Rapper known for being part of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, one of the genre's seminal groups. They're known for the singles "The Message" and "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)." After The Furious Five, he released several albums as Grandmaster Melle Mel. He was one of the original five rappers in the group, which formed in 1978. They released their first album in 1979.
