Grandmaster Flash was the first man to lay his hands on vinyl and make music. Other DJs saw the turntable as a simple piece of equipment. They handled the record gently by its edges, placed it on the turntable, and carefully dropped the tonearm on the vinyl.
Flash made the turntable into an instrument. Like Pollock with a brush and canvas, Flash took control of the tonearm and worked the vinyl. He redefined the DJ as recording artist.
His legacy is huge: At South Bronx block parties, he invented the spinning and cutting techniques that extended short drum breaks (what he called the "get down" portion of songs) and combined pieces of different songs into seamless and often hours-long musical marathons. He invited vocal artists to rap over the extended drum breaks. These MCs were the first high-profile rappers. The long drum breaks also became the accompaniment for the first break dancers.
In short he helped father hip-hop music. (He's quick to note that this was not his achievement alone. DJ Herc was combining songs for block parties before him.) BUT because Flash dared to touch the vinyl, he was able to combine and recombine music seamlessly. Anyone who's been to a dance club knows what this means. You don't know where one song ends and another begins. It's one continuous "get down" -- and you can dance forever.
(Truthfully there is an upside to the wedding band stop and start. You can easily excuse yourself after a lousy song - or escape before the slow dance.)
So here's my interview with Flash...
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
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Me and Grandmaster Flash
Posted Jul 24th 2008 8:30AM by Mo Rocca
Filed under: Mo's Videos, Mo Rocca
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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Respect!
And who says DJ Mo can't dance? Watch out now!
Tina G at 10:25AM on Jul 24th 2008
2. Thanks for the good times Mr Flash!
Mokele Mbembe at 11:00AM on Jul 24th 2008
3. How cute is my Mo?!
My baby's got it goin' on!
giftedgirl at 11:34AM on Jul 24th 2008
4. Aw Mo,
Loved the article, but cringed a wee bit at your rap attempt. Should've borrowed from Lil' Mo's "Five Minutes:"
"In five minutes Rocca's knockin' at the door
In two minutes Rocca had them on the floor
In one minute, Rocca's kickin vinyl ass
Thanks to the help of Grandmaster Flash."
JG^^
John Giza at 1:11PM on Jul 24th 2008
5. RAPTURE.......................!
Flash is fast, Flash is cool..................
I live for those high kicks, Mo!!! and that shirt was so fine......great interview, wow that caught me off guard!
ah,Clem at 3:50PM on Jul 24th 2008
6. Good interview...sort of an "I Love the 80s" MOment with Grandmaster Flash.
And since you share Jackson Pollock's January 28th birthday, your rap should be titled "Number 28-in"!
SGS at 5:34PM on Jul 24th 2008
7. SGS:
You are always one up on me. Or, in this case, 21 Questions to Number 28-in.
But, let's not build Pollock a pyramid just yet. He did harbor some hard feelings towards people who didn't think like him.
However, my favorite poet, Frank O'Hara was enamored by his work.
See this:
http://edwardbyrne.blogspot.com/2008/01/frank-ohara-and-jackson-pollock.html
JG^^
John Giza at 6:22PM on Jul 24th 2008
8. Aw Mo,
I don't see how you could say you never "touched vinyl" before.
Have you checked out Ebay lately?
JG^^
John Giza at 7:07PM on Jul 24th 2008
9. JG: Thanks for the article; indeed, many connections between Pollock and O'Hara (had no idea they shared a similar demise...kind of sad).
I must admit I had to go look up the "21 Questions" reference (not a big fan of rap here!) Gettin' old, I guess...
SGS at 7:24PM on Jul 24th 2008
10. SGS:
There was a time (before Hank Kimball came along) when I wanted to put on a Broadway Play called "The Importance of Being Frank" which, of course, would have been about F'OH. One of the best scenes would have been the Saloon fight between J.P. saying "I like the atmosphere, except for all the fags," and O'Hara responding with "I like all your paintings, except the ones you lose your concentration on."
Ah, youth, pass the bottle.
Kudos to SGS!!!
JG
John Giza at 7:32PM on Jul 24th 2008
11. Oh, btw SGS:
It happened in real life.
I rearranged a few words to provoke the innocent.
See: Brad Gooch.
JG
John Giza at 7:44PM on Jul 24th 2008
12. Ahahaha. I love how he looked so bewildered when you birthday rapped and how he tried to find a way to gently bring you down without insulting you.
On another note, I was reading my local news and found an article that made me think of you. It was about the food festival in my city, called "The Taste of Syracuse." 85 vendors from local restaurants set up stands and you get to walk around and sample stuff. The article lists all 45 (!!!) health code violations that were found at the festival, one of which involved a vendor scooping ice without gloves, causing "bare hand contact" with the ice. After being mildly repulsed, I smiled and thought of you!
MakeItLazy at 1:55AM on Jul 25th 2008
13. this story was so fun, that I had to stop by again to watch it....
MakeItLazy brought up one of the "twisting in the wind" moments only Mo can find himself in---re; the birthday rap! You made my morning sparkle...
ah,Clem at 8:37AM on Jul 25th 2008
14. A vinyl virgin?!?!
Natalie at 5:26PM on Jul 25th 2008