Melle Mel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melle Mel
Mel in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Melvin Glover
Also known as	Grandmaster Melle Mel
Born	(1961-05-15) May 15, 1961 (age 64) The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop East Coast hip hop hardcore hip hop old-school hip hop G-funk electro hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Enjoy Sugar Hill

Melvin Glover (born May 15, 1961), known as Grandmaster Melle Mel or just Melle Mel, is an American rapper. He was the main singer and songwriter for the famous group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

Melle Mel's Journey in Hip Hop

Starting His Music Journey

Melvin Glover started performing in the late 1970s. He might have been the first rapper to call himself an "MC" (which stands for master of ceremonies). His group, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, included his brother Kidd Creole, Scorpio, Rahiem, and Cowboy. Cowboy is even credited with creating the term "hip-hop"! He made up the sound "hip/hop/hip/hop" while teasing a friend who joined the army. It sounded like soldiers marching.

The group started recording with Enjoy Records. They released their first song, "Superrappin'," in 1979. Later, they joined Sugar Hill Records. They became very popular with fun party songs like "Freedom" and "The Birthday Party." They released many songs and even earned a gold disc for "Freedom." They also went on tours to perform for their fans.

Making a Difference with Music

In 1982, Melle Mel started writing songs about important social issues. He focused on how government policies affected the black community.

Their song "The Message" became a huge hit. It was one of the first conscious hip-hop songs. These songs explore personal and social topics. Melle Mel recorded his rap over a music track called "The Jungle." Interestingly, only Melle Mel from the group appeared on the actual recording of "The Message."

"The Message" was the first hip-hop song ever added to the United States National Archive of Historic Recordings. It was also the first hip-hop song to be put into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Melle Mel continued to write songs about life in New York City and how to get through tough times.

After some disagreements about money from "The Message," Grandmaster Flash left the group. Melle Mel then became known as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the leader of The Furious Five.

More Hits and Important Songs

The group then created an anti-drug song called "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)." A music video for the song featured a young actor named Laurence Fishburne. It was directed by Spike Lee, who was not famous yet. The record label wrongly said Grandmaster Flash was on the song to make people think he was part of it.

Melle Mel became even more famous after appearing in the movie Beat Street. He performed a song based on the movie's title. He also rapped on Chaka Khan's hit song "I Feel for You." This song helped introduce hip hop to many more people. Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five had more popular songs like "Step Off" and "Pump Me Up." Their song "Jesse" was a political song that encouraged people to vote for presidential candidate Jesse Jackson.

Reunions and Collaborations

In 1988, Melle Mel and Grandmaster Flash reunited. They released an album called On The Strength. However, new hip-hop artists were very popular then, so the album did not do well.

Melle Mel also worked with other artists on important songs. He performed on "King Holiday," which aimed to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. He also joined Artists United Against Apartheid for the song "Sun City." This song encouraged artists not to perform in South Africa because of its unfair system called apartheid.

At the end of the 1980s, Melle Mel won two Grammy Awards. These were for his work on albums by the legendary musician Quincy Jones.

Later Career and New Ventures

In 1995, the band Duran Duran covered "White Lines." Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel performed on this version. In 1996, Melle Mel added vocals to a song by the famous singer Cher.

In 1997, Melle Mel released an album called Right Now with Scorpio from the Furious Five. This album had a harder rap style.

In 2006, Melle Mel worked with author Cricket Casey on a children's book called The Portal in the Park. It came with a CD where he narrated the story. It also featured two songs with a singer who was not famous yet, Lady Gaga!

In 2007, Melle Mel released his first solo album, Muscles. On March 12, 2007, Melle Mel and The Furious Five, with Grandmaster Flash, made history. They became the first rap group ever to be put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In his speech, Melle Mel asked the music industry to help bring hip hop back to being about music and art, not violence. He said, "I've never been shot, I've never been arrested, and I've been doing hip hop all my life."

Melle Mel has continued to appear in various projects. In 2012, he was in Ice-T's hip-hop documentary Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap. In 2015, he appeared in Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's song and music video "Downtown."

Most recently, Melle Mel joined other hip-hop legends on a song for a film called "The Brooklyn Premiere 2024."

Music Releases

Melle Mel has released several albums and many singles throughout his career, both as a solo artist and with his groups.

Solo Album

• Muscles (2007)

Group Albums

• The Message (1982) - with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
• On the Strength (1988) - with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
• On Lock (2001) - with Die Hard

Collaborative Albums

• Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five (1984) - with The Furious Five
• Piano (1989) - with The Furious Five
• Right Now (1997) - with Scorpio
• Portal in the Park (2006) - with Cricket Casey

Notable Singles

Melle Mel has been part of many popular singles, including:

• "Superrappin'" (1979)
• "Freedom" (1980)
• "The Message" (1982)
• "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" (1983)
• "Beat Street Breakdown" (1984)
• "I Feel for You" (1984) - with Chaka Khan
• "Some Kind of Sorry" (2016)

Awards and Recognition

Melle Mel has received awards for his contributions to music.

See also

In Spanish: Melle Mel para niños

Images for kids

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  Melle Mel with Ralph McDaniels (Uncle Ralph)