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The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats
A no-holds-barred memoir from the primary architect of hip hop and one of the culture's most revered music icons€”both the tale of his life and legacy and a testament to dogged determination.Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five fomented the musical revolution known as hip hop. Theirs was a groundbreaking union between one DJ and five rapping MCs. One of the first hip hop posses, they were responsible for such masterpieces as €œThe Message€ and €œAdventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel.€ In the 1970s Grandmaster Flash pioneered the art of break-beat DJing€”the process of remixing and thereby creating a new piece of music by playing vinyl records and turntables as musical instruments. Disco-era DJs spun records so that people could dance. The original turntablist, Flash took it a step further by cutting, rubbing, backspinning, and mixing records, focusing on €œbreaks€€”what Flash described as €œthe short, clim
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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156 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 8, 2013
A really fun book for those with any background at all on Grandmaster Flash, the Sugarhill Gang, and other early DJs/rap groups. There are some interesting historical revisions from Flash involving famous songs and the use of the "Grandmaster" title while he was on the outs with his own group and record label.
Juicy factoids for nerdy fans aside, what really struck me about this book was how cleanly it illustrated the simultaneous possibility and flukiness of a major new creation like the "cutting" of records - splicing, repeating, and combining songs together while maintaining a consistent beat. Grandmaster Flash was born to a father who loved soul and funk music and a mother who was a mechanical genius. He massively expanded both those things, growing up with his ear to the ground to hear the neighbors' music and playing with circuits and resistors. He grew up in the Bronx, where there were other DJs plying their eventually inferior but currently top-of-the-heap trades. Heck, he was even a bad break-dancer and graffiti artist, giving him more time to spend with music and electronics. All of this contributed to him having the skills and drive to construct his own sound system, benefit from the help of others who could appreciate what he was trying to do, watch and learn, and eventually break through to a whole new art form.
None of these things was individually that improbable, so Flash does not seem like an impossibility, but you have to respect that the combination of all of them occurring in and for the same person wasn't going to happen very often.
Juicy factoids for nerdy fans aside, what really struck me about this book was how cleanly it illustrated the simultaneous possibility and flukiness of a major new creation like the "cutting" of records - splicing, repeating, and combining songs together while maintaining a consistent beat. Grandmaster Flash was born to a father who loved soul and funk music and a mother who was a mechanical genius. He massively expanded both those things, growing up with his ear to the ground to hear the neighbors' music and playing with circuits and resistors. He grew up in the Bronx, where there were other DJs plying their eventually inferior but currently top-of-the-heap trades. Heck, he was even a bad break-dancer and graffiti artist, giving him more time to spend with music and electronics. All of this contributed to him having the skills and drive to construct his own sound system, benefit from the help of others who could appreciate what he was trying to do, watch and learn, and eventually break through to a whole new art form.
None of these things was individually that improbable, so Flash does not seem like an impossibility, but you have to respect that the combination of all of them occurring in and for the same person wasn't going to happen very often.
November 30, 2017
As a writer, this is an interesting read if only because it was obviously pieced together based on two, maybe three hours of interviews. In that sense, it's kind of an amazing feat. But otherwise there isn't much use to it. There's a lot of things that are glossed over or hardly mentioned that could have been expanded if they'd dropped the pretense of this having been written by Flash himself, including the story behind the mafia-backed Sugar Hill Records. Because Flash doesn't actually appear on any Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five recordings other than the titular "Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (essentially a recording of a brief DJ set), and in fact, he wasn't even in the studio for many of them, he doesn't have much insight to offer on groundbreaking songs like "The Message" or "White Lines." The fact that he was pushed aside, and the various business dealings that led to the current state of Flash and the Furious Five (some of which, fwiw, transpired since this book was published), really is an interesting story, and it wasn't quite given its due here.
September 25, 2018
Moves fast, fun read.
May 17, 2009
I will be the first to admit that I grew up in one of the squarest, whitest suburbs this side of Connecticut, but when I was about 14, my church youth group would take all of us to our sister parish in Mattapan. It was 1984 and when the 2 groups of kids got together over a record-player, hip-hop would very quickly take over and we would stand there, jaws dropped, watching kids pop and lock. I knew who Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were, but hearing how it all began first hand from Grandmaster Flash himself was the kind of story that you wouldn't believe if it was anyone else telling it. Sugar Hill records gets taken to task for their treatment of their artists and after reading that particular chapter, A Tribe Called Quest's "Show Business" now seems like an article from the Wall Street Journal.
December 31, 2015
Great story of Grandmaster Flash's life including the ups and downs. He told the story in a unique way which I appreciated. Great read for all DJ's out there. Know your history!
March 1, 2020
If you are someone who wants to understand the roots of rap and hip-hop you NEED to read this book.
As I progressed through the book, I found it difficult to put down. Flash's style of writing is casual and inviting. It felt like I was reading a novel rather than a memoir. It had all the elements of a cohesive story with twists and turns. The language that Flash uses makes you really feel like you're inside his head discovering new DJ techniques and riding his highs and lows. I found myself just as excited as he must have been in 1975 figuring out how to mix, cut, and ultimately create his signature quick-mix theory. I also found myself tearing up at some of the tragedies that befell his life as he was starting to obtain success.
It's evident from his tone and language that he exudes passion about music, particularly about hip-hop. I was so inspired by his hustle his humility even after all that had happened to him.
Definitely worth the read if you're even remotely interested in learning about the origins of rap and it's founding fathers. Even if you're not, it's still a great story about innovation, the music industry, and a man who has found his true calling.
As I progressed through the book, I found it difficult to put down. Flash's style of writing is casual and inviting. It felt like I was reading a novel rather than a memoir. It had all the elements of a cohesive story with twists and turns. The language that Flash uses makes you really feel like you're inside his head discovering new DJ techniques and riding his highs and lows. I found myself just as excited as he must have been in 1975 figuring out how to mix, cut, and ultimately create his signature quick-mix theory. I also found myself tearing up at some of the tragedies that befell his life as he was starting to obtain success.
It's evident from his tone and language that he exudes passion about music, particularly about hip-hop. I was so inspired by his hustle his humility even after all that had happened to him.
Definitely worth the read if you're even remotely interested in learning about the origins of rap and it's founding fathers. Even if you're not, it's still a great story about innovation, the music industry, and a man who has found his true calling.
April 26, 2019
Joseph Saddler AKA Grandmaster Flash tells his memoir of growing up in an abusive household in the South Bronx, becoming a DJ and skyrocketing to fame during the early days of Hip-Hop. His fame eventually crashed and he tells his story of rising above addictions and being cheated by Sugar Hill records. This is a good book for anyone who was into rap in the 70's and 80's or wants to learn about some of the origins of rap. I liked hearing some of the names that I forgot about and hearing the background stories about them. I would have given this one five stars but there were a couple of times when he got too "technical" describing "the beats" over and over again....I ended up skimming through those pages.
February 3, 2024
Loved the book. I learned so much about the early years of Hip Hop. Techies will love the first 1/4 of the book as he details how he developed his style. For myself, the technical aspects became tedious, and I almost gave up on the book. I’m so glad that I didn’t, because Joseph Saddler’s memoir is a book about genius, grit, and determination. After the technomonotono first 1/4, I really enjoyed this honest and raw memoir from a musical genius!
September 23, 2017
Interesting description of the rise, fall and rise again of on of the first great hip-hop DJs. I loved learning of his inner fascination with beats and how that obsession led him to electronics, and then into creating new ways of handling and mixing tunes. Flash's perspective on the realities of working with a record label also were telling. It isn't necessarily the creators that profit.
May 30, 2018
plenty of stuff makes you side eye the accuracy, but hell if it wasn't the kind of read that i had to finish in one go. a love letter to music as well as a memoir, but if you're looking for the details, you'll have to look somewhere else
August 2, 2023
I like how he went from the late,70, the 80, and 90’s. My favorite parts were him talking about his addictions and how he overcame it, wish Cowboy could of overcame his addictions.
The biggie Smalls part was super cool. Overall 4/5 awesome DJ. A pioneer.
The biggie Smalls part was super cool. Overall 4/5 awesome DJ. A pioneer.
September 19, 2017
It has some early hip hop stories. It could have been a lot better.
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April 18, 2023GRANDMASTER... CUT FASTER!!
Loved it... gonna read it again! Flash is my all-time favorite DJ. If there was no Grandmaster Flash, there would be no me (DJ Iceman).
Loved it... gonna read it again! Flash is my all-time favorite DJ. If there was no Grandmaster Flash, there would be no me (DJ Iceman).
September 2, 2008
A fascinating, slightly befogged memoir by a major innovator who is now more of a dutiful namecheck than an identifiable "sound". When he writes about how he used to get thrashed about by his dad for sneaking records out the old man's collection, or putting records on his bike wheel and watching them spin, it seems like a retrospective personal mythology. But it also seems very convincing: this man was entranced by spinning vinyl from jump street.
The Sugar Hill years -- where I expected the story to climax -- are tinged by the hue of sour grapes. He seems fair to Melle Mel (up to a point), but you can tell that his bitterness toward the "Good Queen" Sylvia Robinson is permanent. Even "The Message" gets short shrift, because -- as he correctly observes -- he ain't on it!
So you get your climax later, where you don't expect it, and this Lothario with wide-ranging offspring tempers his sluttiness with a surprisingly beautiful love story. The style here -- probably adapted by ghostwriter David Ritz to Flash's specifications -- is a succession of staccato sentences followed by (slightly) longer confessional paragraphs. After a couple pages you feel it, and then you can't stop reading.
My only caveat is that occasionally Flash flubs the chronology of his beats. He claims, for example, to have purchased "Pump Me Up" by Trouble Funk during his early-DJ "gold rush of 1975", yet the song wasn't released until 1982, and Trouble Funk themselves weren't formed until 1977/78! Clearly a music-nerd editor should have combed through this. Other than that though, an insightful memoir by a creative hustler of the first order.
The Sugar Hill years -- where I expected the story to climax -- are tinged by the hue of sour grapes. He seems fair to Melle Mel (up to a point), but you can tell that his bitterness toward the "Good Queen" Sylvia Robinson is permanent. Even "The Message" gets short shrift, because -- as he correctly observes -- he ain't on it!
So you get your climax later, where you don't expect it, and this Lothario with wide-ranging offspring tempers his sluttiness with a surprisingly beautiful love story. The style here -- probably adapted by ghostwriter David Ritz to Flash's specifications -- is a succession of staccato sentences followed by (slightly) longer confessional paragraphs. After a couple pages you feel it, and then you can't stop reading.
My only caveat is that occasionally Flash flubs the chronology of his beats. He claims, for example, to have purchased "Pump Me Up" by Trouble Funk during his early-DJ "gold rush of 1975", yet the song wasn't released until 1982, and Trouble Funk themselves weren't formed until 1977/78! Clearly a music-nerd editor should have combed through this. Other than that though, an insightful memoir by a creative hustler of the first order.
June 24, 2016
Library Journal Review:
Grandmaster Flash is best known in conjunction with the Furious Five, the first hip- hop artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but before the fame, Joseph Robert Saddler was born into an abusive family in the Bronx. His evolution from an obscure kid spinning records in the streets to hip-hop stardom is an inspiring story filled with heartbreak, determination, and perseverance. Famous for pioneering a new style of deejaying, in which the record itself became an instrument for manipulation, Grandmaster Flash formulated his technique from a bricolage of technical skill, his chaotic surroundings, and the obscure vinyl records he unearthed at second-hand shops.
This style of deejaying, known as “break-beat,” served as the soundtrack for break dancers and rappers alike in the early days of hip-hop. Teaming up with the verbal stylings of the Furious Five, Grandmaster Flash scaled the ladder of success, lost everything, and managed to resurface while influencing a new generation of artists. This memoir reinforces the idea that hip-hop came from and continues to spin around the DJ. Recommended for public libraries. – Joshua Finnell, McNeese State Univ. Lib., Lake Charles, LA
Grandmaster Flash is best known in conjunction with the Furious Five, the first hip- hop artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but before the fame, Joseph Robert Saddler was born into an abusive family in the Bronx. His evolution from an obscure kid spinning records in the streets to hip-hop stardom is an inspiring story filled with heartbreak, determination, and perseverance. Famous for pioneering a new style of deejaying, in which the record itself became an instrument for manipulation, Grandmaster Flash formulated his technique from a bricolage of technical skill, his chaotic surroundings, and the obscure vinyl records he unearthed at second-hand shops.
This style of deejaying, known as “break-beat,” served as the soundtrack for break dancers and rappers alike in the early days of hip-hop. Teaming up with the verbal stylings of the Furious Five, Grandmaster Flash scaled the ladder of success, lost everything, and managed to resurface while influencing a new generation of artists. This memoir reinforces the idea that hip-hop came from and continues to spin around the DJ. Recommended for public libraries. – Joshua Finnell, McNeese State Univ. Lib., Lake Charles, LA
October 21, 2008
Really liked this memoir a lot - lots of insight and some surprises. Quick read; laid back, effective writing style.
"F**k the melody, forget the chorus, and leave the verses alone; we're talking about the pure rhythmic groove." page 47
"Herc stood six and change. With his Afro and the butterfly collar on his AJ Lester leisure suit turned up, he looked even bigger." Page 48
"Flash's Universal DJ Rule Number Three: Without a big library, a DJ is dead." page 65
"As a result, I had two crates - one for good joints and one for stiffs. A stiff was a joint that looked like it had some potential, but ended up being jive." page 66
"They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears." page 86
"It's a high I have no words to explain. If I take every show I've played, every girl I've laid, and every DJ style I've made and multiply 'em all by a million, I still can't come close to explaining how I feel in this moment." page 127
"It still meant something to be a DJ.
But what, then, did it mean to be DJ Grandmaster Flash?" page 238
"F**k the melody, forget the chorus, and leave the verses alone; we're talking about the pure rhythmic groove." page 47
"Herc stood six and change. With his Afro and the butterfly collar on his AJ Lester leisure suit turned up, he looked even bigger." Page 48
"Flash's Universal DJ Rule Number Three: Without a big library, a DJ is dead." page 65
"As a result, I had two crates - one for good joints and one for stiffs. A stiff was a joint that looked like it had some potential, but ended up being jive." page 66
"They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears." page 86
"It's a high I have no words to explain. If I take every show I've played, every girl I've laid, and every DJ style I've made and multiply 'em all by a million, I still can't come close to explaining how I feel in this moment." page 127
"It still meant something to be a DJ.
But what, then, did it mean to be DJ Grandmaster Flash?" page 238
September 30, 2016
Love Flash, was interesting to learn about the dark years when he fell off the radar. For all I knew about his DJ'ing "firsts," I had no idea what happened to him in the transition from the heydey of the Furious Five party raps to the Boom Bap era. Found out in the book, he was a slave to the pipe. That was humbling, as his buddy Rick James is known to say, "Cocaine is a hell of a drug...".
Like all great stories, Grandmaster Flash is redeemed, reincarnated, and restored to his rightful place in the canon of hip hop history by those who came afterwards and those who stood by him through the hardest times; great narrative arc!
Flash is the real real, and I'm glad he continues to get his due.
Like all great stories, Grandmaster Flash is redeemed, reincarnated, and restored to his rightful place in the canon of hip hop history by those who came afterwards and those who stood by him through the hardest times; great narrative arc!
Flash is the real real, and I'm glad he continues to get his due.
January 14, 2009
Yeah. This book ruled. I learned that white lines was not even by Flash. The first time he heard it on the radio was trying to score some crack in an apartment building and some kid had it playing on his boombox. This is a true story about hope. How when the kids get together and they think they can make something bigger than themselves. And then they do. And then they splinter from addictions and miscommunication. And then in the end they are individuals. And they are all in a huge hole. And they have to claw themselves up from that. And its really spiritual. This finding of new hope forgiveness and love. Finding things to replace the old fuel. New fuel.
October 26, 2008
Interesting account of hip-hop's early days. This book is most compelling when Flash focuses on his early days as a DJ and how he came to develop the quick-cut style. As a former DJ I found that part a little thin, but I guess the audience as a whole would not be as interested in the mechanics of mixing records as I would be. The later rise and fall aspects of this story are mostly what you expect, and I grew a little impatient with the last 40 or so pages. Overall a good read about the early years of hip-hop music and hip-hop business.
February 7, 2011
As one of the fathers of hip hop, this is a story that needed to be told. But it is about so much more than that. Flash, one of the founding fathers of hip hop, has travelled a long - and sometime hard - journey and this is his story. It also gives insight into Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and the impact of Sugar Hill Records on their careers. It reads like a deejay set ... picking up and slowing down where necessary and is written in Flash's voice.
June 16, 2008
This could be one of my top favorite books of all time. He writes like a hip-hop Kerouak. You can feel the beat and the rhythm as he describes listening to his first records and feeling the music pulse through him. He doesn't necessarily follow grammatical rules, but I think that makes the book and the story flow so much better. It's a quick read and a must for anyone who loves music.
November 18, 2015
A fun trip down hip hop memory lane by one of the creators. Not to minimize anyone's battles with substance abuse but there's an awful lot of musicians that fell victim to the lure of cocaine, heroin, crack, alcohol abuse, meth, etc. After all while, those VH1 Behind the Music programs became a bit cliché.
December 8, 2008
A good memoir of such a great innovator--- all hip hop artists should give him much props--- as he states " there would be no MC without the DJ" -- so true!!!
zuka, zuka, zuka, zuka ( read the book )
lmao
zuka, zuka, zuka, zuka ( read the book )
lmao
October 15, 2012
loved it;)))
still listen to "Freedom" Daily;)))
came across this book looking for
Divided Soul....the life of Marvin gaye...
this didn't disappoint!!!!
still listen to "Freedom" Daily;)))
came across this book looking for
Divided Soul....the life of Marvin gaye...
this didn't disappoint!!!!
September 26, 2009
much better than i would have expected.
December 8, 2009
Don't push me cause I'm close to the edge / I'm tryin not to lose my head ahahuhhuh...
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews