Duke Bootee – The Message

One of the most important tracks in the history and development of the hip hop genre, and the best part?

Not only can you nab this for cheap, but this sucker is cut LOUD. This 12” sounds louder than some of the early jazz albums I have.

Buy it, and bring the house down!

My version has tan RCA labels as per image 4, otherwise identical to the orange RCA labels pressing. Not sure if this warrants a separate entry?

Buyer Beware: there’s a few bogus items listed for sale here, but the one I specifically want to warn you about is the apparent U.K. 7” white label with penned markings including a red A. This is completely bogus. How do I know?
Well, I was 13 years old when this record was released and the place I grew up in happened to be the same place that the U.K. publishing company for all Sugar Hill releases was based, and my neighbour worked for that company. That particular company was on the verge of going out of business, and said neighbour knowing that I was into music at the time gave me a whole load of records including the 7” promo copy of the message distributed to all the record shops complete with the promotional paperwork from the distributor PRT, which I still have. The label is as bare as a baby’s arse, and the run-out etchings are a giveaway also. Don’t know what this seller is trying to foist upon unsuspecting buyers but I can assure you it ain’t the real McCoy. As usual discogs couldn’t care less, I’m tired of the consumerist bull I keep seeing on this site. Anyway, buyer beware!

Edit version starts with the verse "My brother's doin' bad, stole my mother's TV
Says she watches too much, it's just not healthy"

Not only does it look great on the deck, it sounds amazing too. Quality pressing of a true classic.

IMO 'Cutting Edge's Old School Mix' is probably the definitive mix of this classic. Makes the original harder hitting without losing any of the feel or impact. Brilliant stuff.

As early hip-hop goes, this is like going to the well. An outstanding epic song with great performance by Grandmaster Flash.
Standard version on side A and minus vocals on side B.

Sounds amazing on vinyl. Great pressing. Recommended.

4.5 stars

Tons of sibilance throughout, in a system that never produces any. It looks like a VG+. I wonder if it is worn, or is this other's experience the pressing quality?

Notable 12" for the accapella, which had never been released until this re-issue, which was part of the cd boxed set from 1997. However, the vocal mix does not sound as punchy as the original 12" did. That is down to mastering of course....

HISTORY: With so many releases of this seminal, almost never released classic, if your going for an early version, this is the one. So long as you can handle people 'beeping' on the stairs ;-) haha..... It's radio play that got this buzzing around NYC & across America before it invaded the whole damn world, so this is an overlooked & important slab of Hip Hop/electro heritage