Time Masters

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Lore & Background

The source does not provide any information about the Time Masters. It is about Grandmaster Flash, a Barbadian-American DJ born Joseph Robert Saddler on January 1, 1957. He created the Quick Mix Theory, which gave birth to cutting and scratching, and invented the slipmat. He founded Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the first rap group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2019 he became the first hip hop artist to receive the Polar Music Prize. He received honorary doctorates from Buffalo State University on May 21, 2022, and from Lehman College on June 1, 2023. On August 4, 2023, New York City issued a proclamation making August 4 Grandmaster Flash Day.

In Their Own Story

The source does not provide any story about the Time Masters. It describes Grandmaster Flash's innovations: he perfected the backspin technique (quick-mix theory) to loop drum breaks indefinitely using two turntables and a mixer. He created the slipmat from felt and wax paper. He realized spherical needles stayed in the groove, allowing him to turn vinyl counterclockwise to re-arrive at the top of the break. He also developed punch phrasing (clock theory) and perfected scratching.

Reader's Guide

The source does not provide any guide about the Time Masters. It details Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five: formed in the late 1970s with Cowboy, Melle Mel, and Kidd Creole. Cowboy created the term 'hip hop'. They signed to Enjoy Records in 1979 and released 'Superrappin''. In 1980 they signed to Sugar Hill Records. 'The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel' (1981) is the first documented appearance of scratching on a record. 'The Message' (1982) was the first hip hop recording added to the National Recording Registry. The group disintegrated after tensions over 'The Message'. Grandmaster Flash does not actually appear on 'The Message' or 'Freedom'.

Did You Know?

• Grandmaster Flash created the Quick Mix Theory, which gave birth to cutting and scratching.
• He invented the slipmat using felt and wax paper cut to the size of a record.
• Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the first rap group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
• The song 'The Message' (1982) was the first hip hop recording added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.
• Grandmaster Flash does not actually appear on 'The Message' or 'Freedom'—those tracks were driven by session musicians.