Message from Beat Street: The Best of Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & the Furious Five
Is there a rap fan out there who didn't like "The Message"? It took rap in an entirely new direction: while others were content to ride the "Double Dutch Bus" down to the disco, the Furious Five spoke out about social decay. The chorus of "The Message" ("Don't push me, 'cause I'm close to the edge / I'm trying not to lose my head / Sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under") describes the effect of Reaganomics in ways that Dan Rather never could. Of course, Grandmaster Flash and company weren't against partying. In fact, they cut some of the best party tracks in the genre's history ("Freedom," "The Birthday Party"), along with some battle raps ("Step Off," "Showdown") to complete the package. Copyright restrictions probably kept the beat-edit classic "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" off the track listing. Still, one glaring omission isn't reason enough not to pick this up.--Todd Inoue