The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash by Grandmaster Flash and David Ritz

Despite the tremendous respect he has garnered as a technological genius and Hip-Hop pioneer/icon, not much is known about the legendary Grandmaster Flash’s rise as a turntable instrumentalist turned Rock’n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee (the first Hip-Hop artist to do so). In his recent memoir, My Life, My Beats: The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash, the man born Joseph Saddler sets the record straight on his childhood, meteoric rise to fame and his personal struggles with drug addiction and music industry politics.

Flash’s story is poignant as he recounts memories that range from the innocent (“My favorite thing to do as a young boy was to play the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and outrun my sisters as they chased me all over the house”) to gruesome accounts of the shame and deplorable conditions he lived in while battling drug addiction. Flash also gives an in-depth account of the lesser-known details regarding the Furious Five’s internal and creative issues as a group and their love-hate relationship with the legendary Sugar Hill Records.

A tale dripping with inspiration and wisdom, readers can’t deny being inspired by the man who rose above a bittersweet childhood and his adult demons, only to triumph as a strong father to his biological children and a forefather to all aspiring DJs. Flash’s memoir is more than just a history lesson; it’s a testament that Hip-Hop culture can never die, as long as it continues to inspire others.  Respect the architect!

For Grandmaster Flash tour dates and info, check out: http://www.grandmasterflash.com/

Pics of Flash rocking at NYC’s Webster Hall, courtesy of www.Brooklynvegan.com

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/05/grandmaster_fla.html