The last verse was where this song transformed into the start of an entire musical genre.

Im a 55 year old white woman who sang every word!! lol. I loved this reaction. Rap in the 80’s and some of the 90’s really opened my eyes to a worlds I was unaware of tbh💛✌️

You just reacted to the greatest Rap song of all time!!!!!

I'm 54 and STILL remember the message of this song.

I don’t listen to rap but, I know this song and how significant it was in the rap culture. One of the greatest rap songs in history!

I'm almost 59, and I remember loving this song, and the whole movement. ❤ I had a rough childhood.

"A child is born with no state of mind, blind to the ways of mankind" Much truth to this line.. but parents seem to not grasp this sometimes.

I was in high school in the South when this came out. As far from NYC living as you can get. We all *loved* this song and its Message. I still have it in my playlist all these years later.

Glad you had a chance to listen to what many call the greatest hip hop song of all time; and no they were never trying to ban it. Times were different back then. We had a backbone and it was number 1 on the charts. Loved your pure reaction! Another great "How Ya Like Me Now" by Kool Moe's Dee!

The Message. True Then. True Now.

In terms of rap, Rolling Stone magazine voted this to be the best rap song ever. In terms of songs, it was voted in the top 100. What made Grandmaster Flash popular before this was the Happy Birthday rap and Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel

Thank you for sharing your story well guess what? you made it brother and I am glad you did

Gotta love 80s beats,groove,and synths whatever the genre. A lot of old school rappers talked about their life from the streets and getting out of it. Now it’s people who never lived that life-ghost writing stories they’ve never been a part of. Look at NAS,Wutang Biggie,NWA,etc. They all was about some sort of social commentary. Now it’s all about the clout. I’m a metalhead and know this much.

They take what you create and beat you down with it.

Isn't it amazing how rap started out with a message, but got subverted by trashy artists under the premise of "gritty reality"? Not that there aren't artists who still carry better messages, but the industry relentlessly selected for the most shallow, perverse, and counterproductive narratives.

58 year old white woman here, grew up right outside DC. Greetings to my Gen X sister above. This played on the radio (maybe it was MTV) but not the whole thing, about being in jail onwards. Some of what did play was either bleeped or overdubbed. Did I hear him say something about the old lady on the street used to be a f*g hag? I don’t remember ever hearing the part what happens in jail and onward. I got goosebumps and tears in my eyes.

I grew up in the 80s, and I remember hearing the synthesizer part to this. It would be used as background music when some social commentator would talk about "the 'hood," but I didn't hear the full track until probably the 1990s. It was said that in the early and mid-80s rap like this was popular in the inner cities, sort of an underground market. I can't remember which rapper said this, but he said that in the early days of rap, black people would listen to it sort of like a news broadcast, because it got across what life was like in different places. I'm not an expert on this, but the impression I've gotten from listening to stories of different rappers is what changed is that old-timey rap was made by people who lived that life. They used what they knew. Later rappers aren't like this. I was surprised to learn that rappers like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog, who were some of the people who popularized "gangsta rap," didn't grow up poor. They came from wealthy families, have college degrees, etc. If you didn't know better, you wouldn't suspect that, because of the image they put forward. It's been my suspicion that this is why rap got away from where it started out. Not to say these people aren't talented in some way, but they're talking about a life that's not socially relevant. It's more about "living it up," but not in a way that's in any way uplifting, or worth thinking about.

7:35 The look on your face...😂😂😂

This is the first rap song I ever heard, about 1981 I’d guess. I immediately LOVED it. Then white lines became my second favourite

First heard this song as a kid when it was sampled on the green cross code advert in the UK in the 80's. What a cool advert!

This is the message that rap stars need to bring to America, not the crap of today, talking about sex, drugs, murder, and killing cops who try to keep the bad from the good. I love Grand Master Flash for his bold message. I listened to this music when I was in high school.

Melle Mel will always be in my Top 10 not only because of this song, but Beat Street, Step Off, Word War 3, The Truth, Hustlers Convention, the first GOAT.

Always LOVED that track! Suggestions please… Walk on by by Dionne Warwick Abraham, Martin, and John by Marvin Gaye Something else by Eddie Cochran. I Just Can’t Help Believing by Elvis Presley ABACAB (album version) by Genesis Mas Que Nada by Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66 Hey Boy Hey Girl by the Chemical Brothers Lah-Di-Da by Jake Thackeray Valley of the dolls by Dionne Warwick I’m Mandy, Fly Me by 10cc Make it easy on yourself by the Walker Brothers Hand in Hand by Phil Collins I say a Little prayer by Aretha Franklin Worried About You by the Rolling Stones This guy’s in love with you, by Sasha Distel Giving it all Away by Roger Daltrey My Back Pages by the Byrds Blanked on the Ground by Billy Joe Spears A man is in love by The Waterboys 💟☮️

Literally this is the greatest rap song ever made. I heard this song in the 5th grade, and it took me years before i understood all the lyrics. To this day, this remains the only song I know all the lyrics to. I couldn't agree more, the music nowadays is atrocious compared to the truth they spitting back then.

I remember this song from my childhood.

You should also listen to New York New York by Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five.

Wow, James, not sure how i missed this one, but great reaction.

Keep on moving up and forward young Man..✌🏽👍🏼✊🏽💥

Bring back this type of Rapp

These lyrics came out in 1982 when I was 15. Grew up in a bad neighborhood in Chicago with gangs. I ate dry cereal when we had no milk. Meaningful raw message. Don't like modern rap. Bring this back. Tupac had meaningful lyrics, too. This song will be valid 100 years from now still.

Hello Jblethal tv I’ve been hearing this more than Three years I really enjoy that music, you know what your right about it it’s true that’s good advice never get you big trouble nor anything don’t mess with gang members or trouble maker don’t do drugs it can cause big trouble 😈 in put you at jail men I tell you what people now days they doing stupid things I seen many kids at school they high school 🏫 some they decide drop out

Classic flashback!

Young brother you've got a great ear for rap music. Play from the bronx new york Where i'm from. This was the first group or rap. Anything that was ever inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. Melle mell wrote this song. If I stand corrected or if I'm wrong, please forgive me. I think with me was sixteen years old

This was released just before crack changed US cities - snd it predicts it / at least 10 years before gangsta. Spot on reaction. Ta.

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

I grew up in the NYC Metro area in the 70s and 80s. This is definitely NY in the early 1980s before Giuliani became Mayor and cleaned everything up. I haven't been up there in about 7 years, but from what I understand, "the city" is worse than ever because of poor leadership on many levels.

❤❤❤

This song is based on the reality of NYC in the 1970's....and not just a Studio Concept. To get a grasp of 'What's Goin On'..........Check out "NY77 the Coolest Year in Hell"........Documentary that would be a great reaction video for you to do........No one is really getting the gist of this song today as to what it really was like then............If you think about it, history is repeating itself in the cities across America today.

South Bronx 1984.

You will love KRS One "sound of the police"

Please don't get caught up with the subject matter, it's your harsh realities your own life struggles that could make this so true. This survived the test of time because as a whole, it's a remarkable creation of Art.

Check out this one. The Fatback Band - Is this the future

Rad jam

Please research all Rao at this time we were so powerful then ❤

Another group singing about the truth Misty In Roots * Dance Hall Babylon *

That’s what causing troubles

Try. De la Soul and Arrested Development

I remember this song.. new it word for word.. It was the first rap type song i ever heard and it ended up the only rap song i liked.. All the rest became boring same old themes S3x , drugz and gang violence.. I ended up hating rap for how shallow it became..

Jesus made sure you didnt go under. He also died so we don't go under.

In this time real was about being woke!! Pro POC & UNITY. The system & money swiped in& changed this to gangster rap & placing us back in the negative mind set/path

The music industry has changed music for the worst, in my opinion. Now it seems that the only rap music is gangsta rap and negative rap. Calling ladies B's, whores, etc. That's not the only music, but it's being pushed, ignoring the other options. There's so much more to say, but I'll keep it short.

in the 80s hip hop competed against itself with gangsta vs social consciousness. into the 90s and 2000s it continued, but in the end gangsta rap made the most $. and thats where hip hop is now; let me brag about how many ninjas i killed before another ninja takes me out. rap needs a punk rock movement to cleanse itself, but i dont see it happening, except maybe coming from the right wing of all places

Please dont do gangsta rap or anything from P. Diddy.

And the hood has only gotten worse…

Peace, I was a teenager when this came out. Rap songs with a message is how we started,then the music execs couldn't really profit much from "conscious rap." Which brings us to what we hear today......trash! Trying to hijack the Black culture.

Conscious Rap had a "message" for real. Then they hyped gangster rap on the kids and ruined the whole genre.

Nobody banned this or much back then. This tune was everywhere. Now they ban.