In 1980, the group had their Sugarhill Records debut with "Freedom", reaching #19 on the R&B chart and selling over 50,000 copies. Mainstream success and The Message (1980–1982) Afterwards, they switched to Sylvia Robinson's Sugar Hill Records after an agreement that they could perform over a current DJ favorite. In 1979 they released their first single on Enjoy Records, "Superappin'". They were locally popular, gaining recognition for their skillful raps and deejaying, but it wasn't until the Sugarhill Gang's " Rapper's Delight" proved that hip hop music could reach mainstream that they began recording. Among the first singles they released were "We Rap More Mellow" which was falsely registered under the name "The Younger Generation" as the name of the group and a live version of "Flash to the Beat". Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 were the number one rap group on the streets of NYC before rap music was embraced by the music industry and set the standard for all other emcee groups who came after them. During the time Flash worked with Kurtis Blow, it was mainly due to internal disputes with the emcees, so for a short time prior to the formation of the Cold Crush Brothers in 1981, DJ Charlie Chase was the Furious 5's DJ After the formation of the Furious 5, Flash also worked with rapper Kurtis Blow doing parties in Queens. Ness/Scorpio (Eddie Morris) and Rahiem (Guy Todd Williams). The 3 emcees worked with Flash, who went on to bring in Mr. Melle Mel and The Kidd Creole were the first rappers to call themselves "MCs" (Masters of Ceremonies). He then worked the "hip hop" cadence into part of his performance this evolved into the term "Hip Hop" (which embodied the then subculture's or "street culture's" essence) that was later adopted by the industry. Army, Cowboy began scat singing the words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of the marching drill. While using this "scat routine" at a party (at "The Black Door") for a friend who had just joined the U.S. Army cadence) that the cultures early detractors used to label the music, thus the term "hip hoppers" (meant as an insult) was used by the disco set to describe the culture, later whittled down to hip hop. Cowboy through his use of a "scat routine" (borrowed from a U.S. The trio called themselves the Three MC's who are the first emcee group as it relates to rap as we know it today. Flash then recruited his friend Cowboy, Melle Mel and The Kidd Creole. Flash practiced while Grand Wizzard Theodore watched until Flash enabled Theodore the opportunity to hone his craft. Prior to the formation of the Furious Five, Grandmaster Flash worked with the "L Brothers" which consisted of "Mean Gene" Livingston, Claudio Livingston and Grand Wizzard Theodore. History Formation and early years (1976-1979) 1.5 Permanent disbandment and post- On the Strength (1989–present).1.4 Reunion and waning popularity (1987–1988).1.2 Mainstream success and The Message (1980–1982).In 2007, it became the first hip hop group ever to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The group was active for five years and released two studio albums. Afterward, the sextet disbanded permanently. A reunion was organized in 1987, and it released a new album. However, in 1983, relations between Grandmaster Flash, Rahiem and The Kidd Creole became strained with SugarHill records, and half the group left to record on Elektra Records. The group rose to fame in the early 1980s with their first successful funk single "Freedom" and later on with their magnum opus " The Message", which is often cited as among the most influential hip hop songs. Ness/Scorpio, and Rahiem), the group's use of turntablism, break-beat deejaying, choreographed stage routines and lyricism was a significant force in the early development of hip-hop music. Composed of one DJ ( Grandmaster Flash) and five rappers ( Melle Mel, The Kidd Creole, Keith Cowboy, Mr. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an influential American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1979. Robert Keith "Keef Cowboy" Wiggins (deceased) Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Emcee's