Grandmaster Flash scratches his
way to a ‘Nobel Prize of Music’
points, Saddler, better known
as Grand Master Flash, pioneered
2173 White Plains Road 718-931-4335
Just South of Pelham Pkwy.
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Joseph Saddler went from
dumpster diving around
Hunts Point and scraping together
makeshift turntables
in the 70s to being awarded
Sweden’s Polar Prize, better
known as ‘The Nobel Prize for
Music’ on Tuesday, June 11.
In between these two
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not only the origins of
hip hop from his home in the
south Bronx, but also revolutionized
DJ techniques of
scratching, looping and beat
breaking during his prime
of the 1980s, 90s, and even beyond.
“It is such an honor, be-
Flash gives a nod to his home of the Bronx. Grand Master Flash
cause a lot of times in our culture,
what we do as DJs gets
overlooked,” Flash said on behalf
of the announcement.
He, along with his furious
fi ve recorded ‘The Message,’
an iconic track that depicted
the reality of life in the south
Bronx during its ‘burning’
times. The track became so
iconic that it was placed in the
Library of Congress for its historical
value.
To this day, Flash is credited
with modernizing music
with his ability to loop and
sample funk tracks.
Those techniques led to
the rise of house and other
electronic music genres and
infl uenced many to do similar
work, like Armand Van
Helden, A Trak and arguably
even Daft Punk.
“So for these people to say,
let’s give this to someone who
doesn’t necessarily use a microphone
as their gift…for me
to be picked out of so many
people, I am so, so deeply honored,”
the DJ legend said.
Flash outside of 2730 Dewey Avenue in Throggs Neck. Grand Master Flash