"It's like a jungle sometimes / It makes me wonder how I keep from going under." These were the popular yet unsettling lyrics of Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's hit record 'The Message,' released on July 1, 1982 on Sugar Hill Records.

The classic rap record described social ills in New York City, particularly the South Bronx where the group was from. "Broken glass everywhere," to "Rats in the front room, roaches in the back," and "Junkies in the alley with the baseball bat" were just some of the lines that hit home for many witnessing trouble in the hood.

'The Message' also held the unfortunate fate that many would never escape the struggles painted in the song.

 

Watch Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's 'The Message' Video

More From TheDrop.fm