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Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959),[1] professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, Bboy, DJ, public speaker and minister.[2] He is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label.[3] "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 self-titled debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song for Hip Hop. Throughout his career he has released 15 albums and is currently an ordained minister.[1]
Kurtis Blow - Wikipedia
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The Breaks: Building the Hip-Hop Generation | Kurtis Walker | TEDxCUNY
Kurtis "Blow" Walker was the first rapper to travel overseas and be signed by a major record label. In his talk, he discusses the ways hip-hop was created an...
Thank you my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that August 9 is the anniversary of the birth of American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, public speaker and Christian minister Kurtis Walker professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow.
"Kurtis received his salvation "born again" in 1994. He became an ordained minister on August 16, 2009."
Happy 59th birthday Kurtis Walker with many happy returns!
Background from allmusic.com/artist/kurtis-blow-mn [login to see] /biography
"Artist Biography by Steve Huey
As the first commercially successful rap artist, Kurtis Blow is a towering figure in hip-hop history. His popularity and charisma helped prove that rap music was something more than a flash-in-the-pan novelty, paving the way for the even greater advances of Grandmaster Flash and Run-D.M.C. Blow was the first rapper to sign with (and release an album for) a major label; the first to have a single certified gold (1980's landmark "The Breaks"); the first to embark on a national (and international) concert tour; and the first to cement rap's mainstream marketability by signing an endorsement deal. For that matter, he was really the first significant solo rapper on record, and as such he was a natural focal point for many aspiring young MCs in the early days of hip-hop. For all his immense importance and influence, many of Blow's records haven't dated all that well; his rapping technique, limber for its time, simply wasn't as evolved as the more advanced MCs who built upon his style and followed him up the charts. But at his very best, Blow epitomizes the virtues of the old school: ingratiating, strutting party music that captures the exuberance of an art form still in its youth.
Kurtis Blow was born Kurtis Walker in Harlem in 1959. He was in on the earliest stages of hip-hop culture in the '70s -- first as a breakdancer, then as a block-party and club DJ performing under the name Kool DJ Kurt; after enrolling at CCNY in 1976, he also served as program director for the college radio station. He became an MC in his own right around 1977, and changed his name to Kurtis Blow (as in a body blow) at the suggestion of his manager, future Def Jam founder and rap mogul Russell Simmons. Blow performed with legendary DJs like Grandmaster Flash, and for a time his regular DJ was Simmons' teenage brother Joseph -- who, after changing his stage name from "Son of Kurtis Blow," would go on to become the first half of Run-D.M.C. Over 1977-1978, Blow's club gigs around Harlem and the Bronx made him an underground sensation, and Billboard magazine writer Robert Ford approached Simmons about making a record. Blow cut a song co-written by Ford and financier J.B. Moore called "Christmas Rappin'," and it helped him get a deal with Mercury once the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" had climbed into the R&B Top Five.
Blow's second single, "The Breaks," was an out-of-the-box smash, following "Rapper's Delight" into the Top Five of the R&B chart in 1980 and eventually going gold; it still ranks as one of old school rap's greatest and most enduring moments. The full-length album Kurtis Blow was also released in 1980, and made the R&B Top Ten in spite of many assumptions that the Sugarhill Gang's success was a one-time fluke. Although the album's attempts at soul crooning and rock covers haven't dated well, the poverty-themed "Hard Times" marked perhaps the first instance of hip-hop's social consciousness, and was later covered by Run-D.M.C. Blow initially found it hard to follow up "The Breaks," despite releasing nearly an album a year for most of the '80s. 1981's Deuce and 1982's Tough weren't huge sellers, and 1983's Party Time EP brought D.C. go-go funksters E.U. on board for a stylistic update. Around this time, Blow was also making his mark as a producer, working with a variety of hip-hop and R&B artists; most notably, he helmed most of the Fat Boys' records after helping them get a record deal. 1984's Ego Trip sold respectably well on the strength of cuts like the DJ tribute "AJ Scratch," the agreeably lightweight "Basketball," and the Run-D.M.C. duet "8 Million Stories." Blow followed it with an appearance in the cult hip-hop film Krush Groove, in which he performed "If I Ruled the World," his biggest hit since "The Breaks."
Kingdom Blow "If I Ruled the World" proved to be the last gasp of Blow's popularity, as hip-hop's rapid growth made his style seem increasingly outdated. 1985's America was largely ignored, and 1986's Kingdom Blow was afforded an icy reception despite producing a final chart hit, "I'm Chillin'." Critics savaged his final comeback attempt, 1988's Back by Popular Demand, almost invariably pointing out that the title, at that point, was not true. In its wake, Blow gave up the ghost of his recording career, but found other ways to keep the spirit of the old school alive. In the early '90s, he contributed rap material to the TV soap opera One Life to Live, and later spent several years hosting an old-school hip-hop show on Los Angeles radio station Power 106. In 1997, Rhino Records took advantage of his status as a hip-hop elder statesmen by hiring him to produce, compile, and write liner notes for the three-volume series Kurtis Blow Presents the History of Rap. The same year, he was a significant presence in the rap documentary Rhyme and Reason. Blow's music has also been revived by younger artists seeking to pay tribute; Nas referenced "If I Ruled the World" on 1996's It Was Written, and R&B group Next sampled "Christmas Rappin'" for their 1998 smash "Too Close." The following decade, Blow founded the Hip Hop Church in New York, became an ordained minister, and recorded religious rap albums with the Trinity."
2. Background from imdb.com/name/nm0089423/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
"Biography
Overview | Mini Bio | Spouse | Trivia (12)
Overview
Born August 9, 1959 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name Kurt Walker
Mini Bio
Kurtis Blow was born on August 9, 1959 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA as Kurt Walker.
Spouse ? (? - present) ( 3 children)
Trivia (12)
1. Hip-hop artist
2. Was the first hip-hop MC to be signed by a major label, which in this case was Mercury/PolyGram Records.
3. He began his career in New York City in the mid-1970s, when he was a breakdancer until switching to DJing under the name Kool DJ Kurt and then finally rapping.
4. He was the first rapper to record a full length album on a major label (1979).
5. In 1980, he opened for reggae legend Bob Marley at the Madison Square Garden where he performed for an audience of 20,000.
6. He has duet with rock icon Bob Dylan called "Street Rock", which appeared on Blow's 1986 album, Kingdom Blow.
7. He co-wrote songs with The Fat Boys, including their signature songs, "Fat Boys" (1984) and "The Fat Boys Are Back" (1985).
8. The first hip hop musician embraced by the mainstream advertising industry with his appearance in a commercial for the soft drink Sprite.
9. Currently a DJ on Backspin 43, which is the old school hip hop station on the Sirius Satellite Radio service.
10. Changed his name to Kurtis Blow (as in a body blow) at the suggestion of his manager, future rap mogul Russell Simmons.
11. One of the personalities mentioned in the song Genius of Love by Tom Tom Club. The others mentioned were James Brown, Bob Marley, Smokey Robinson, 'Hamilton Bohannon', Bootsy Collins, and Lowell 'Sly' Dunbar (as Sly and Robbie) and 'Robert 'Robbie' Shakespeare' (as Sly and Robbie).
12. Has not released an album since 1988's "Back by Popular Demand".
The Breaks: Building the Hip-Hop Generation | Kurtis Walker | TEDxCUNY
"Kurtis "Blow" Walker was the first rapper to travel overseas and be signed by a major record label. In his talk, he discusses the ways hip-hop was created and how it revolutionized the music industry. Kurtis Walker, known worldwide as Kurtis Blow, is a singer, producer, actor & Hip-Hop pioneer. He is credited with having Hip-Hop's first certified Gold Record ("The Breaks"), signing Hip-Hop's first record deal, and being the first Hip-Hop artist to tour internationally. Kurtis brought innovation to the Hip-Hop scene to help solidify its place in culture, and continues to carry the torch for the originators."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKGQCg9MLuA
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SP5 Robert Ruck SCPO Morris Ramsey SGT Michael Thorin SPC Margaret Higgins SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
"Kurtis received his salvation "born again" in 1994. He became an ordained minister on August 16, 2009."
Happy 59th birthday Kurtis Walker with many happy returns!
Background from allmusic.com/artist/kurtis-blow-mn [login to see] /biography
"Artist Biography by Steve Huey
As the first commercially successful rap artist, Kurtis Blow is a towering figure in hip-hop history. His popularity and charisma helped prove that rap music was something more than a flash-in-the-pan novelty, paving the way for the even greater advances of Grandmaster Flash and Run-D.M.C. Blow was the first rapper to sign with (and release an album for) a major label; the first to have a single certified gold (1980's landmark "The Breaks"); the first to embark on a national (and international) concert tour; and the first to cement rap's mainstream marketability by signing an endorsement deal. For that matter, he was really the first significant solo rapper on record, and as such he was a natural focal point for many aspiring young MCs in the early days of hip-hop. For all his immense importance and influence, many of Blow's records haven't dated all that well; his rapping technique, limber for its time, simply wasn't as evolved as the more advanced MCs who built upon his style and followed him up the charts. But at his very best, Blow epitomizes the virtues of the old school: ingratiating, strutting party music that captures the exuberance of an art form still in its youth.
Kurtis Blow was born Kurtis Walker in Harlem in 1959. He was in on the earliest stages of hip-hop culture in the '70s -- first as a breakdancer, then as a block-party and club DJ performing under the name Kool DJ Kurt; after enrolling at CCNY in 1976, he also served as program director for the college radio station. He became an MC in his own right around 1977, and changed his name to Kurtis Blow (as in a body blow) at the suggestion of his manager, future Def Jam founder and rap mogul Russell Simmons. Blow performed with legendary DJs like Grandmaster Flash, and for a time his regular DJ was Simmons' teenage brother Joseph -- who, after changing his stage name from "Son of Kurtis Blow," would go on to become the first half of Run-D.M.C. Over 1977-1978, Blow's club gigs around Harlem and the Bronx made him an underground sensation, and Billboard magazine writer Robert Ford approached Simmons about making a record. Blow cut a song co-written by Ford and financier J.B. Moore called "Christmas Rappin'," and it helped him get a deal with Mercury once the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" had climbed into the R&B Top Five.
Blow's second single, "The Breaks," was an out-of-the-box smash, following "Rapper's Delight" into the Top Five of the R&B chart in 1980 and eventually going gold; it still ranks as one of old school rap's greatest and most enduring moments. The full-length album Kurtis Blow was also released in 1980, and made the R&B Top Ten in spite of many assumptions that the Sugarhill Gang's success was a one-time fluke. Although the album's attempts at soul crooning and rock covers haven't dated well, the poverty-themed "Hard Times" marked perhaps the first instance of hip-hop's social consciousness, and was later covered by Run-D.M.C. Blow initially found it hard to follow up "The Breaks," despite releasing nearly an album a year for most of the '80s. 1981's Deuce and 1982's Tough weren't huge sellers, and 1983's Party Time EP brought D.C. go-go funksters E.U. on board for a stylistic update. Around this time, Blow was also making his mark as a producer, working with a variety of hip-hop and R&B artists; most notably, he helmed most of the Fat Boys' records after helping them get a record deal. 1984's Ego Trip sold respectably well on the strength of cuts like the DJ tribute "AJ Scratch," the agreeably lightweight "Basketball," and the Run-D.M.C. duet "8 Million Stories." Blow followed it with an appearance in the cult hip-hop film Krush Groove, in which he performed "If I Ruled the World," his biggest hit since "The Breaks."
Kingdom Blow "If I Ruled the World" proved to be the last gasp of Blow's popularity, as hip-hop's rapid growth made his style seem increasingly outdated. 1985's America was largely ignored, and 1986's Kingdom Blow was afforded an icy reception despite producing a final chart hit, "I'm Chillin'." Critics savaged his final comeback attempt, 1988's Back by Popular Demand, almost invariably pointing out that the title, at that point, was not true. In its wake, Blow gave up the ghost of his recording career, but found other ways to keep the spirit of the old school alive. In the early '90s, he contributed rap material to the TV soap opera One Life to Live, and later spent several years hosting an old-school hip-hop show on Los Angeles radio station Power 106. In 1997, Rhino Records took advantage of his status as a hip-hop elder statesmen by hiring him to produce, compile, and write liner notes for the three-volume series Kurtis Blow Presents the History of Rap. The same year, he was a significant presence in the rap documentary Rhyme and Reason. Blow's music has also been revived by younger artists seeking to pay tribute; Nas referenced "If I Ruled the World" on 1996's It Was Written, and R&B group Next sampled "Christmas Rappin'" for their 1998 smash "Too Close." The following decade, Blow founded the Hip Hop Church in New York, became an ordained minister, and recorded religious rap albums with the Trinity."
2. Background from imdb.com/name/nm0089423/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
"Biography
Overview | Mini Bio | Spouse | Trivia (12)
Overview
Born August 9, 1959 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name Kurt Walker
Mini Bio
Kurtis Blow was born on August 9, 1959 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA as Kurt Walker.
Spouse ? (? - present) ( 3 children)
Trivia (12)
1. Hip-hop artist
2. Was the first hip-hop MC to be signed by a major label, which in this case was Mercury/PolyGram Records.
3. He began his career in New York City in the mid-1970s, when he was a breakdancer until switching to DJing under the name Kool DJ Kurt and then finally rapping.
4. He was the first rapper to record a full length album on a major label (1979).
5. In 1980, he opened for reggae legend Bob Marley at the Madison Square Garden where he performed for an audience of 20,000.
6. He has duet with rock icon Bob Dylan called "Street Rock", which appeared on Blow's 1986 album, Kingdom Blow.
7. He co-wrote songs with The Fat Boys, including their signature songs, "Fat Boys" (1984) and "The Fat Boys Are Back" (1985).
8. The first hip hop musician embraced by the mainstream advertising industry with his appearance in a commercial for the soft drink Sprite.
9. Currently a DJ on Backspin 43, which is the old school hip hop station on the Sirius Satellite Radio service.
10. Changed his name to Kurtis Blow (as in a body blow) at the suggestion of his manager, future rap mogul Russell Simmons.
11. One of the personalities mentioned in the song Genius of Love by Tom Tom Club. The others mentioned were James Brown, Bob Marley, Smokey Robinson, 'Hamilton Bohannon', Bootsy Collins, and Lowell 'Sly' Dunbar (as Sly and Robbie) and 'Robert 'Robbie' Shakespeare' (as Sly and Robbie).
12. Has not released an album since 1988's "Back by Popular Demand".
The Breaks: Building the Hip-Hop Generation | Kurtis Walker | TEDxCUNY
"Kurtis "Blow" Walker was the first rapper to travel overseas and be signed by a major record label. In his talk, he discusses the ways hip-hop was created and how it revolutionized the music industry. Kurtis Walker, known worldwide as Kurtis Blow, is a singer, producer, actor & Hip-Hop pioneer. He is credited with having Hip-Hop's first certified Gold Record ("The Breaks"), signing Hip-Hop's first record deal, and being the first Hip-Hop artist to tour internationally. Kurtis brought innovation to the Hip-Hop scene to help solidify its place in culture, and continues to carry the torch for the originators."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKGQCg9MLuA
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SP5 Robert Ruck SCPO Morris Ramsey SGT Michael Thorin SPC Margaret Higgins SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
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Maj Marty Hogan
Can't say that I've ever heard of him. He must be pretty good at his profession.
Can't say that I've ever heard of him. He must be pretty good at his profession.
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