly why I don't dog on people for being passionate about a specific avocation. People that dissect star wars movies or online videogames, weed farmers interested in soil and different strains or some shit. Stop making fun of people that actually found something cool in this shitty world
@@xRand0mHero Like the naturalist in the movie "Master and Commander"; even the boy sailor had the innate decorum and RESPECT to recognize the significance of a man - passionate - about his/a calling.
Nearly 40 years on, and I am still mesmerized by the fact that Grand Master Flash created a deejaying style that would become the basis for a music genre that would still be going strong decades later. Brilliant!
Created?
I would say he refined and perfected!
Or are we completely ignoring people like Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flowers, and all the others who influenced Grandmaster Flash?
@@gorillaguerillaDK You seem to know a lot about the genre and its beginnings. I cannot acknowledge the contribution of others to a craft if I am not aware of them. Thank you for your reply. Stay safe.
@@mellel5594
The same to you...
And Grandwizard Theodore Invented the scratch technique. These great men are Hip Hop. The creators.
@@gorillaguerillaDK he’s made you look a right nob here
Every half decent DJ in the world should pay this man a montlhy fee.
i agree 100 🔥🔥🔥
Everything is digital now. They don't owe him anything. The skills he shown here aren't useful on digital equipment.
@@edwardssistershands you look at them as skills, i see them as fundamentals or even a thing that created many things.
Most sets are digital nowadays but in hip hop that's not the case so much, where many of these fundamentals still apply.
Also, I learned how to dj on Technics MK2 in the mid 2000s and there where already cdjs around (and napster to get the stuff on cd). Digitalization didn't only occur for the clappers starting out today leaving the grandpas behind. Every 30+ year old guy that's around today probably has a vynil background.
@@edwardssistershands They are useful because without him and other pioneers we maybe wouldn't even use the equipment we have nowadays in a way to make music like this..
This ain't stn new in the 80s. Djs where doing this in the 70s what u on about😂
I don’t think this man gets the recognition that he deserves. This is priceless.
He's in the Rock n Roll hall of fame, if that isn't recognition? I don't know what is
It is ....
bro 😂wtf is the rock n roll hall of fame LOL. this is hip-hop. not cock n roll 💀@@marvinsbprealty5760
He gets all the recognition for being a pioneer
We are literally watching the birth of a new music genre and it's beautiful.... the original tape should be put in a time capsule
The music genre was already alive and well at that time - at the time this was recorded, The Message had been released the year before, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five had existed for five years and if they hadn’t split up at the time this was recorded, they were just about to - and DJ Kool Herc had been doing this for almost a decade, (and had been a huge inspiration) - but Grandmaster Flash definetly had a huge influence on the further development and refinement of techniques used in the genre and it’s important to remember the huge role he played!
@@gorillaguerillaDK facts! Each of the legends built up on the ones that came before. Once flash (and others) came on the scene that spelled the end for Herc. He got left behind but payed the foundation for GWT, Charlie Chase, etc. Once Herc got stabbed at a club in 1977 he became more reclusive, which didn't help matters. Great book on the subject "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by Jeff Chang!
What I always admired about Flash vs any modern DJ is, this all came natural to him. It's not like there was a handbook for this, he made up a lot of his own techniques.
which means he worked hard and developed his ideas into an actual practice that other DJs since then have built upon. it never came natural he busted his butt, and he always had an attitude of constant self-improvement..
lordblazer 8
Techniques which are still being used. no one has really added to what he did, except just put more of it into one set.
@Beeblebrox One I don't care who came after, Flash was the creator
@@lukefoulds9729 Look up djs like Cheese, Steve D, Q Bert, Jazzy Jeff, Craze and others...they have added tons of new ideas to what Flash did.
Remember guys.. THIS IS 1983 ! ...The man was so far ahead of his Time.!
Frank doss in 1983 there where already guys way better than him..yes he was good from 1978 to 1981 but from there everyone started getting real really goody good by the minute.. in 1983 he was already kind of stuck..on his old same ways already.
He was ahead of his time however he needed new material. That’s when other DJ producers came along. Dr. Dre is one of them.
Grandwizzard Theodore and Grandmixer D.ST were already better than Grandmaster Flash in 1983.
Edgardo Soto I feel so disrespectful by clicking the up Arrow. But yeah I got to agree... Mix Master ice UTFO took it to the next level in my opinion and then in Miami style DJs oh my goodness the boys was scratching their ass off back in the day but you got to give props to The Godfather though
not true. Funk electronica style hip hop music 1982 - 1986 was the true golden era of hip hop.
Took me a moment to remember that Billie Jean was a brand new song in 83
Dude, me to 😳
Came out in 82
Born 85 gotta catch up.. lets go
@@austindavid1862 ok? Not early 82
Except it was "Wanna be Startin Somethin"
And the rest, as they say, is history. He could not possibly know that he was in fact one of the founding fathers of hip-hop and turntablism. A true pioneer.
More pioneer than pioneer that produces the cdjs
@@paulmark992i see what you did there 😂
@@ar_nimYou understood the joke. Good for you 🙂
He did this with broken glass everywhere, with people pissing on the corner, he just don't care.
He even tried to get away, but he couldn't get far
'cause the man with the tow-truck repossessed his car
@Jayo Delaware Please provide sources, cause who the hell is the guy looking like flash in the clip then
@Jayo Delaware u nEeD gLAsSes lol
@@stichtingyimak9695 pls don't tell me ur talking about GRANDMASTER MELLE MEL
@@dontpanic3277 i am your uncle
Grandmaster Flash slicing Micheal Jackson. This is history. RESPECT.
Epic
Respect
He is the originator!
Don't mind me, just erecting the pillars of a new genre of music
irie1tes
Oh, just making the fundament of an entire new perspective of listening to music.
lmao!! hes so cool wid it, little did he know!
Awesome 👍
@Ken Roberts break beat, d& b...
Also the artform of turntablism, the dudes who started all this should be recognised as being on par with the classical composers of the past, they created a global phenomenon that has grown many branches and has evolved numerous times. And all they were trying to do was make people dance
Saw Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five in concert back in the early 80s. Like most 60s children, I didn't really like hip hop at the time, but after that show, I became a fan for life. Never saw anything like it before. They were such an underrated group!
saw them in 86, and wasn't old enough to appreciate what it meant.
"Oh, by the way, did I fail to mention that I just invented the future of modern music?"
No kidding 💀
Word
A real master of the turntables, he created a technique that has been used since then by all DJ's. Great video, a real piece of history.
"if your gonna do work, Do Work." - GMF 83
This guy did more with under a $100.00 worth of equipment scrounged from radio shack than any artists of today with multi-million dollar studios, it's called raw talent and dedication. it's called genius!
Man, I wish two turntables and a mixer would be $100.
@@HiGlowie in 83 it was
@@jameleason8200 in 83 100 dollars was 5K
Most of the NY DJs late 70s stole there gear in the big black out across NYC.
@@djpineapple3156 yeah. The get down Netflix show eluded to that
Daaaamn grandmaster flash should be a billionaire.
711marvel"* Sound Be *
But he spend all his money on records and pickups
@@kepplerkeppler6407 White lineeeees***
@@kepplerkeppler6407 Awhhh that's a sad story. But actually I've seen some great recent footage of him doing a great demo of mixing. It's by Hot 97; check it out here: ruclips.net/video/m3YXyK-gWvc/видео.html
@@MarinusMakesStuff He made his come back indeed :) And still playing worldwide to this day :) A true innovator of his time and will never forget when he came to our town, and because I was the resident dj at the club that booked him I got to play on the same bill.
Thanks for the link :)
Peace
When he starts doing all those tricks at the end its f-ing fire. Most modern DJs can't even touch this level of cutting and mixing. What a legend
Most modern DJs can’t do a mix like he does it without a laptop and software
This is absolutely insane. If you don't know, it's extremely different and difficult scratching vinyl Records in real life. If you don't have good timing or can't keep a rhythm your scratches and mixes will sound super bad.
This mans timing & beat syncing skills are on a whole different level 🔥🎵🔥
the "scratching" itself isn't very difficult, it's the timing, choices, and use of the mixer. All of that mixed up - no pun intended - is incredibly difficult. I used to mix and scratch on 1200's mk2, and stopped when they went digital - the tech wasn't there, and no one was putting their music on wax. I have no idea why i'm writing all of this.
What a shame,we have a such a piece of music history here,Netflix does a series on the beginning of hip hop and this piece is no where to be found at least in the start of the series,what a shame!!!
The netflix show takes place in '77. This video is from '83. Hip Hop and break mixing wasn't nationally popular until the early 80's.
just wait until Season 2 next year..or the final8 episodes....
Need to remember The Get Down is a fictional story based around real times. Some characters were real people (like GM Flash) - but it doesn't mean what the do or say they really did or say - it's a show for entertainment purposes.
they're talking about the show Hip Hop Evolution, its a documentary about hip hop's origins.
that Netflix show barley scratches the surface of hip hop, do you really expect a tv show to know anything about music
Mixing Michael Jackson tunes on vinyl. What a great time to be alive 😀
I'm turning 55 June 20th, I can say that I was there as a 16 or 17 years old. But, at this time hip- hop was 10 years old in the Bronx and NYC. Almost 50 in 2 years.
And guess HE still here to talk about it. Word up
I love his ethic of mixing, work and giving the crowd what they came for.
Это было почти 40 лет назад... наше музыкальное настроение рождалось тогда)) уважение и почтение!!
Mind you when this was recorded, Thriller had just came out. Flash virtually perfected the art of DJing, and without laptops and Serato at that!
this is probably the best video on youtube.
sub back anytime yo;
Damn right!
Lol
You should Dj Qbert
Turntableism at it's finest. Grandmaster Flash shows one of the pillars of true hip-hop.
*_A lesson by the grandmaster, this is some inspiring stuff !_*
Oh yeah, Just the pioneer of 80% of music going ahead from 1983. Hip-hop has touched all genres, electro, dance, country, rock, metal and even classical. this man started a snowball that has rolled over the planet
Thanks to his craft I became a great D.J.in the 80s now I'm a DJ..in my Garage up in the Oregon Mountains..Thank you
Who here can say they were actually on the Disco Fever dance floor while Flash was mixing? Me!!!!!!! This dude could rock shock the house like no other. Those were some really - GOOD TIMES!!
LoboPreto uhhhhhh, no.
"Good Times" nice play on words/records! I was taught how to spin by Derrick "Disco Dee" Daniels - he was from the bronx - fall 1980 our freshman yr college. That was my practice record! you could hear the static in the groove from how we wore that joint out from cutting that part to death!
I believe you - you just said ‘rock shock the house’ 😆
I wasn't at the Disco Fever but I saw him mixing live in Chicago in a place called Circus Circus and he was dope !!! He was rocking the hiuse with some B sides of the J5 (Jackson 5) with another crazy break beat. I stopped dancing and was mesmerized by the grooves he rocked.
Me too :)
History in the making, pure talent pushing the available technology of the time beyond what it was designed for, one of the originators of a genre
Gdamn! So crazy that he had no inspiration to build off. He created his own lane that people still drive off today!! People are supporting their families off of what he did. That's hip hop.
Not true. He is a pioneer and a legend but was inspired by earlier DeeJays.
Yeah like Afrika Bambaataa. But GMF for sure spent some hours playing with the turntables figuring it out. A real grandmaster...
Cool Herc was repeating breaks, he just mastered the missing piece which making it seamless by putting his hand on the record and controlling the records.
@@qaannat he spent approximately 3 years of cultivating before he would impart his groundbreaking mixing techniques
@@leedza true indeed. That’s usually how great inventions are unearthed
“If you gonna do work, do work” - Grandmaster Flash
Grand Master Flash still living strong in 2024 !!! 🔥❤️🔥🔥😎👌🏼
Sure other DJs came along that were better but he invented 90% of the techniques that they improved upon.
Pay attention kids. This is bumping in any generation.
"If you're gonna do work, do work." Prophetic.
Flash is a national treasure!! When I first saw him do his thing, I was hooked. Old school methods and techniques we use to this day.
My absolute favorite DJ of alltime. Brings tears to my eyes and is my inspiration for doing it myself
Cant forget some of the other GOAT's
Skratch Pickles
Magic Mike
Mark Farina
Jungle Brothers
Much respect to Grand Master Flash back in those days we had to learn this by listening to his style there was no youtube and most TV stations never aired these videos. ALL EARS!
That MJ routine at the end is insane !
Brilliant. It’s like watching Picasso paint infront of you. What an incredible artist. Truly a master.
The foundation explained by one of the pioneers, what more do you wish for?! This Grand master flash video is true talent and creativity at work...
The continuous mix is the most underated tool in a dj's arsenal.
no cds no autocue just some vinyl on the wheels of steel and a complete and utter genius!!
The message , IMO, is the greatest hiphop song ever made. Still relevant now. Such a classic
Flash ironically didn't do anything on that track. But yeah all time classic 12". Timeless
Is this the first ever Masterclass? I feel like I just learned some vital shit.
grand masterclass
Search also for some documentaries on disco era DJs. Tom Moulton was important early in the history of extending breaks out.
DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash are true legends. Kool Herc discovered and inspired; Flash refined and innovated. Kool Herc created Hip-Hop, as well the foundation for many other genres (electronic music, drum-&-bass, etc). Flash refined the mixing game and gave finesse to turntablism.
The music world wouldn't be the same without these two geniuses from a neglected corner of America.
TRUTH!
The OG of mixing. Amazing what is at their disposal nowadays.
People don’t give this man the proper credit for creating a music genre on his own. All DJ’s out today need to recognize the innovator, the creator never none greater than Grandmaster Flash!!!!!! Long live old school hip hop
"If you're gonna do work do work." Amazing advice for every part of life.
It's a shame DJ's don't get any awards for this kind of work that they do,e specially for Grandmaster Flash. Cause without him and DJ Kool Herc, none of these local DJ's would have careers.
well, GMF is now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
SantomPh I hope they give him another award other than just the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
well most "DJs" just play other peoples music
Chuck Norris Thank God they do.
***** That's what I'm saying. Rappers get more awards than most DJ's.
Whe have come a long way thank you to all the pioniers that have paved the way🙏
True Hip Hop origins. Thank you, Grandmaster Flash, for all the positivity and creativity.
"I took a risk doing something new, not knowing where it was going to take me" GMF
Great upload! This piece should have been on a museum!!
Man is a ICON not JUST a Hip Hop Legend
I can't believe this is almost 40 yrs ago, I was 23. My god how time flys and yes today's rappers should sit back in awe at the original master, that is Grand master flash!
Those Words of Wisdom at the end brought a tear to my eye and the Hope and Inspiration i needed to hear this exact time of my Journey
bow down to the Grand Master!
Black Art. People don't understand how these early hip hop DJ's changed the game as far as how to cut and mix records. Without them you wouldn't have these big ass festivals and raves with DJ's perfecting their mixes.
keep the racism out it. hip hop is white and black since the start .
bobby cowper Hip Hop was started by blacks and was/is a cultural art form birthed from our ingenuity. Whites came in and figured they can capitalize on it for profit; just like every other innovation created by the original man. This nation would be very boring and lifeless without us.
bobby cowper You're delusional
Neo X look at the literal message that comes from modern hip hop. Its not art. It’s lyrical garbage. At one time yes, it was artful but today its a cancer on the soul of everyone
C SALVO You are correct, today whatever it is(because its definitely not hip hop now), has devolved to garbage. This is what the powers that be wanted and continue to fuel. It's hard on my ears honestly to listen to these modern so called "hip hop" stations. It was not this bad even in 2007 and under. After 2012, I concluded it can only go down from their into the abyss. I was indeed correct with my predictions.
I went to an all white school when I first heard him. I didn't feel alone after as I could relate to his beats
I actually saw this when it first aired. I was amazed by it, and shortly after, I became a DJ myself. We need to give him his flowers now. Goat 🐐
He's like a Master Chef but on the turntables kicking knowledge to future MCs. A true pioneer!
I can watch Grand Master Flash, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mix Master Mike talk DJing all day. MMM's peice on tweak scratching is amazing. If youre into it.
I'm into it; it's dope.
My top ten (10) DJs/Turntable Technicians: Flash, JMJ, Terminator X, Jazzy Jeff, Mix Master Mike, Q-Bert, DJ Logic, Davey-DMX (look him up), DJ Food Stamp, Green Lantern. Not in any order
This is still the most exciting sound and feel of all. Raw, real and just gets you. This guy should be given the keys to the world.
I love that it's all analog, we're not worthy.. (Doing the prayer bow thing to the King. No computer involved! Love it!
I'm speechless!!!!!! Imagine being this great at something, creating something that will go on forever, and no one knows your name.
GRAND MASTER FLASH TOOK A RISK IN 1983. THAT RISK HE TOOK TO INSPIRE AND SHARE HIS SKILL & KNOWLEDGE OF THE ART OF BREAK MIXING AND CUTTING AND SCRATCHING. SO SMOOTH AND SO CLEAN EVERY TIME, ALL THE TIME. HIS INNOVATING STYLE GAVE ME A SPARK TO WANT TO BE THAT CENTER OF ATTENTION WHERE YOU MOVE THE CROWD AND MIX AND BLEND MUSIC THAT NOONES HEARD OR SEEN DONE BEFORE. I ENTERED MY JOURNEY IN 1983 AND HAVE NOT STOPPED. DEVELOPING MY SKILLS AND SHARING THEM WITH OTHERS THAT HAVE A LOVE FOR THE SAME ART OF DJING. GROWING UP WITH SOME OF THE BADDED MOFO'S ON 2 TURNTABLES I WAS ALWAYS LEARNING FROM OTHERS AND ULTIMATELY MAKING MY OWN STYLE OF DJ MIXING AND SCRATCHING. I HAVE SEEN SOME DJ'S GET DOWN LIKE NO OTHER AND I HAVE MIXED AND SCRATCHED WITH SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED INDIVIDUALS I HAVE EVERY COME TO KNOW. IT WAS A BLESSING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF GROWING UP IN THE BAY AREA IN 1983 AND BUYING MY VINYL FROM HAYWARD RECORDS ON FOOTHILL BLVD AND TAKING BART TO BERKLEY TO DIG IN THE CRATES OF LEOPOLD'S RECORDS AND MAKING THE RARE VISITS THAT MY MOM OR DAD TOOK ME TO STAR RECORDS IN SAN JOSE / MILPITAS. WOW! HOW LUCKY AM I GROWING UP IN THOSE INFAMOUS EARLY YEARS OF THE ORIGINAL BAY AREA MOBILE DJ SCENE AND HAVING A HECK OF A LIFE OF A 2 1200'S TURNTABLE AND OG NUMARK 1900 MIXER WITH THOSE PEAVY SP-2'S AND PEAVY FH-1 SUBS AND CS-800 AMP. I AM GRATEFUL FOR HAVING THE HEART OF A TRUE DJ AND THAT FIRE WILL NEVER DIE!
THANK YOU GRAND MASTER FLASH, THANK YOU!
He basically invented modern djing as we know it today, respect to him
No, modern djing is a prerecorded set with some clown infront of a mac pretending to do something.
He basically invented turntablism
@@quammelschroedinger780you dont know anything about it and you comment like you know about it. Let me educate you on that. The sync button doesnt work on every song and i never use it. And all the amazing djs you see that used real records like dj qbert, dj craze, or jazzy jeff all use modern shit now. So how come they use what you hate? Because you can do so much more to the music. Also they be mixing a complete different style of music now. You dont want to do crazy shit with break beats because that would probably sound like shit.
There is different styles of djing. This would be considered scratch djing. Then you got ones like myself that dont like to scratch but love to beatmatch which is mixing songs into each other matching the beat. The idea of this style of mixing is to set a vibe wether it be a hype vibe, a chill vibe, or your giving a experience of both during your set like telling a story through the music.
If it was just as easy as hitting play you yourself would be making 200 million a year. Hell id be a clown for 200 mill a year if i could. Now if you think its easy go do it otherwise dont talk out of your ass
Im tired of people that got a weak ass opinion with nothing to back it up. Having absolutely no clue whats going on. If you are talking about prerecorded sets yea that happens at big festivals but in the club expect it to be live played. No matter what piece of equipment you have you still have to prepare your set, know cue points because you cant just have the same gay ass transition everytime, and you gotta know what songs mix with each other to sound right. And here you are being a clown thinking its as easy as hitting a play button.
Live music you dont mess around with, but dance music you do. And thats what makes it fun. Djs dont like to just play music, they like to do things and the more things they can do the better. Like chopping up songs and playing different sections at different times. Its the same shit as flash's time but it just evolved. And i see the best of the best using this equipment i use so idk what the deal is
100% analog every break, cut, and scratch was based on the FEEL that the DJ had for the beat. Being a beat Mixer in the 80s was work.
Now thats a real DJ his hands are on the turn table not in the AIR all the time
Hand being in the air all the time isn't a good point alone. It's because with new decks, they are very precise when it comes to beatmatching. You don't need to touch the decks.
Thomas Hopkins also modern DJ tables have visual best markers and rom detection so it’s easier to look and see if things are synchronized
Technology does all the work nowadays. I will defend modern music as long as I live, but I do dislike how much technology took control from the producer, and removed most humanity from the records that exist now
What does it matter anyways. Tech has advanced, ages have come and gone. Pointless points being made are, well, pointless.
@@4pri792 Exactly his point dipshit ... The more you're not touching the decks, the more you're not a real DJ!
I learned on 2 technics and fortunately my homie had some Miami bass records. If you can mix breaks, you can mix anything
Phenomenal dj that invented the technique of punch phase crossfade back spin and scratching.
Now This Is a Real Deejay He's working, Not scratching on a got Damn CD.....
He had this whole form DOWN TO A SCIENCE, in 1983 NO LESS!
Legendary!
Real Hip-Hop. The music and scene had so much soul and positive energy back in 83-84. From about 91 on it's been a steady decline.
Just Ice debuted with the original gangster of hip-hop in 1985. The things talked about in the music are just what was already there. Blame the dying music industry for incentivizing people to make low common denominator music. Plenty of positive rap out there.
@Nacht Schreck damn you really gonna pretend like dj premier and just blaze dont matter?
Ein Genie!
Ich mochte ihn von Anfang an, auch wenn ich überhaupt kein Fan von der Musik war.
Er hat was, was andere nicht können!
Fantastic video, Grand Master Flash such a great music innovator definitely lives up to his name.
So many mothers record players in the 1980s bit the dust due to their sons not knowing step #1 and starting at step#2
Guilty
Lol. And the poor records.
The Greatest and the Original Pioneer💣💥💥💥 flash
Flash was and will always be dope and fresh.
PhD in DJ... I finally understood how to scratch without breaking the turntable (paper or felt, to reduce drag). Simple yet effective.
You're witnessing genius right here and the birth of hip hop along with many turntabling techniques used to this day. This video is gold.
The LEGEND! Thank you Grandmaster!
This man is why I started DJing.
Makes it look so easy.
Simply awesome! Great video showing talent that is rarely understood or revealed to the masses,even to those that attend or dance at such venues, thanks for sharing!
He is THE DJ. there would be nothing today without him, almost all modern popular music is built on his pioneering work. Absolute fucking legend.
" Girls love the way he spins, DJs try to be like him"
not these days.
He didn't mention the purple crayon
😂😂
lol
ahaha!
Ofc not it was a secret back then
In the documentary "hip-hop revolution" shows the technique of crayon to mark the discs, see it is in netflix
It's mind boggling... The fact that - IN MY LIFETIME - an entire artform (Scratching) has been invented, perfected, celebrated, diluted and ultimately completely forgotten about... It is now a museal artform, like classical music or jazz - performed, heard and understood only by a select few "connoisseurs". And all of this has happened WITHIN MY LIFETIME! (God, I feel old...)
+griiseknoen Hey there griiseknoen, I know exactly what your saying & how you feel.....I was born in 69 & I've seen Hip Hop evolve from what it was to what it's become ( insert sad face ) I'm from Australia & have seen all the great DJ'S that come here......Going from two turntables to a laptop just breaks my heart, I know we all must move with the times but still....maybe I'm just an old fool ? It will come back to the purest form one day my friend, just be patient.......Peace from Australia !
+Beeboy69 Word up holmes! I feel you!
I remember watching this back in 1983. I loved what he did. Today, I'm a mobile DJ. I'll never have Flash's skills, but I get by.
His art is iconic. Flashs´ tapes will ever have a favourite slot in my music library. Thx soo much for this video.
that crossover mix at the end would take so much practice. there is nothing counting BPM and syncing the tempos. Grand master had to be his name.
skills
Pitch control
@@iampeaking Pitch control seems to be lost on a lot of the younger digital djs with dvs. Now anybody with the money buy a controller and synch everything and be a DJ. You also see him moving the pitch fader on deck 1 and giving the record a little nudge to get it back in synch.
It’s hard but all it is is practice. Honestly the higher the bpm of the music the harder it is to properly beatmatch
Alex Murray I actually think the opposite is true, I can beatmatch drum and bass no problem but can’t mix hip hop for shit
Flash basically changed the game by showing the older DJ’s that they were not doing their homework. After him you couldn’t be lazy. You had to not only know the tempos of the records but the key also. This is why you only had a few people during this time that could really touch him. With all the technology DJ’s have now, the applications do all the work.
That's not true, since the late 60's disco djs(nightclub djs) were blending in records smoothly, changing the energy of the party, and looping breaks, that shit was hard to do in the late 60's, early 70's.. Hip hop is foul for not admitting if it weren't for them, there probably wouldn't be hip hop.
There might be rapping, because black America always had rhyming in our entertainment. Pigment markham's "here come the judge", and "who got the number" sound just like rap music, and they were released in 1968!
Hip hop culture came about because everything was centered around the dj, and the party, in the 70'S. All that came from disco djs in NYC changing how we party
RealDeal Dj culture actually started in Jamaica.
@@Pootjuice see what I mean with people not knowing the truth because of liars wanting shine! All you have to do is read the people who started these things, bio, they tell you themselves
Jamaicans were emulating American radio djs when they would pick up the radio signals from florida. This is why they would talk between songs, and do little slick talk they called toasting, while djing with one turntable. In America the slick talk was called jive talking, radio djs like Jocko Henderson were known for doing it. Jamaicans started using two turntables after nyc disco djs changed the world, and mixers became available to most(disco djs had the first mixer made) but they don't really mix like disco djs, they keep it OG style most of the time or they just jump through different songs with the same riddim. People forget radio djs were big from the 1950's-1980s.
Count matchuki was the one who created the first sound system in Jamaica called downbeat. In Jamaica a sound sytem is what we call being a mobile dj. He got the idea to get into music from working in the south, and watching them have outside parties. The reason why his system was the best in Jamaica was because he was able to come to the states, and get the new dance music coming out of black america that other Jamaicans couldn't get.
Overtime Jamaica started doing it's own thing with dub, reggae, and ska. Dancehall in my opinion is a Jamaican version of rap, because I can't find any dancehall type of music until after 1980, by that time rap was known from sugar hill gangs "rappers delight".
Also, some Jamaicans either lived or visited NYC during the time hip hop exploded in NYC, and they lived next to black Americans, so I believe they saw what was happening, and just did it there way. It couldn't be vice versa because most black Americans never left the states, and most West Indians didn't come to America in large numbers until the mid 70's, early 80's. This is why rap music had some West Indian flavor starting in the late 80's, early 90's, thanks to dj red alert combining the two genres on his radio show. Before that Americans wasn't trying to listen to reggae at a party in the 70'S, at least that's what kool herc said, as well as some other people I heard talking about this subject
Flash still made a big mark on Dj culture with his approach to spinning that's all was originally saying but yes he got influenced by many other dj's too.
@@Pootjuice no doubt, his quick technique helped make hip hop the best djs, to me. If you can cut, scratch, and mix clean, you are already ahead of other genre style of djs
My thing is if he created his "break mixing" in 1973, the how can Kool Herc claim being the first to do it with his "merry go round" technique? If you watch flash's interview on hot 97 where demonstrates his clock method, he is going against herc with the claim, which may have some truth because I read somewhere herc didn't start spinning breaks until a year or two after the rec party in 1973 that is claimed the birth of hip hop.
Even Zulu nation contests that date hip hop was born. So, the three people who once claimed to be the architects of hip hop are beefing about who started spinning the breaks, and doing parties which started everything! I think herc gets credit over flash is because he was more known
I see it as if you start with not giving credit where it's due, people in your group are gonna start doing the same with each other. I respect them for what they did, but I'm not into anything other then the music now, too many liars in the game wanting fame, and will hog all the light to get it
If you get a chance search kool herc dissing flash here on RUclips. He was being interviewed in a radio studio setting. It was called "why kool herc call the get down the let down" or something like that. The same with flash, but he was respectful about it. It was called "a letter to kool herc". Zulu nation just wrote a letter to allhiphop.com, but after the bambatta allegations, they had other stuff to worry about
in 1983 an 18 year old Jazzy Jeff sat and watched this spellbound and the rest is History.
@Beeblebrox One that's unfortunate. cause seeing the live performance routine that Jeff and Will had put together back when they were at the HEIGHT of their "superpowers" was something to behold. the Will Smith everyone knows from the movies is almost UNRECOGNIZABLE from the Will Smith from West Philly and the golden era of HipHop/Rap music.
@Beeblebrox One Dont be silly.
Didn't know where it would take you but here in 2020 ur a legend and created mixing as we know it today
Much respect to the Pioneering Trailblazer Grand Master Flash for laying the foundation of the culture. All DJ/Turntablists need to pay homage to this Man. Peace.