Joseph Saddler, well known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is an American DJ and rapper who was born on January 1, 1958. He is regarded as one of the founders of hip-hop mixing, chopping, and DJing. Being the first hip-hop group to receive recognition, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. He received the Polar Music Prize in 2019. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Buffalo State College on May 21, 2022.
Grandmaster Flash appears in an episode of the 2016 Netflix original series The Get Down, played by Mamoudou Athie. The storyline of the television show, which is set in 1977 New York City, traces the origins of the city’s DJing, B-boying, and hip-hop cultures. Hip-Hop Evolution, a music documentary exploring the origins of hip-hop in which Grandmaster Flash discusses the development of his craft, debuted on Netflix following the launch of The Get Down.
Grandmaster Flash participated as “Polar Bear” in season nine of The Masked Singer in 2023. As part of “New York Night,” he was eliminated. Grandmaster Flash’s encore included the introduction of some DJ gear so he could scratch to Chic’s “Good Times” throughout his performance.
