This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. This is FRESH AIR. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG ...

It’s a long way from DJ Kool Herc’s back-to-school party for his sister at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx on August 11, 1973 to a balmy late summer Saturday evening in downtown L.A. Some 50 years ...

At the dawn of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash recorded hits like "The Message" and "White Lines (Don't Do it)" with the Furious Five. At the dawn of hip-hop, he recorded with the Furious Five. Their hits ...

MOSLEY: While DJ Kool Herc is often credited as the father of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash was one of the first DJs to make successful rap records and become a pioneer in the genre. In the '70s, he ...