Hip-hop innovator Grandmaster Flash invites us to relax in his Long Island living room

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Trophy “Tom Silverman from Tommy Boy Records gave me that for being part of the DJ battles back in the day. Some people want to be rich and some people want to be whatever, but some people really want to leave a mark. My awards mean I did that.”

Couch “It cost me $13,000. I saw one like it at my friend’s house in Italy about two years ago. I was like, ‘I like that couch.’ So I got one shipped over here. The leather is some Italian name I don’t remember.”

Portable recording studio “I use this when I fly. When I’m home, someone is always calling me. In the air, I can be productive. Sometimes people kick the back of my seat because I’m noisy, but I just give them the ol’ fuck-you face and keep going.”

Photo with Run-DMC “That’s from a Jam Master Jay tribute I did for VH1. I’ve known Darryl [McDaniels, a.k.a. DMC] and Jay forever. They’re very special to hip-hop. They weren’t doing the same thing as me. We took it a level, then they took it to another level.”

Speakers “When I watch basketball on TV, I like to hear it. The basketball bouncing is like the bass, and there’s the sneakers going eek skeet. It inspires me to go into the studio. Basketball is my thing. LeBron is a friend. Shaq is a friend.”

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Children’s artwork “My daughter Christina is nine and my granddaughter Brinya is six. They drew these when they were hanging out together. I have a place where I keep a pile of their drawings. Eventually I’ll make some sort of collage to show them when they think they’re grown up.”

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Self-help books “My life is better since I started reading Deepak Chopra and Dr. Wayne Dyer. The most important thing I’ve learned? Do the best you can do. If you’re sure you did that, what can critics or normal people say?”

Courvoisier “I got this as a gift at a DJ conference in Puerto Rico. I was like, ‘ Why’d they give me a bottle of Courvoisier?’ I described the bottle to my liquor guy, and he said it’s a very valuable bottle of spirits. It’s from the 1700s. Napoleon time. Never been opened.”

Dietary supplements “On an average day, I’ll take seven or eight different supplements. Your body talks to you. You have to listen. If my joints hurt, I know to take fish oil. I detox too. I keep my colon clean. My family thinks I’m a crackpot, but I haven’t had a cold in six years.”

Mug collection “I get a mug from everywhere I travel. Get ’em in the airport. I’ve got, like, 5,000 or 7,000. I don’t have any favorites. Most of them are at a storage place in the Bronx where the room temperature is correct. The place is insured.”

BY DAVID MARCHESE

PHOTOGRAPH BY TURE LILLEGRAVEN

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34 MAY 2009 / BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY AT SPIN.COM