Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five

American hip-hop group formed in the South Bronx in 1976 by Joseph Saddler (Grandmaster Flash, DJ). The Furious Five rapping component included Cowboy (Keith Wiggins, died 1989), Melle Mel (Melvin Glover), Kidd Creole (Nathaniel Glover), Mr. Ness/Scorpio (Eddie Morris), and Rahiem (Guy Williams). Pioneers of hip-hop performance as a distinct musical/cultural form.

Released three studio albums in the original era between The Message (1982) and On the Strength (1988). Best-known single: "The Message" (1982), one of the foundational socially conscious hip-hop tracks. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 — the first hip-hop act so recognized.