As hip-hop began to spread its wings in the 70s and 80s, breaking into mainstream media was the logical next step. Getting a record deal and radio play was the goal for many emerging artists, but they soon found that the industry was not all it was cracked up to be. Legendary hip-hop pioneer Melle Mel joins Caz to talk about “The Message” and the peaks and pitfalls of the music industry. Plus, Sha Rock returns to tell her story about being in one of the first groups to get a record deal and the struggles that came with it. So keep your ears open because we’re delivering cautionary tales and triumphs in this episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.