Every celebrity is unique and has its own path that he or she took to stardom. We are all interested to find out more about our favorite actors, singers and other celebrities, because these information bring us closer to them.
In today’s text we will talk about the wealth, biography and early years of a famous rapper called Grandmaster Flash. His life path is interesting and it is certainly worth mentioning.
Early years
Grandmaster Flash or Joseph Saddler was born on January 1st 1958 in Bridgetown Barbados. Because of the tough situation in his home town, his family decided to move to United States. From Barbados they moved to Bronx in New York. Joseph went to the Samuel Gompers High School which was a public school.
In school, he learned how to repair electric equipment and kept on strengthening his interest for music. His parents were also big fans of music and influenced him from an early age to listen to music and to write it. His father had a huge record collection which he often showed to Joseph. He was always fascinated by it and from that moment on he fell in love with music.
He became interested in DJing at first and electronic music. As soon as he finished high school, he started working in clubs around New York as a DJ and also started visiting other DJ performances. His famous cousin Sandy Saddler was a well-known featherweight boxer.
Because of his great love for records, music and DJing, Grandmaster Flash was one of the fore fathers of DJ music. He invented several techniques of record spinning that are now being used by DJs all over the world.
Career development
Grandmaster Flash (literally Grandmaster Blitz, actually Joseph Saddler, born January 1, 1958 in Barbados) is an American DJ. He is one of the pioneers of hip-hop alongside Kool DJ Herc and Grand wizard Theodore.
Starting in 1976, he developed under the stage name DJ Grandmaster Flash most of the techniques that characterize the DJ ing in hip-hop today: the cutting (the parallel recording of tracks to the beat), the back spinning (the plate is fast to repeat a particular section turned backwards) and phasing (which produces a phase effect by reducing the speed of one of the two turntables).
Other, partly purely acrobatic techniques also go back to him. Together with Kool DJ Herc and the Grand wizard Theodore he discovered, he has created and perfected the instruments of DJ-ing.
The first successes had Grandmaster Flash with the band Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, which formed in 1977. His single The Adventures of Grandmasters Flash on the Wheels of Steel (1981), which he recorded live, is groundbreaking in their innovative mix of songs like Good Times (Chic), Another One Bites the Dust (Queen) and Rapture (Blondie).
After several years with his ensemble in changing composition they went their separate ways at the end of the 80s. Short-lived reunions remained without much response.
In Germany, he also worked with various artists in the mid-1990s. Thus, Grandmaster Flash together with Grand Wizard Theodore and Disco Bee provided contributions to the 1994 sampler protected the Rille (Cologne Massive).
He and many other musicians such as The Dual System, The Cool Sow (DCS), Plattenpapzt, Microphone Mafia or Konstruktive criticism campaigned for the then popular Save The Vinyl movement, which wanted to prevent the already almost sealed end of the record and how One knows today, at least delayed this.
The American hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five developed in 1977. It came about when Grandmaster Flash successfully co-appeared with the Furious Five (Melle Mel, Cowboy, Kid Creole, Mr. Ness aka Scorpio, Raheem),
They got a record deal in 1980 on Sugar Hill, the first major hip-hop label. After a few successful singles, the second hip-hop album ever appeared there in 1981: The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel, a classic to this day and a significant historical document, as featured on the album by Chic, Blondie and Queen Grandmaster Flash’s DJ techniques are demonstrated.
In 1982, the successful singles The Message and 1983 New York, New York and White Lines (Do not Do not Do It) appeared (also under Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel appeared). They are probably the most prominent representatives of the early sociocritical current in hip-hop (Conscious Rap), which were above all the life described in the rundown and violent South Bronx and typical of early hip hop.
In 1985, the group broke up when Melle Mel, along with Scorpio and cowboy under the name Grandmaster Melle Mel And The Furious Five made his own business. Supplemented by new members, the formation renamed itself to Grandmaster Flash, but (apart from the single step off) without much success.
By far the most famous song from Grandmaster Flash is The Message. In 1999, his collaboration with the Polish DJ Tomekk 1 … 2 … Rhymes Galore caused a stir and landed in the charts.
In 2002, Flash returned to DJing on Platte, releasing a live retro with Official Adventures and a “classic” old-school DJ CD with Essential Mix. The song Scorpio was part of the computer game Need for Speed: Carbon. In the 2009 released album The Bridge he set new accents with hip-hop greats like Q-Tip, KRS-One and Snoop Dogg.
It is estimated that Grandmaster Flash’s net worth is around 7$ million and most of that income comes from his music and royalty rights. Besides being into music, he also tried his luck in music directing and running a radio show.
Personal life
His parents were also big fans of music and influenced him from an early age to listen to music and to write it. His father had a huge record collection which he often showed to Joseph. He was always fascinated by it and from that moment on he fell in love with music.
The name of the artist tells so much. The great master. The “first” hip hop DJ who is considered by many to be the biggest name in hip hop.
Like the concerts of the touring funmasters James Brown and George Clinton, the expectations are sky-high, and you are humbled for talking about aging gentlemen, and that you should not expect them to be as good as in their heyday.
Either way, it is an experience for anyone who is fascinated by music or history, geography and sociology.
Big Time Studios in Oslo had queues far above the bridge to Blue. That is, at least 50 meters of queue already at 21.30. The concrete room eventually became crowded and somewhat smoky.
The large windows were opened to release smoke, with the result that several people climbed in. Tommy Tee warmed up the audience from the floor in front of the stage with a 3 hour fat hip hop mix.
Grandmaster Flash sent out some running boys before he entered the stage and started spinning discs. The DJing was revolutionary once long ago, today there are many who are more technically skilled, but it was a pleasure to have the feeling of “back in the day”, the old days, done in real fashion.
The audience was festive and predominantly male. Here and there was little additions to breaking, which was not simply on the rough and tough concrete floor.
Grandmaster Flash told me he played the music he likes. Whether it’s rap, soul, reggae, R&B or what kind of genre it might be. If I touch a dial, then it is certainly f… hip hop, he proclaimed to great cheers.
And that was it, the set was varied like rotational hip hop. From the 60’s twang rock’n’roll, through 70’s electro to 80’s house, disco, funk and hip hop, all mix, scratch and performed as confident as you might expect.
Quick summary
Full name: Joseph Saddler
Date of birth: January 1st 1958
Birthplace: Bridgetown Barbados
Age: 61
Profession: Rapper, Producer
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Net Worth: $6 million
