Thursday, 1 October 2026

Down on The Tube at midnight


Conclusive proof that Britain was the key early adopter of Rap music: the only live TV performance of The Message in the 1980s was on late night U.K yoof TV show The Tube. Melle Mel bosses it as half-rapper/half-raconteur, Raheem makes a perfect stand-in for Duke Bootee on both Duke's verses, The Furious Five are dressed as ridiculously as you'd expect and Grandmaster Flash looks like La Forge from Star Trek beamed down on the set of Cruising. The group even end the performance by assauling a copper as revenge for getting arrested in The Message video. Old skool Rap music TV gold, which should be as celebrated/cherished as Run-D.M.C performing Sucker MC's on Graffiti Rock.