The infamous early 1970s block parties in the Bronx, NY are now universally accepted as the pinpointed birthplace of Hip Hop. Born and raised in the Bronx, Grandmaster Flash developed his first crush on vinyl as a boy playing with his Fathers records. By the time he was a teenager in 1971 he was spinning records at the aforementioned illegal block parties. Monitoring the crowd's responses he noted that the breakdown sections were what really got people moving and so began rearranging the songs by extending the breakdowns. Using duplicate copies of a single record and two turntables for cutting he added a dexterous manual edit by manipulating his wrist and elbow moving it back and forth. The ordinary playing of the record would be interrupted to overlay the break, which could then be repeated by using the mixer to switch channels while the second record was spun back, starting to sound familiar? As early as 1971 he was scientifically inventing and demonstrating such methods and concepts he collectively called The 'Quick Mix Theory' which encompassed the innovative technique of 'Cutting', laying the foundations for what became known as 'Scratching' as well as the 'Doubleback/Back Door', 'Phasing', and 'Backspinning'. Then came the 'Clock Theory' which allowed Flash to find the break of a recorded song quickly by eye. This manual display of taking a song apart and rearranging its structure live on stage began the rise of the DJ as a remixer, artist, and producer. These innovations quickly became recognized worldwide putting both Flash and the Bronx on the worldwide musical map. In 1977 Flash began experimenting and collaborating with local MCs and put together his own group who became known as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Their reputation grew around Flash's unrivaled DJ skills and the group's blending and trading of lyrics. Flash also gained notice for the visually dynamic and acrobatic way he could spin and scratch records using his feet, toes and elbows. The first rap artists to make social and political commentary a focus of their music; the title track from their seminal 1982 album The Message, providing a sober view of life in the ghetto, saw what we now refer to as hip hop brought into the mainstream of popular music. Recognition of Grandmaster Flash's role in music history continues, his many awards include a Life-Time Achievement Award from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In June 2004, he was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame with a plaque dedicated to him and a street named after him in New York City.