“Here’s a little story I’d like ta tell
About a situation guys and girls know very well
Everything is fine and dandy and you love it
‘Til dope make you treat another person like a puppet”- Hi-C in “I’m Not Your Puppet”

One of the lesser known Compton rappers, Hi-C brought genius lyricism and masterful mcee’ing to the world of hip hop with his upbeat songs and high pitched tone. Originally a Westside Tree Top Piru Blood gang member, Hi-C would abandon the gang life in exchange for that of a “funky rap sanga” (the name of one of his tracks on the Skanless album).

Hi-C debuted his career with the hit single “I’m Not Your Puppet” which ranked #21 on the Hot Rap Songs Billboard chart. Using the the piano from James and Bobby Purify’s song, “I’m Your Puppet,” Hi-C tells the story of his girlfriend’s crack addiction and how she stole from him to fuel her high.

 

Song Link

What really makes this track special among all of Hi-C’s works is its lyrical truth and cleverness. South Central Los Angeles during the 90’s experienced a terrible drug epidemic that lead people to do anything in their power to get high. Hi-C’s girl in “I’m Not Your Puppet” is a prime example of this as she seems sober in the beginning but then as the song goes on, she gradually gets worse and worse until she’s caught blatantly stealing from him.

“Well, I bought her a chain, Reebok boots, and a skirt
And she clucked it
Then she went in my pants, and she took my keys
And stole my bucket”- Hi-C in “I’m Not Your Puppet”

As the drug epidemic continued, the world of hip hop would also evolve to talk about the issues associated with the war on drugs and the violence that came with it. Hi-C was one of the original rappers to use his platform to tell a story that many people were not used to hearing.

 

 

“It’s like a jungle sometimes. It makes me wonder how I keep from going under.”- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in “The Message.”

Ever wondered what today’s hip hop would sound like if it was good? While today’s Soundcloud garbage mumble rappers may be dominating the charts, there ain’t nothing like the originals.

Back in ’82, something magnificent was cooking in the Bronx. DJ Grandmaster Flash and a group of emcees were recording tracks under the Sugarhill Label which would revolutionize music forever. Later known as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, they would pioneer the world of hip hop and pave the way for the golden age of rap in the 90’s.

Arguably one of their best hits ever, “The Message,” debuted in 1982 and painted a vivid picture of the hardships that came with living in the ghetto.

Song Link

Featuring the vocals of Grandmaster Melle Mel and Duke Bootee, the song incorporates a smooth bass line and uses sound effects to emphasize the violence of the inner city. Melle Mel’s and Duke Bootee’s alternating voice pitches do a great deal in showing their respective frustrations with the ghetto.

Mel’s lyrics about drug use are especially heart wrenching as it shows how a person can squander all of their possessions to get high. Told in the second person, Mel tells the story of a young person who chose to take the easy way out and drop out of high school to sell crack; the end result being an early death in a cell.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five laid out the groundwork for the future of hip hop. They inspired numerous rap groups such as the infamous N.W.A. to voice their opinions on society in the form of hip hop music. The bassline in “The Message” was even sampled by Ice Cube in his remixed version of “Check Yo Self.”

“I keep my hand on my gun cuz they got me on the run.”- Spice 1 and Tupac in “Jealous Got Me Strapped,” a line borrowed from “The Message”

Although mostly forgotten today, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five will forever be remembered by old school hip hop fans as the og’s who started it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hoo Bangers! (Wassup!) Y’all ready? (Fo Sho!)” — Mack 10 in Intro