Bow Before the Grandmaster @ Sultan Lounge
Calling out all disciples of the hip hop arts, the abbot of turntablism Grandmaster Flash is performing at Sultan Lounge, Kuala Lumpur at 10pm tonight! If you have any hip hop credentials at all, you wouldn’t want to miss this for anything.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4o8TeqKhgY[/youtube]
Grandmaster Flash was a former DJ of legendary hip hop group Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, one of the first few groups to take hip hop from the streets to America’s collective consciousness.
Formed in the mid-70s, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five changed the landscape of modern music in the early 80s with their more subversive brand of hip hop, a relatively new genre at the time. With ‘The Message’ and ‘White Lines’, the group added sociopolitical complexity to a genre that then was more known for being an off shoot of disco (thanks to the Sugarhill Gang). Having opened for punk legends The Clash, they created such an indellible impression on the Brit band that the late Joe Strummer had been quoted saying “(along with Sugarhill) these groups were radically changing music and they changed everything for us.” A listen to either ‘This is Radio Clash’ or ‘The Magnificent Seven’ would prove that the band was indeed at one point informed by the sounds of hip hop.
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five was inducted to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
As a DJ, Grandmaster Flash innovated the art of turntablism with 3 techniques that have become DJing staples since – backspin technique, punch phrasing, and even scratching as it is known today. Genres as diverse as breakbeat, jungle, house, and all kinds of modern electronic music have been informed by Grandmaster Flash. It would be a crying shame for any self-respecting music fan to not attend this, regardless of whether you identify with hip hop or not.
The Original Series – Grandmaster Flash @ Sultan Lounge, Kuala Lumpur is tonight at 10pm. Entry is RM75++ before midnight (inclusive of 2 drinks), RM100++ after midnight (inclusive of 2 drinks). For reservation and info, call 03 2179 8966.