Dragon-I, Apr 14, 10pm
Grandmaster Flash has an impressive list of credits - first DJ inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, first DJ to develop what are now standard techniques and the first to transform the turntable into a true instrument.
While some of these claims are disputed by other notable DJs of his era, such as Kool Herc and Grand Wizard Theodore, there's no doubt the man born Joseph Saddler occupies a lofty position in the hip hop pantheon.
The beginning of what we now know as turntablism can be traced back to the seminal 1981 single released by Flash and his outfit the Furious Five titled The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel.
The single is a live studio recording of Saddler using three turntables to combine records including Another One Bites the Dust by Queen, Rapture by Blondie and Good Times by Chic. It was the first time scratching had been heard on a record, and was also the first recording to be created entirely from other tracks, setting the standard for the scratching and sampling revolutions which were to follow.
But Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's greatest moment was to arrive a year later when they released the single The Message, which is frequently referred to as the greatest record in hip hop history, with its ominous refrain of, 'Don't push me, 'cos I'm close to the edge.'