Monday night at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip-hop act to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Before I begin I’d like to congratulate Flash and say that I loved your work on the Chris Rock Show. Now I’ll begin. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five have no business in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. None whatsoever. For one, this group had only one hit song, “The Message” in 1982. And two, Grandmaster Flash, despite being the undisputed pioneer of mixing, scratching and pretty much every element of what we know to be hip-hop music, has nothing to do with rock and roll. And this is what makes his musical accomplishments so impressive. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in the late 70s helped create a totally unique genre of music that shared none of the musical qualities of any existing genre at that time. And this music has become synonymous with urban culture in America and in cities throughout the world. No small achievement. But this is not an achievement that needs to be recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not everyone has to be invited to the party. And if the justification for Flash’s induction is that the museum is for anyone in any genre influential in music, then why isn’t John Coltrane in? Why isn’t Frank Sinatra in? Because clearly the Rock Hall of Fame isn’t just for any type of music. It’s for rock. And now, it’s a rock museum that includes Grandmaster Flash, but not actual rock stars with actual rock careers like Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper and Kiss. The lines that distinguish different forms of art are not evil and don’t always have to be blurred. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five should have waited until Jay-Z and whoever else erected a Hip-Hop Hall of Fame in the South Bronx to honor this art form. This would have been more appropriate. And way more rock and roll.
•NYT: Hip-Hop Is Rock ‘n’ Roll
•YouTube: Grandmaster Flash-The Message