'The Masked Singer' Unmasks Polar Bear as Hip-Hop Icon

By Daniel S. Levine

The Masked Singer Season 9 continued in shocking fashion as the first round came to a close. During "New York Night," only one contestant was unmasked thanks to a new game rule. The unlucky contestant who had to pull his mask off was Polar Bear! He turned out to be one of the fathers of hip-hop. Spoilers ahead!

The super cool Polar Bear is also from New York City. He came from a neighborhood with a "bad rap," and developed an interest in electronics as a kid. He took apart his mom's toaster and his sister's hairdryers just to see how they work. That all sparked an idea that helped him "turn the tables" on the entire music industry. He created a unique sound, while a message in a bottle appeared. A scratch lottery ticket also appeared as another visual clue.

After performing Blondie's 1980 song "Rapture," Polar Bear said there is "nothing but swag" where he comes from. Long Island Medium star Theresa Caputo came on the stage to deliver another clue. She can see Polar Bear delivering an acceptance speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Robin Thicke guessed DJ Jazzy Jeff (who is from Philadelphia), while Ken Jeong guessed Sean "Diddy" Combs (who is from New York, but not in the Rock Hall). Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg guessed Flava Flav, but it was Nicole Scherzinger guessed Grandmaster Flash! Thicke later guessed LL Cool J, but that was not it. Scherzinger guessed correctly!

Grandmaster Flash, born Joseph Saddler in The Bronx, was the first hip-hop act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 2007. He developed an early interest in electronics and produced sounds now synonymous with hip-hop. The "message in a bottle" visual clue was a reference to his 1982 hit "The Message." The song was added to the Grammys Hall of Fame in 2012.

How to Watch

The Masked Singer airs on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. If you don't have a traditional cable package, FuboTV allows you to watch The Masked Singer live (there's even a free trial available). Additionally, all episodes of The Masked Singer are available on Hulu the following day.  

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