Grandmaster Flash Quotes

Powerful Grandmaster Flash for Daily Growth

About Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler), born in the Bronx, New York City on January 1, 1958, is a legendary figure in hip-hop music as an influential DJ, musician, and pioneer of hip-hop culture. He began his career in the 1970s by experimenting with two record turntables, creating groundbreaking techniques that would shape the sound of hip-hop for decades to come. Influenced by Jamaican sound system culture and American funk and disco, Flash fused these elements to develop innovative methods such as beat matching, scratching, and mixing, pushing the boundaries of what was possible with a pair of turntables. His group, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, were the first hip-hop artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Some of his major works include "The Message" (1982), a seminal rap song that addressed social issues like poverty, violence, and joblessness in urban America; "White Lines (Don't Do It)" (1983), a song warning about the dangers of cocaine addiction; and "Super Rappin' Crew" (1979), considered one of the earliest examples of rap music. Grandmaster Flash continues to influence artists across genres, with his innovative techniques and cultural impact still felt today. His legacy extends beyond music as he is also recognized for his contributions to the development of hip-hop culture, including graffiti, breakdancing, and MCing (rapping). Quotes from Grandmaster Flash often reflect his wisdom about life, music, and the power of creativity: 1. "Two turntables and a microphone – that's what I started with." 2. "Music is the universal language that unites us all." 3. "We didn't want to be a flash in the pan; we wanted to create something timeless." 4. "I'm not a performer, I'm an entertainer. There's a difference." 5. "Everybody wants to be a star and everybody wants to rule the world, but you can only be a star if the people look up at you and the only way you can rule the world is by helping the people."

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Flash is not just a DJ; I'm a creator."

This quote suggests that Grandmaster Flash views his role as a Disc Jockey (DJ) as more than simply playing recorded music for an audience. Instead, he sees himself as a creative artist who generates new work by selecting, arranging, and blending tracks in innovative ways. His interpretation emphasizes the artistic dimension of DJing, highlighting its transformative potential to create something fresh and unique.


"The rhythm that the drum creates is the same in the human heart."

This quote suggests a profound connection between music, particularly rhythmic elements like the beat of a drum, and the essence of life itself. The drumbeat symbolizes the rhythm found in the human heart, emphasizing the shared, primal pulsation that underlies both the creation of music and the continuation of life. It implies that the power and energy inherent in music resonate deeply within us, reflecting our innermost feelings and linking us to one another across cultures and times.


"Don't copy, create. Don't imitate, innovate."

This quote by Grandmaster Flash encourages originality and innovation in artistic expression. He suggests that rather than simply replicating or mimicking existing work (copying or imitating), one should strive to create something new and unique (innovate). This principle is crucial for growth, development, and the advancement of any art form.


"I wanted to make sure the dance floor was rocking and people were having fun, so I had to come up with something different every time."

Grandmaster Flash's quote underscores his creative drive and dedication to his audience. He expresses a desire to consistently innovate and provide an unforgettable experience on the dance floor, ensuring that people are engaged, entertained, and enjoying themselves. This quote is a testament to his pioneering spirit in hip-hop music and DJing, as he continually pushed boundaries and set new standards for the genre.


"The art of DJing is not just pushing buttons. It's about reading the crowd and feeling the vibe."

This quote suggests that DJing is more than merely pressing buttons to play music; it's an interactive, creative process that involves understanding and responding to the audience's energy (the "vibe"). A skilled DJ must possess the ability to read the crowd and adapt their selection and mixing style accordingly, fostering a dynamic and engaging atmosphere.


All you have to know is mathematically how many times to scratch it and when to let it go - when certain things will enhance the record you're listening to.

- Grandmaster Flash

Listening, Certain Things, Scratch

Conquer your neighbourhood, conquer your city, conquer your country, and then go after the rest of the world. That's my mantra.

- Grandmaster Flash

Rest, Country, Mantra, Neighbourhood

I named myself Flash many years ago, as I loved the cartoon. Then my own fans said that I should call myself 'Grandmaster,' because of the way I operate turntables. I put the two together and that was it.

- Grandmaster Flash

Own, Two, Named, Flash

I had love for Breakout; I had love for Bambaataa. I had love for Kool Herc.

- Grandmaster Flash

Love, Had, Breakout, Kool

I knew there was a way to blend records together, but I didn't know how to. This was haunting me when I was in my teens. In my frustration, I decided to start experimenting with electronics. I tested the torque factor on different turntables. I had to figure needles out. See, there are two kinds, elliptical and conical.

- Grandmaster Flash

Blend, Electronics, Needles, Factor

We gotta stop fighting amongst each other. I think the only rift should be when take it the stage and try to out perform each other.

- Grandmaster Flash

Think, Other, I Think, Rift

As an individual I was known as the DJ or the mixer.

- Grandmaster Flash

DJ, Individual, Known, Mixer

Do not let any record company disturb your creative flow. You are not writing for the record company. You're writing for the public.

- Grandmaster Flash

Writing, Record, Public, Flow

So what I'm trying to say is from a musical aspect for anybody to say that whatever they're doing in Florida is not Hip Hop or whatever they're doing in LA is not Hip Hop, who are these people to say that?

- Grandmaster Flash

Doing, Florida, Musical, La

But I had two very special people who helped to take my style to the next level. Thank God for my first MC Cowboy and my first student Grand Wizard Theodore, and to go out after creating this art form and finding everyone jamming to it - that too was pretty scary.

- Grandmaster Flash

Student, Next, Very, Theodore

Before this DJ thing, I was hopelessly taking things apart to try to figure out how they worked. I'd go mess around with burned-out cars, with my mom's stereo - I was public enemy #1 in my house for that. So my mom noticed that I was interested in this and decided to send me to school so I'd know what I was doing.

- Grandmaster Flash

Doing, DJ, Before, Stereo

My father was my first inspiration. He had an incredible stereo and a turntable, and I was told not to touch it. But I'd go back and touch it anyway. I gained a respect for the turntables when I was a kid. When I was a teenager, I came up with a 'cueing system' to work the turntables because they didn't have it at that time.

- Grandmaster Flash

Father, Kid, Turntable, Stereo

Disco B still rolls with me now. He's still doing his thing. He does clubs in different places. He was very instrumental in helping me perfect my craft.

- Grandmaster Flash

Doing, Very, Still, Instrumental

Normal kids in their teens want to go and date girls and do mischievous things, your hormones are jumping around, but I stayed in my bedroom in search of something.

- Grandmaster Flash

Normal, Date, Mischievous, Bedroom

What has happened is that to some degree they have taken an attitude where they don't listen to demos of diverse subject matters. They're looking for demos like the record the guy on the left just did.

- Grandmaster Flash

Some, Like, Demos, Diverse

If there is a record I don't have, I haven't heard it yet. My collection is always growing, but I can't really play it anywhere - no promoter is willing to pay for my crates of vinyl to fly with me, so I have a team of people to digitise it all.

- Grandmaster Flash

Play, Willing, Anywhere, Vinyl

When I am performing live, I walk into a room, and I just try to get a feel for the vibe, and I am coming from different angles musically. I might come with a new song, I might come with some hip-hop, with some R&B. Once I find my way, then I am hitting you, and hitting you all night.

- Grandmaster Flash

Some, Angles, Vibe, Hip-Hop

I needed a way to have the platter continuously spinning while I'm moving the record back and forth. I went to a fabric store. When I touched this hairy stuff - felt - I found it. I rubbed spray starch on both sides and ironed it until it became a stiff wafer. After that, I was able to stop time.

- Grandmaster Flash

Touched, Platter, Became, Continuously

I was a quiet, nerdy kid living in the Bronx. I spent most of my teens in my room, taking apart electrical items to figure out how they worked before putting them back together, and listening to the music my four older sisters and parents played.

- Grandmaster Flash

Kid, Before, Putting, Apart

Disco was brand new then and there were a few jocks that had monstrous sound systems but they wouldn't dare play this kind of music. They would never play a record where only two minutes of the song was all it was worth. They wouldn't buy those types of records.

- Grandmaster Flash

Play, Records, Monstrous, Brand

We can even sing off key, but if it's produced properly it can be a hit.

- Grandmaster Flash

Hit, Properly, Even, Key

Hmmmm... It's fun being in front of people, playing shows and all. But hotels? Being away from home? That's different.

- Grandmaster Flash

People, Away, Being, Hotels

For instance, if you're playing a record with drums - horns would sound nice to enhance it so you get a record with horns and slip it in at certain times.

- Grandmaster Flash

Nice, Sound, Instance, Slip

For us to keep claiming this isn't Hip Hop and that isn't Hip Hop doesn't make sense to me.

- Grandmaster Flash

Keep, Hip Hop, Hop, Claiming

I had to go into a studio and compose and write and press up 12 songs in 14 hours. When you're recording a song from scratch it takes you 14 hours to do just one song.

- Grandmaster Flash

Song, Hours, Studio, Scratch

The type of mixing that was out then was blending from one record to the next or waiting for the record to go off and wait for the jock to put the needle back on.

- Grandmaster Flash

Waiting, Wait, Next, Needle

I went to junkyards, abandoned car lots. I asked supermarkets for the big jugs they put pig guts in, to make cabinets for my bass speakers.

- Grandmaster Flash

Pig, Big, Put, Speakers

I don't want to be classified as an old-skool DJ or new-skool DJ. I want to be classified as an all-skool DJ who plays it all. I also want to learn to DJ house music in my own fashion.

- Grandmaster Flash

Learn, My Own, Plays, Classified

I developed the Clock Theory to help me time records; you know, spin the record back two revolutions or whatever and then play the break, spin the other one back two, play, like that.

- Grandmaster Flash

Play, Other, Records, Spin

For anybody to say well this is not Hip Hop and that's not Hip Hop, that is not the way the formula was laid down. It was for the people who were going to continue take anything musically and string it along.

- Grandmaster Flash

String, Going, Laid, For The People

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