Salute To DJs: Grandmaster Flowers

Grandmaster Flowers (born Jonathon Cameron Flowers) is known for influencing Hip-Hop pioneers Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa, and also had a formative influence on Hip-Hop culture, being regarded as one of the earliest to use the "mixing" technique to keep playing music in a non-stop sequence. He opened for James Brown at Yankee Stadium in 1869.

For many years, I have heard the name mentioned several times, but hadn't heard more info on him, except for how good his sets used to be, his fans and his influence through technique. It's has been stated that Hip-Hop collective X-Clan hired Flowers as their sound man after Professor X saw him panhandling on the streets of New York. Professor X used to mention to the rest of the group about how Flowers used to rock the parties in Brooklyn.

"Flowers was to brothers in Brooklyn what Kool Herc was to brothers in the Bronx. Everybody loved and followed Flowers." - Professor X (Lumumba Carson)

Grandmaster Flowers Brooklyn Park Jam 1979 | SCV Podcasts Volume 153 by Sound Colour Vibration on Mixcloud

Salute To DJs: Grandmaster Flash

When it comes to DJing, you have to pay respects to the pioneers in order to really appreciate the culture. Grandmaster Flash is the key figure in both Hip-Hop and DJ culture that innovated the DJ techniques back-spinning, punch phrasing and scratching (although Grand Wizzard Theodore originated scratching, Flash perfected it and popularized it) in the 1970's that are still used by DJs of today.

In the late 1970's, Grandmaster Flash started his own group The Furious Five, that featured himself as the group's DJ. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five initially singed to Enjoy Records, then released "Superrappin'" in 1979. The following year the group signed to Sugar Hill Records. 1981 brought about the release of "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels of Steel", a seven minute mix of Spoonie Gee's "Monster Jam," Blondie's "Rapture," Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache," Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust," Chic's "Good Times," and the group's own "Freedom." Flash is the first DJ to ever do a record that was strictly for a DJ to showcase his skills. He credits his influences as Grandmaster Flowers, DJ Kool Herc and Pete Jones.