I don’t want to talk about the messy history and battles over this song.

I am taking mvdbase’s word and saying this was released the same year as the single.

The music video makes a great double feature with Herbie Hancock’s Rockit. That one put turntablism at the forefront of the song. This one does the exact opposite by making Melle Mel’s vocals the focus of the song. The visuals are also at opposite ends of the spectrum. Rockit is very experimental and surreal. The Message is very down-to-earth and realistic. It does have some video effects, but it is all focused on the environment in which the character in the song lives. They filmed it in Harlem, New York.

Enjoy!