Capital Concert Series: Hip Hop Night

Cost: Free Admission, bring money for vendors

Travel: take bus #114 or #10 to the plaza

As members of the first rap group inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Melle Mel and Scorpio made Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five a household name on the strength of records such as “Freedom,” “The Message,” “White Lines,” “Superrappin,” “Beat Street,” and “New York, New York” to name a few.
Grandmaster Mele Mel and Scorpio Furious 5 are a legendary group in addition to being trendsetters and partly responsible for the creation of the billion-dollar-a-year rap record industry. Their recordings are among the most sampled in the history of recorded hip hop. “The Message” was the first rap song that contained social commentary and is in the archives of the Library of Congress for its social relevance in that time period. It’s considered one of the 25 most important songs in the last 50 years, and in 2013, “The Message” became the first hip hop record inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In 1979, the Sugar Hill Gang crashed through the walls of urban cities and into the mainstream of society with the first worldwide rap hit, “Rapper’s Delight.” The recording eventually sold over 8 million copies and went on to be the biggest selling rap single of all time. Even today, it continues to appeal to audiences of all ages.
Following the success of “Rapper’s Delight,” the Sugarhill Gang continued to release hits such as “Apache,” “8th Wonder,” and “Living in the Fast Lane.” Wonder Mike and Master Gee teamed up with Henry Williams and DJ T. Dynasty more than 20 years ago and continue creating new music while still pleasing crowds with their greatest hits.