Who's the Grand Master?

April 7, 2010 5:50 AM

Help me ID an early '80s rap song I remember almost nothing about, please.

I've got a tiny portion of a call & response chant stuck in my head from my pre-teen days of taping KISS-FM mastermixes (we're talking '83-'85), and I can't figure out from what song it comes. I suppose it's possible this bit was added in-studio, but I hope not. Here's what I've got:

one guy: "the grand master!"
crowd: "the grand master!"
one guy: "the grand master!"
guy + crowd: "he's the cream of the crop!"

I acknowledge that this is not much to go on, but I need to get this thing out of my brain. Thanks!

posted by mintcake! to media & arts (10 answers total)

To state the obvious, this has to be a Grand Master Flash song, probably off The Message, given the time period. Maybe a live version?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:00 AM on April 7, 2010

I don't know which song specifically, but it sounds like it could be something from Grandmaster Flash.
posted by nitsuj at 6:00 AM on April 7, 2010

Well to start out it is highly likely that the artist is Grandmaster Flash.
posted by Ironmouth at 6:01 AM on April 7, 2010

Right? I've listened to so much Flash stuff online trying to find it that I'm getting close to "I quit" territory. My hope is, if it was a mix break or live version, that it's on a notable enough mix that someone remembers it. Sincere thanks, y'all.
posted by mintcake! at 6:30 AM on April 7, 2010

Grandmaster Caz - MC Delight?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDlgB9MbLNA
posted by Leon Backwards at 7:07 AM on April 7, 2010

Grandmaster Caz - Grandmasta?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLB2ZFIzYmw
posted by Leon Backwards at 7:14 AM on April 7, 2010

I can't get YouTube to load right now, but could it be Grandmaster Melle Mel?
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:29 AM on April 7, 2010

With all due respect to other posters, there are plenty of Grandmasters besides Flash. It might be him, but it might not.
posted by box at 8:09 AM on April 7, 2010

Here are some lists of Grand Masters and Grandmasters, backing box on the fact that Grand Master was a fairly common self-appointed title (which, like Grand Wizard, was a play on the ranks of the KKK).
posted by filthy light thief at 9:30 AM on April 7, 2010

There are tons of KISS Mastermixes online if you can figure out who the DJ was for your city you might be able to narrow it down some.
posted by ljesse at 11:03 AM on April 7, 2010