A key member of Grandmaster Flash's Furious Five, Melle Mel recorded two of rap’s greatest standards, 1982's "The Message"; and "White Lines (Don’t Do It)," an anti-drug blockbuster credited to Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel. Subsequent releases by Mel appeared under a variety of names, and the battle for top billing between him and Flash led to the group splitting in two in 1984, with Melle Mel reappearing as Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five. Though Mel had a solid hit with 1985’s "Step Off" and also appeared on Chaka Khan’s smash "I Feel For You," it soon became clear that rap's rapid stylistic evolution was leaving Mel in the dust. Still, he remains a beloved icon from rap's formative years, and garners much respect to this day.