Melle Mel. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Frazer Harrison/Getty Images The History of Hip-Hop Rapper Melle Mel: Delivering 'The Message' Fresh Air August 29, 2005 • When the hit rap song "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five came out in the early 1980s, many rappers regarded it as an inspiration and political message. Melle Mel was the original vocalist on the song. (This interview originally aired August 4, 1992.) Rapper Melle Mel: Delivering 'The Message' Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/4821649/4821650" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Rapper Melle Mel: Delivering 'The Message' Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/4821649/4821650" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
