From "The Message" to "An Empire State of Mind"

The Message. In 1982 Grandmaster Flash took the stage and used it to spread a message to the masses. By describing the perils and anxieties of contemporary urban life he told a story of what it was like for a black man growing up in the streets in the early 1980's. It was all about the hustle, making the most of what you got and surviving. It was part of the culture to show off with clothing or accessories but it was still a struggle.

"The Message" was the first hip hop song which took on the roll as a social commentary. In the 3 decades since Grandmaster's "The Message" first made its impact felt, while a lot of the struggles sadly have stayed the same, many of hip hop's elite have shown themselves as powerful leaders rather then reliant on others. One of the faces of modern hip hop is Jay-Z who in his 17 years has worked himself up form the streets to the top of the charts. With songs such as "Empire State of Mind" we can the heights he has reached.