Grandmaster Flash
and the Furious Five are semifinalists in nominations to be inducted into the
world renowned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The top 15 artists
that tally the most votes will be this year’s nominees for consideration.
Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first
record.
The nominating
committee is made up of Rock and Roll historians. After the committee has chosen
their semi-finalists, ballots are sent to an international voting body comprising
of almost 1000 authorities on the history of Rock and Roll.
The artists who
receive the highest number of votes are inducted. Usually that equates to about
five to seven groups being inducted each year.
This year’s
list is one of the most diverse in the history of the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame.
Grandmaster Flash
and the Furious Five were nominated along side ABBA, Jeff Beck, seminal Doo-Wop
group The Harptones, The O’Jays, Kraftwerk, Ringo Starr and others.
The group recorded
first as the Younger Generation and released a single, “We Rap More Mellow”
in 1979. After a name change, the group signed with the Enjoy record label owned
by Bobby Robinson.
The group recorded
Superappin’” in 1979 as well. Once they switched to the Sugar Hill
record label, they recorded a series of legendary Hip-Hop songs, including "Freedom,"
"Birthday Party," "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the
Wheels of Steel," "The Message," and "White Lines."
