Grandmaster Flash | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Grandmaster Flash performing in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Robert Saddler[1] |
| Born | January 1, 1958 Bridgetown, Barbados[2] |
| Origin | The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five |
| Spouses | Brittany Williams
(m. 1999; died 2015)Brittany Silver
(m. 2018; div. 2021) |
| Website | grandmasterflash |
Joseph Robert Saddler (born January 1, 1958), known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is an American musician and DJ. He created a DJ technique called the Quick Mix Theory.[3][4] This technique serviced the break-dancer and the rapper by elongating the drum breaks through the use of duplicate copies of vinyl. This technique gave birth to cutting and scratching. It also gave rappers better music with a seamless elongated bed of beats to speak on.[5] He also invented the slipmat.[6]
He is the founder and creator of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.[7][8] In 2019 he became the first hip hop artist to be honoured with the Polar Music Prize.[9] On May 21, 2022, he acquired an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from Buffalo State University. On June 1, 2023, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in music from Lehman College in the Bronx, NY. On August 4, Grandmaster was issued a proclamation from the city of New York stating that August 4th is Grandmaster Flash Day.
- ^ "BIG BLACK CADDY". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ "Grandmaster Flash - Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Bethonie Butler. Grandmaster Flash on ‘The Get Down’ and how he used science to pioneer DJ techniques. The Washington Post. Retrieved 28-03-23.
- ^ "How Grandmaster Flash created The Slipmat". hiphophero.com. November 14, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2007 Inductees". Retrieved September 3, 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Hip hop DJ pioneer Grandmaster Flash wins Polar Music Prize". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved March 28, 2023.