"The Message" is a song by the American hip hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. It was released as a single by Sugar Hill Records on July 1, 1982, and was later featured on the group's debut studio album of the same name. The song was first written in 1980 by rappers Duke Bootee and Melle Mel in response to the 1980 New York City transit strike, which is mentioned in the song's lyrics. "The Message" was an early prominent hip hop song to provide social commentary. The song's lyrics describe the stress of inner-city poverty. In the final verses, a child born in the ghetto without prospects in life is lured away into a life of crime, for which he is jailed until he commits suicide in his cell.The song ends with a brief skit in which the band members are arrested for no clear reason.