Kurtis Blow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kurtis Blow
|
|
|---|---|
,_2012-03-30.JPG)
Kurtis Blow performing in Hannover, Germany on March 30, 2012
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kurtis Walker |
| Born | August 9, 1959 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | |
Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959), famous as Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was the first rapper to become widely successful and the first to sign with a major record company. His song "The Breaks" from 1980 was the first rap song to sell enough copies to be certified gold. Kurtis Blow has released 17 albums throughout his career. He is also a minister.
Early Life and Education
Kurtis Walker grew up in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. He went to CCNY and Nyack College. There, he studied communications, film, and ministry.
Music Career Highlights
Becoming a Pioneer in Hip Hop
In 1979, when he was 20 years old, Kurtis Blow made history. He became the first rapper to sign with a major record label, Mercury. His first song, "Christmas Rappin'", sold over 400,000 copies. This made it one of the first very successful hip hop songs. His next song, "The Breaks", sold even more, over 840,000 copies.
Releasing Many Albums
Over the next 11 years, Kurtis Blow released ten albums. His first album was called Kurtis Blow. His second album, Deuce, was a top 40 hit on the R&B charts. His album Party Time mixed rap with go-go music. The album Ego Trip featured popular songs like "8 Million Stories", "AJ Scratch", and "Basketball".
In 1985, his album America received praise for its music video for the title track. From this album, the song "If I Ruled the World" became a top 5 hit on Billboard's R&B chart. By 1983, he also started working as a music producer.
Working with Other Artists
Besides his own music, Kurtis Blow helped create hits for other groups. He worked with The Fat Boys and Run DMC. Run, from Run DMC, even started his career known as "The Son of Kurtis Blow". Many other artists like Lovebug Starski, Full Force, Russell Simmons, and Wyclef Jean have worked with Kurtis Blow.
He also produced the song "King Holiday". This song celebrated the first Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a U.S. federal holiday that began in January 1986.
Acting and Documentaries
Kurtis Blow has also been involved in movies. He acted and helped with music in films like Leon Kennedy's Knights of the City and the hip hop movie Krush Groove. He hosted and co-produced Das Leben Amerikanischer Gangs (1995), a film about West Coast gangs. He also hosted and helped produce Miramax's Rhyme and Reason, which shared information about hip hop.
In 1998, he took part in a three-volume music release called The History of Rap. He also co-produced "Slippin, Ten Years with the Bloods", a documentary that was very popular on Showtime in 2003. More recently, Kurtis Blow was a producer for the Netflix show The Get Down.
Standing Up Against Racism
Kurtis Blow has always spoken out strongly against racism. He was part of the "Sun City" record by Artists United Against Apartheid. He worked with Rev. Jesse Jackson's Operation Push and National Rainbow Coalition. He also worked with Rev. Al Sharpton's Action Network in New York City.
Radio and Recognition
In 1995, he started working in radio at Power 106 in Southern California. He hosted The Old School Show on Sunday nights, playing old hits. He also worked for Sirius Satellite Radio on the Classic Old School Hip Hop station Backspin from 2000 to 2004.
Since 1996, Kurtis Blow has been featured in a hip hop display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the same year, rapper Nas released his own version of Blow's "If I Ruled the World". This new version became a huge hit, selling over two million copies. In 1998, the group Next released "Too Close". This song used a sample of the music from "Christmas Rappin'".
Modern Performances and Leadership
In December 2014, Kurtis Blow was the special host for the first performance of The Hip Hop Nutcracker. This show was a new version of Tchaikovsky's classic holiday ballet. A national tour of the show started in November 2015, with Kurtis Blow continuing his role as the host. The show has been very successful, with many sold-out performances during the holidays.
In 2016, Kurtis Blow was chosen to be the Chairman of the Universal Hip Hop Museum. This museum is planned to open in 2023 in the Bronx, New York City. In 2017, Blow created "The Bboy Committee". This group includes the first generation of Bboys and BGirls who created the dance styles known as Bboying, Rocking, and Break Dancing. The committee helps with the Bboy section of the Universal Hip Hop Museum.
Ministry and Documentaries
Kurtis Blow became an ordained minister on August 16, 2009. He founded the Hip Hop Church in Harlem. There, he serves as a rapper, DJ, worship leader, and licensed minister.
In 2016, Kurtis Blow appeared in Hip-Hop Evolution, a documentary about how hip hop music developed. The series featured interviews with many important figures in hip hop. It won a Peabody Award in 2016 and an International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming in 2017. The series is available on Netflix.
Discography
Solo Studio Albums
- Kurtis Blow (1980)
- Deuce (1981)
- Tough (1982)
- Ego Trip (1984)
- America (1985)
- Kingdom Blow (1986)
- Back by Popular Demand (1988)
Group Albums
- Urban Gypsys (as part of Urban Gypsys) (1999)
Collaboration Albums
- Just Do It (with The Trinity) (2004)
- Father, Son & Holy Ghost (with The Trinity) (2009)
See also
In Spanish: Kurtis Blow para niños
