Which hip hop group recorded the 1982 song 'The Message'?

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five recorded the 1982 song “The Message.” Sugar Hill Records released it as a single on July 1, 1982, and it later appeared on the group’s debut studio album, also titled “The Message.”

The song was written initially by Duke Bootee and Melle Mel, with production by Duke Bootee and Sylvia Robinson. Its slow, tense groove and stark lyrics about poverty, urban pressure, crime, and limited opportunity helped move hip-hop beyond party rhymes and boastful performance into direct social commentary.

The group is sometimes confused with Sugarhill Gang because both acts recorded for Sugar Hill Records, but they were different groups. “The Message” is specifically credited to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, even though Grandmaster Flash’s DJ role and Melle Mel’s vocal performance are often discussed separately. The recording entered the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2002.