5 Facts You Need To Know About Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash returns to Brooklyn Bowl for another pulse-racing, earth-shattering music experience. Flash's mixes give us life and a gentle reminder of who is boss when it comes to hip-hop, but there’s a lot more to Flash than it appears. These facts will not only have you YouTube-ing his mixes all night long but you’ll be queueing at The Bowl’s box office in a flash!

1) Flash is the name, vinyl is his game.

Joseph Saddler’s (a/k/a "Grandmaster Flash") technique was unlike anything the world had ever seen before. His cutting, mixing, and breaking was so fast it was almost invisible to the naked eye. Then, one fan with super vision dubbed Saddler "Flash," and the rest was history.

2) Flash was the first DJ to experiment and conquer two turntables at the same time.

One wasn’t enough! After having mastered two turntables, Flash started scratching with his hands behind his back — multi-tasking at its finest.

3) Not just a musical prodigy.

Flash was the first DJ to design and market his own DJ device, The Flashformer. This tiny box changed the DJ game forever. Instead of having to flip line switches, you pushed a button. Say it with us…

4) You can thank Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five for one of your favourite lyrics.

Listen to hip hop heavyweights Jay Z, Kanye West, or Talib Kweli and you’ll hear “Throw your hands in the air, and wave ‘em like you just don’t care,” embedded casually in the bridge of many party anthems. Legend has it that MC Cowboy, of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, was the first MC to spit the lyric.

5) All Hail The Godfather!

Grandmaster Flash is credited to being one of the founding forefathers of hip-hop, what else do you need? This December raise your hands, give thanks to the hip-hop Gods, and let the break beat penetrate your soul.