Grandmaster Flash, DJ Format, Chrome

The career of DJ Grandmaster Flash began in the Bronx with neighbourhood block parties that essentially were the start of what would become a global phenomenon - the dawn of a musical genre.

He was the first DJ to physically lay his hands on the vinyl and manipulate it in a backward, forward or counterclockwise motion, when most DJs simply handled the record by the edges, put down the tone arm, and let it play.

Those DJs let the tone arm guide their music, but Flash marked up the body of the vinyl with crayon, fluorescent pen, and grease pencil - and those markings became his compass.