Rolling Stone magazine just named Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's rap anthem "The Message" the Greatest Hip-Hop Song Of All Time.

The 1982 hit beat out favorites such as the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" and "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force. Also making the top five: Run-DMC's "Sucker M.C.'s" and "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" by the Geto Boys.

Public Enemy's "Fight The Power," Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg's "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang," Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy," NWA's "Straight Outta Compton," and Eric B. and Rakim's "Paid In Full" complete the top 10.

A...

Kanye West, Adele, Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars will be the ones to watch at the 54th annual Grammy Awards after each landing a slew of top nominations.

The Stronger rapper leads the way with seven nods - his star-studded collaboration All of the Lights is up for Song of the Year and Best Rap Song, while he also earns a nod in the latter category for his Jay-Z duet Otis. The hip-hop stars' Watch The Throne album will also go head-to-head with West's solo disc, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy for Best Rap Album.

Adele is in the running for six honors and her critically-acclaimed project...

Fifties hitmaker-turned-pioneering rap producer & Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson has died at the age of 75.

She passed away on Thursday after suffering from congestive heart failure.

Robinson began her career in music as a blues singer in the 1950s and enjoyed chart success with songs such as "Pillow Talk" and "Chocolate Candy Blues." She went on to form one half of the duo Mickey & Sylvia, who shot to fame with their 1957 hit "Love is Strange," which was featured in the movie Dirty Dancing.

She later founded Sugar Hill Records with her late husband, Joe, and they scored a ch...

Rap veteran LL Cool J is to be honored for his career achievements at the upcoming BET Hip-Hop awards.

The I Need Love hit-maker is to receive the I Am Hip-Hop Icon trophy at the ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia next month, following in the footsteps of legendary artists including Grandmaster Flash, Russell Simmons, Ice Cube and Salt-N-Pepa.

Comedian Mike Epps is to host this year's show when it takes place at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on October 1st.

Activision Publishing/RedOctane's latest entry into the world of music based video games expands on the concept of their flagship brand, Guitar Hero, and brings the club scene to your gaming console with DJ Hero, the latest title in the music game family. DJ Hero features innovative game play, a soundtrack that is second to none, and a rich experience that puts both wannabe DJs and regular folks literally right into the mix.

Instead of living the rock star fantasy through "Guitar Hero" by performing in a virtual band, this time we take it to the turntables - where mixing, scratching, cro...

Hailed in the press as one of the most fun, innovative and highly-anticipated games of the year, Activision Publishing Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) recently dropped the needle on DJ Hero's full set list featuring 93 exclusive mixes from the biggest stars in hip hop, R&B, rock, pop and dance and created by some of the greatest DJs of all time.

On October 27th, living room legends and budding superstar DJs alike will start the party off right with an unprecedented array of talent DJs including DJ A.M., Cut Chemist, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jazzy Jeff, J. Period, DJ Shadow and DJ Z-Trip spinning trac...

The surviving members of rap pioneers Run-D.M.C. will break from tradition when they are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday - they have refused to perform out of respect to murdered DJ Jam Master Jay.

Remaining band mates Joseph 'Rev Run' Simmons and Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels will be honored alongside stars including Metallica, Jeff Beck and Bobby Womack at the weekend ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio.

Simmons recently revealed he was leaving the decision whether or not to perform up to McDaniels - and the rapper has declared Run-D.M.C. will not be gracing the stage ...

Hip-hop legend Grandmaster Flash is to release his first album of new material in more than 20 years.

The DJ, real name Joseph Saddler, has not put out an LP of original songs since 1988's On The Strength. In the late 1970s, he teamed up with fellow hip-hop pioneers to form Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. The group released the genre-defining hit The Message, but split in 1983.

Last year, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five became the first hip-hop/rap group to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The DJ will release The Bridge: Concept Of A Culture on Febr...

"New Year's Babies Edition" - Happy Birthday to "Mini-Me" actor Verne Troyer (1969), "Soprano" Michael Imperioli (1966), "Thir13en Ghosts" actress Embeth Davidtz (1966), actress/model Dedee Pfeiffer (1964), Rap DJ Grandmaster Flash (1958), Prolific Puerto Rican film star Luis Guzman (1957), comedian Don Novello a.k.a. "Father Guido Sarducci" (1943), Woodstock generation performer Country Joe McDonald (1942), "Superman Returns" actor Frank Langella (1940), reclusive author J.D. Salinger (1919), baseball's first "Hammerin' Hank" Hank Greenberg (1911; d. 1986), Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat (...

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters hits cinemas April 13 and if you're like me, you gotta wonder what the four main characters of rock to in their boom boxes. What follows is an odd eclectic mix of tunes - from Carl's big hair rock to Master Shake's collection of tunes about promiscuous women.

Carl:

Jailbreak - AC/DC

If you go to jail, why stay there? Get some friends with guns and dynamite to get you out.

Mr. Roboto - Styx

There's more to this song than meets the eye. He's like, in this jail for kick ass rockers, and he kills this robot and hides inside th...

Veteran rapper Melle Mel hopes his induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will force the hip-hop genre to "grow up".

Melle Mel - real name Melvin Glover - and his Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five bandmates became the first hip-hop artists to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame on Monday in New York.

And Mel believes the landmark achievement could make hip-hop ditch its violent image.

He says, "The main thing that the induction would do for the industry is force it to grow up. They're trying to make it a little too juvenile, a lot too ghetto.

"Everybody underst...

Hip-hop legend Melle Mel is convinced rapper 50 Cent will one day follow him into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame - even though he "won't deserve it".

Melle Mel and his Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five bandmates became the first hip-hop artists to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame in New York City yesterday.

Melle Mel, real name Melvin Glover, is proud of his group's achievement, but is aware that subsequent hip-hop artists, such as 50 Cent, will find it much easier to enter the Hall of Fame, strictly because of their huge sales volume.

He says, "Today's music is more st...

Rockers R.E.M. were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in New York yesterday - and were joined by original member Bill Berry.

Berry - who left the band in 1997 - reformed with Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck for a one-off performance of songs from their early career at the inauguration ceremony.

R.E.M. were inducted by Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, who praised the band for their groundbreaking career.

He says, "They used every color on the palette, they invented colors on their own and they put up this huge mural of music and sound and emotion."

Other...

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder will help induct honorees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12. Richards will induct The Ronettes, one week before jury selection begins in the murder trial of producer Phil Spector, who produced the group and was once married to lead singer Ronnie Bennett.

Spector is accused killing actress Lana Clarkson three yeas ago at this California mansion. Vedder will induct rock band R.E.M. while other inductors will be Jay-Z for Grandmaster Flash, Velvet Revolver for Van Halen and Zach De La Rocha of Rage Ag...

For the first time ever, VH1 Classic will air the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony" LIVE on Monday, March 12 at 8:30 PM/ET. Music fans will get to see and hear Van Halen, R.E.M., Patti Smith, The Ronettes, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five get inducted into this esteemed musical institution as the action and music unfolds.

For the first time, this year's induction ceremony will be telecast live from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City on VH1 Classic and MHD: MTV Networks' high-definition music channel on Monday, March 12 at 8:30 PM/ET. In addition, a speci...

"New Year's Babies Edition" - Happy Birthday to "Mini-Me" actor Verne Troyer (1969), "Soprano" Michael Imperioli (1966), "Thir13en Ghosts" actress Embeth Davidtz (1966), actress/model Dedee Pfeiffer (1964), Rap DJ Grandmaster Flash (1958), Prolific Puerto Rican film star Luis Guzman (1957), comedian Don Novello a.k.a. "Father Guido Sarducci" (1943), Woodstock generation performer Country Joe McDonald (1942), "Superman Returns" actor Frank Langella (1940), reclusive author J.D. Salinger (1919), baseball's first "Hammerin' Hank" Hank Greenberg (1911; d. 1986), Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat (...

Rapper Grandmaster Flash and T.I. were the big winners at last night's first ever BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta, Georgia, sharing the limelight and the biggest prizes. Atlanta-based T.I. was nominated for eight awards and took home three; Best Hip Hop Video, Best CD and MVP Of The Year.

After stepping on stage T.I. said, "You can't hate on hard work and talent. This awards show will show people a lot about where I come from."

Grandmaster Flash, meanwhile, was presented with the I Am Hip-Hop Icon award, after which the disc-spinner paid tribute to all DJs, telling the crowd, "To ...

R.E.M., Patti Smith and Van Halen are among the nine acts on the ballot for the 2007 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. The trio is joined by the newly-reformed The Stooges, Dave Clark Five, Chic, The Ronettes, Joe Tex and rap pioneers Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five.

The official list of inductees will be announced in January. The induction ceremony for the Cleveland, Ohio, landmark will be held in New York in March.

This year's induction ceremony was a controversial affair - former members of Blondie took the stage and begged to perform with the new-look band, while pu...

Rappers Ice-T and Russell Simmons are the first musicians to donate artifacts for a future hip hop exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The museum began gathering items for the collection yesterday, which surprised the rappers because hip hop has only been around for the last 30 years. Ice-T said, "It validates it (hip hop). It's a good feeling."

The initial contributions to the museum's collection include a pair of turntables used by disc jockey Grandmaster Flash, known for the 1982 hit "The Message," and a boom box owned by Fab Five Freddy, the original host of ...

Classic '80s alternative songs go back to the future with "Future Retro" as Rhino Records updates the era's shimmering synthesized sounds with remixes by today's hottest club DJs and producers. Music from a short list of influential alternative artists such as Devo, The Cure, and Echo & The Bunnymen is reimagined by renowned DJs for today's club scene. Featuring 14 brand-new remixes, Future Retro includes The Crystal Method tweaking New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle," Jaded Alliance roughing up Erasure's "A Little Respect," and Static Revenger electrifying INXS' "Need You Tonight." Several...

Paul Oakenfold has long been one of the most important and iconic names in modern club culture. Remixes for Madonna and U2; the scoring of the movie Swordfish; plus original compositions for advertisements for Motorola, Saab, Toyota and Diet Coke are just a small portion of his work that have kept him on the forefront of the musical map. On April 11, Oakenfold will release A Lively Mind, a brand new full-length album for Maverick Records that introduces the next element of his career.

A Lively Mind-a title which means 'an active person,' says its creator-features 12 new songs composed ...

"New Year's Babies Edition" - Happy Birthday to "Mini-Me" actor Verne Troyer (1969), "Soprano" Michael Imperioli (1966), "Thir13en Ghosts" actress Embeth Davidtz (1966), actress/model Dedee Pfeiffer (1964), Rap DJ Grandmaster Flash (1958), Prolific Puerto Rican film star Luis Guzman (1957), comedian Don Novello a.k.a. "Father Guido Sarducci" (1943), Woodstock generation performer Country Joe McDonald (1942), reclusive author J.D. Salinger (1919), baseball's first "Hammerin' Hank" Hank Greenberg (1911; d. 1986), Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat (1900; d. 1990), scientist/botanist George Washin...