Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five helped define early hip-hop with innovative DJ techniques, block-party energy and socially conscious rhymes. This collection gathers some of their essential recordings, led by The Message, a stark, cinematic portrait of New York street life that became one of rap’s defining tracks. Elsewhere, the futuristic electro of Scorpio, the turntable wizardry of The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel and favourites including White Lines (Don’t Do It) and Freedom document a pivotal period in hip-hop’s development.