Melvin Glover (born May 15, 1961 in

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

), better known by his

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Grandmaster Melle Mel (or simply Melle Mel) () is an American hip hop recording artist who was the lead vocalist and songwriter of

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were an American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. The group's members were Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Kidd Creole (not to be confused with Kid Creole), Keef Cowboy, S ...

Career

Glover began performing in the late 1970s. He may have been the first

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

to call himself ''MC'' ( master of ceremonies). Other Furious Five members included his brother

The Kidd Creole Nathaniel Glover (born February 19, 1960), also known as Nate or Danny Glover and better known by the stage name Kidd Creole, is a former American rapper. He was a member of the pioneering old school hip hop group Grandmaster Flash & the Furio ...

(Nathaniel Glover), Scorpio (Eddie Morris), Rahiem (Guy Todd Williams) and Cowboy (Keith Wiggins). While a member of the group, Cowboy created the term '' hip-hop'' while teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army, by

scat singing In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, the singer improvises melodies and rhythms using the voice as an instrument rather than a speaking medium. ...

the words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic

cadence In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin ''cadentia'', "a falling") is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (199 ...

of marching soldiers. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five began recording for Enjoy Records and released "Superrappin'" in 1979. They later moved on to

Sugar Hill Records Sugar Hill Records is an American bluegrass and Americana record label. It was founded in Durham, North Carolina in 1978 by Barry Poss and David Freeman, the owner of County Records and Rebel Records. Poss acquired full control of Sugar Hil ...

and were popular on the R&B charts with party songs like "Freedom" and "The Birthday Party". They released numerous singles, gaining a

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

for "Freedom", and touring. In 1982 Melle Mel began to turn to more socially-aware subject matter, in particular the

Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

administration's economic (

Reaganomics Reaganomics (; a portmanteau of ''Reagan'' and ''economics'' attributed to Paul Harvey), or Reaganism, refers to the neoliberal economic policies promoted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. These policies are commonly associat ...

) and drug policies, and their effect on the black community. A song " The Message" became an instant classic and one of the first examples of

conscious hip-hop Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that was developed in the 1980s as a way of turning hip hop into a call for political and/or social action and a form of social and/or political activism. Inspired by 1970s political artists su ...

by exploring personal and social themes. Mel recorded a rap over session musician

Duke Bootee Edward Gernel Fletcher, known by his stage name Duke Bootee (June 6, 1951 – January 13, 2021) was an American early record producer and rapper. His best known single, " The Message", was released in 1982 on Sugar Hill Records. The hit song fe ...

's instrumental track "The Jungle". Some of Mel's lyrics on "The Message" were taken directly from "Superrappin'". Other than Melle Mel, no members of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five actually appear on the record. Bootee also contributed vocals (Rahiem was to later

lip sync Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , the same as the word ''sink'', short for lip synchronization) is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements with sung or spoken vocals. Audio for lip syncing is generated thr ...

Bootee's parts in the music video). "The Message" would later be the first hip-hop record ever to be added to the United States National Archive of Historic Recordings and the first hip hop record inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

. Mel would also go on to write songs about struggling life in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

("New York, New York"), and making it through life in general ("Survival (The Message 2)"). Grandmaster Flash split from the group after contract disputes between Melle Mel and their promoter

Sylvia Robinson Sylvia Robinson (née Vanderpool; May 29, 1935 – September 29, 2011) was an American singer, record producer, and record label executive. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with ...

in regard to

royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...

for "The Message". When Flash filed a lawsuit against Sugar Hill Records, the factions of The Furious Five parted. Mel became known as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the leader of the Furious Five. The group went on to produce the anti-drug song "

White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Melle Mel, released as a 12" in 1983 on Sugar Hill Records. The song, which warns against the dangers of cocaine, addiction, and drug smuggling, is one of Mel's s ...

". An unofficial music video starred up-and-coming actor

Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. He is a three time Emmy Award and Tony Award winning actor known for his roles on stage and screen. He has been hailed for his forceful, militant, and authoritative charact ...

and was directed by then-unknown film student

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

. The record was falsely credited to "Grandmaster + Melle Mel" by Sugar Hill Records, in order to fool the public into thinking Grandmaster Flash had participated on the record. Mel gained greater fame and success after appearing in the movie ''

Beat Street ''Beat Street'' is a 1984 American drama dance film featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Set in the South Bronx, the film follows the lives of a pair of brothers and their group of friends, all of whom are devoted to var ...

'', with a song based on the movie's title. He performed a memorable rap on

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

's smash hit song " I Feel for You", which introduced hip hop to a wider and more mainstream R&B audience. Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five had further hits with "Step Off", "Pump Me Up", "King of the Streets", "Jesse", and "Vice", the latter being released on the soundtrack to the TV show ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...

''. "Jesse" was a highly political song which urged people to vote for then presidential candidate

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...

. In 1988, after an almost four-year layoff, Mel and Flash reunited and released the album ''On The Strength'', but with up-and-coming new school artists such as Eric B. & Rakim,

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith (the Fresh Prince) and disc jockey Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasion ...

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

Boogie Down Productions Boogie Down Productions (BDP) was an American hip hop group originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, five months after the release of BDP's debut album, '' Criminal Minde ...

, and

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hi ...

dominating the hip-hop market, the album failed miserably. Mel performed with The King Dream Chorus and Holiday Crew on "King Holiday" aimed at having Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

's birthday declared a national holiday. Mel also performed with

Artists United Against Apartheid Artists United Against Apartheid was a 1985 protest group founded by activist and performer Steven Van Zandt and record producer Arthur Baker to protest against apartheid in South Africa. The group produced the song " Sun City" and the album ' ...

on the anti-

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

song " Sun City" which was aimed at discouraging other artists from performing in South Africa until its government ended its policy of apartheid. Mel ended the decade by winning two

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for his work on

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

' ''Back On The Block'' and ''Q – The Autobiography of Quincy Jones'' albums. In 1995,

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

did a cover version of "White Lines" featuring performances from Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel and released it as the second single from the

covers album ''

Thank You "''Thank you''" (often expanded to ''thank you very much'' or ''thanks a lot'', or informally abbreviated to ''thanks'' or alternately as ''many thanks''Geoffrey Leech, ''The Pragmatics of Politeness'' (2014), p. 200.) is a common expression of ...

':. In 1996, Mel contributed vocals to the US edition of

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

's hit "One By One". Their version is only available on the maxi CD format. In 1997, Melle Mel signed to Straight Game Records and released ''Right Now'', an album which features Scorpio (from the Furious Five) and Rondo. This album took more of a harder rap style. It barely sold at all in the US and the UK. Ralph McDaniels aka Uncle Ralph and Melvin Glover aka Melle Mel

Ralph McDaniels aka Uncle Ralph and Melvin Glover aka Melle Mel

In 2001, under the name Die Hard, he released the song "On Lock" with Rondo on the soundtrack of the movie ''Blazin''. Die Hard released an album of the same name in 2002 on 7PRecords. On November 14, 2006, Mel collaborated with author Cricket Casey and released the children's book ''The Portal In The Park'', which comes with a bonus CD of his rapped narration. It also features two songs, "World Family Tree" and "The Fountain of Truth", by a then unknown

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

performing with Mel. The book was re-released in 2010. Also in 2006, Melle Mel attended

professional wrestling school Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...

. In 2007 (at age 45), he stated in an interview with allhiphop.com that "I'm going to try to take some of

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...

's money and get with

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

and do my thing". On January 30, 2007, Mel released his first ever solo album, ''Muscles''. The first single and music video was "M3 – The New Message". On March 12, 2007, Melle Mel and The Furious Five (joined by DJ Grandmaster Flash) became the first rap group ever inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

. In his acceptance speech, Mel implored the recording industry members in attendance to do more to restore hip hop to the culture of music and art that it once was, rather than the culture of violence that it has become. He added, "I've never been shot, I've never been arrested, and I've been doing hip hop all my life. I can't change things all by myself. We need everybody's help, so let's do it and get this thing done." On October 10, 2008, Mel appeared on Bronx-based culinary adventure show ''

Bronx Flavor Baron Ambrosia was a character played by international explorer Justin Fornal from 2006 to 2013. The character was a self-proclaimed "quaffer of culinary consciousness" and traveled around New York City, mostly in The Bronx, documenting variou ...

'' alongside host

Baron Ambrosia Baron Ambrosia was a character played by international explorer Justin Fornal from 2006 to 2013. The character was a self-proclaimed "quaffer of culinary consciousness" and traveled around New York City, mostly in The Bronx, documenting variou ...

. In the episode "Night at the Bodega", he appears as a spiritual mentor to sway the Baron from his over-indulgent ways and get him on the right path to success. In April 2011, it was revealed that he would take part in a new hip hop/pro wrestling collaboration, the Urban Wrestling Federation. Its first bout "First Blood" was recorded in June 2011. Mel also appeared in Ice-T's 2012 hip hop documentary '' Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap''. In August 2015, Mel appeared with

Kool Moe Dee Mohandas Dewese (born August 8, 1962), better known by his stage name Kool Moe Dee, is an American rapper, writer and actor. Considered one of the forerunners of the new jack swing sound in hip hop, he gained fame in the 1980s as a member of one ...

and Grandmaster Caz in

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are an American hip hop duo from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2008 by Macklemore, a rapper,Trust, Gary (2013)Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' 'Can't Hold Us' Makes Hot 100 History, '' Billboard'', May 8, 2013. Retrieved Januar ...

's song and music video "Downtown". In May 2016, Mel and Scorpio, performing as Grandmaster's Furious Five ft. Melle Mel & Scorpio, released their single "Some Kind of Sorry".

Discography

Albums

* 1984 '' Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five'' (a.k.a. ''Work Party'') * 1985 ''Stepping Off'' (as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five) * 1989 ''Piano'' (as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five) * 1997 '' Right Now'' (as Grandmaster Mele-Mel & Scorpio) * 2001 ''On Lock'' (Grandmaster Melle Mel & Rondo as Die Hard) * 2006 ''The Portal In The Park'' (as Grandmaster Mele Mel with appearances by

) * 2007 ''

Muscles Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscle ...

'' (as Grandmaster Mele Mel)

Singles

* 1979 "We Rap More Mellow" (as The Younger Generation) * 1979 "Flash to the Beat" (as Flash and the Furious 5) * 1979 "Superrappin'" (as

) * 1980 "Freedom" (as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1980 "The Birthday Party" (as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1981 "Showdown" (as The Furious Five Meets The Sugarhill Gang) * 1981 "It's Nasty (Genius of Love)" (as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1981 "Scorpio" (as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1981 "

The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" is a single released by Grandmaster Flash in 1981. It is a live DJ mix recording of Flash scratching and mixing records from various groups using three turntables. This single was highl ...

" (as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1982 " The Message" (as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1982 "Message II (Survival)" (as Melle Mel & Duke Bootee) * 1983 "New York New York" (as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1983 "

" (as Grandmaster & Melle Mel / Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five /

Grandmaster Flash Joseph Saddler (born January 1, 1958), popularly known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is an American DJ and rapper. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Hip Hop DJing, cutting, scratching and mixing. Grandmaster Flash and the Fur ...

and Melle Mel) * 1984 "Continuous White Lines" (Remix – as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five) * 1984 "Jesse" (as Grandmaster Melle Mel) * 1984 "Beat Street Breakdown" a.k.a. "Beat Street" (as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five) * 1984 "Step Off" (as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five) * 1984 "We Don't Work for Free" (as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five) * 1984 "World War III" (as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five / Grandmaster Melle Mel) * 1985 "King Of the Streets" (as Grandmaster Melle Mel) * 1985 "Pump Me Up" (as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five) * 1985 "Vice" (as Grandmaster Melle Mel) * 1985 "The Mega-Melle Mix" (as Melle Mel) * 1988 "Gold" (as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1988 "Magic Carpet Ride" (as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1994 "Sun Don't Shine in the Hood" (Split 12" single with "Da Original" as The Furious Five) * 1995 " The Message 95" (Remix – as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five * 1997 " The Message" (Remix – as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) * 1997 "Mama" (as Grandmaster Mele-Mel & Scorpio) * 1997 "Mr. Big Stuff" (as Grandmaster Mele-Mel & Scorpio) * 2003 "Where Ya At?" (as Melle Mel) * 2007 "M-3" (as Grandmaster Mele Mel) * 2011 " Markus Schulz Presents Dakota feat. Grandmaster Mele Mel & Scorpio" – Sleepwalkers * 2014 "Don't Shoot" (as Grandmaster Melle Mel) * 2016 "Some Kind of Sorry" (as Grandmaster's Furious Five Ft. Mele Mel & Scorpio)

Collaborations

* 1984 "I Feel for You" by

* 1986 "MC Story" by MC Chill and Emanon (The Baby Beatbox) * 1986 "Susie" by Emanon * 1986/87 "Who Do You Think You're Funkin' With" — collaborating with Afrika Bambaataa * 1989 "What's the Matter with Your World?" (with Van Silk) *1995 "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" by

* 1996 "What Order" (with

Keith LeBlanc Keith LeBlanc is an American drummer and record producer, and is a member of the bands Little Axe and Tackhead. His record " No Sell Out" was one of the first sample-based releases. The song was a success, charting at No. 60 on the UK Singles ...

) * 2005 "RSVP" (with Nikkole) * 2008 "Hip Hop Fantasy" b
Chutzpah
- for the track Bizness. * 2009 "Electro Soul Satisfaction" — collaborating with Mic Murphy of The System

Awards and nominations

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1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

, "Back on the Block" ,

Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. The award was discontinue ...

, , rowspan="2", , - , align=center, 1996 , "Stomp" ,

Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1967 to 1968 the ...

, , -

References

External links

Biography
at hiphop.sh * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Melle Mel 1961 births African-American male rappers East Coast hip hop musicians Grammy Award winners for rap music Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five members Living people Rappers from the Bronx 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people Sugar Hill Records (hip hop label) artists