White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)

Recorded in 1983 for Sugar Hill Records in New York, with Melle Mel fronting a Sugar Hill house-band backing track. The release was credited to Grandmaster and Melle Mel on the original 12-inch issue. The track turned an anti-cocaine rap into one of early hip-hop’s most visible crossover singles. It became a major UK hit and helped define Melle Mel’s solo-era profile after the first wave of Grandmaster Flash records. The song remained a touchstone for later rap and pop acts through its hook, bassline, and anti-drug message. Duran Duran covered it in 1995, and it has been widely sampled and referenced ever since.