Difference between revisions 106856028 and 106856628 on dewiki

{{Importartikel}}
[[File:Kurtis Blow im Musiktheater Bad (Hannover, Germany), 2012-03-30.JPG|thumb|Kurtis Blow in concert (Hannover, Germany), 2012-03-30]]
{{Infobox person
|name=Kurtis Blow
|birth_name=Kurt Walker
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1959|8|9}}
|birth_place=[[Harlem, New York]], [[United States|U.S.]]
|death_date=
|death_place=
|occupation=rapper, record producer
}}
'''Kurt Walker''' (born August 9, 1959), professionally known by his stage name '''Kurtis Blow''', is an [[United States|American]] [[rapping|rapper]] and [[record producer]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book
| first= Martin C.
| last= Strong
| year= 2000
| title= The Great Rock Discography
| edition= 5th
| publisher= Mojo Books
| location= Edinburgh
| page= 93
| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref> He is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major [[record label]]. "[[The Breaks]]", a [[single (music)|single]] from his 1980 [[Kurtis Blow (album)|debut album]], is the first certified [[music recording sales certification|gold record]] rap song.

== Life and career ==

In 1979, aged twenty, Kurtis Blow became the first rapper to be signed by a major label, [[Mercury Records|Mercury]], which released "Christmas Rappin'". It sold over 400,000 copies. Its follow-up, "[[The Breaks]]", sold over half a million copies.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> He was also the first rapper to perform overseas.<ref name=raphistory>{{cite news|author=Benny Negro|title=Exclusive Interview with Kurtis Blow |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnk4dwy19Ks|work= ''Bcyde Video'' |publisher=''[[YouTube]]''|accessdate=2011-06-03}}</ref> He released ten albums over the next eleven years. His first album was ''[[Kurtis Blow (album)|Kurtis Blow]]'', while his second was the [[Top 40|Top 50]] pop album ''Deuce''. ''Party Time'' featured a fusion of rap and [[go-go]]. ''Ego Trip'' included the hits: "8 Million Stories," "AJ Scratch," and "Basketball". His 1985 album, ''America'', garnered praise for its title track's [[music video]]. From this album, the song "If I Ruled the World" became a Top 5 [[hit record|hit]] on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'''s [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] [[record chart|chart]]. In 1996, fellow rapper [[Nas]] debuted at #1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] with a [[cover version]] of the song.

Besides his own work, Kurtis has been responsible for hits by [[The Fat Boys]] &&and [[Run DMC]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Run began his career billed as 'The Son of Kurtis Blow.' [[Lovebug Starski]], Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, [[Full Force]], [[Russell Simmons]] and [[Wyclef Jean]] all have been produced by, or have worked with, Kurt. Former label mates [[René & Angela]] had their R&B chart topping debut "[[Save Your Love (Rene & Angela song)|Save Your Love (For #1)]]" gift rapped by Kurt.

Along with [[Dexter Scott King]], Kurt co-ordinated "King Holiday," a song to celebrate [[Martin Luther King]]’s birthday. The Mercury/Polygram single, co-produced by Kurt, included the collaborative efforts of [[Stephanie Mills]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[New Edition]],  [[El Debarge]], [[James "JT" Taylor]], The Fat Boys, [[Menudo]] ([[Ricky Martin]]), [[Teena Marie]] and Run DMC. The music video was sponsored and paid for by [[Prince (musician)|Prince]].

Kurt's acting performances and music coordination in several [[film]]s includes Leon Kennedy’s ''[[Cry of the City]]'' and the hip hop film ''[[Krush Groove]]''. ''[[The New York Daily News]]'' called his cinematic works, “Noteworthy, a dynamic presence.”{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} As host and co-producer for ''Das Leben Amerikanischer Gangs'', an international film production's focus on the West Coast gang scene, Kurt crossed international waters for inner city justice (1995). As host and associate producer for ''[[Rhyme and Reason]]'' Kurtis gives an informative account of the status of hip hop (1998). ''The History Of Rap'', which he produced and wrote, has been planned for a cinema release.

Kurt has spoken out emphatically against [[racism]]. He was an active participant in the Artists Against Apartheid record “[[Sun City (song)|Sun City]]”. Kurt has worked with Rev. [[Jesse Jackson]]'s [[Operation Push]] and [[the Rainbow Coalition]] in Chicago. Kurt has also worked with Rev. [[Al Sharpton]]'s [[Action Network]] in New York City.  In 1995, he started working on-air in radio, Power 106, the #1 CHR radio station in Southern California. He hosted 'The Old School Show' on Sunday nights, featuring hits from the past. He also worked for [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] on the Classic Old School Hip Hop station Backspin 43.

Beginning in 1996, Kurt was featured in a hip hop display at the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. The display still stands. In 1998, the group [[Next (group)|Next]] released "[[Too Close]]", in which the music of "Christmas Rappin'" was [[sampling (music)|sampled]]. [[ASCAP]] honored Kurt and Next at a gala affair on May 26, 1999. In 2002, he traveled to the [[Middle East]] to tour the Armed Forces bases performing seventeen shows for the troops. The tour consisted of shows in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Kurt said, “It was a tour I will never forget,” and “I did the [[Bob Hope]] thing.”

Kurt was a judge for the 8th annual [[The Independent Music Awards|Independent Music Awards]].<ref>[http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp Independent Music Awards - Past Judges]</ref>

==Minister==
Deeply committed to [[Christianity]], Kurtis attended ministry classes at [[Nyack College]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} As Founder of The Hip Hop Church, Kurtis serves as rapper, DJ, worship leader and licensed minister.<ref>[http://www.hiphopministry.com/ Hip Hop Ministry]</ref> He became an ordained minister on August 16, 2009. There are several hip hop churches in the US, and he is involved with many of them. "Don't get it twisted, God has always existed," said Kurtis, "and in terms of these young people out here who love Jesus but do not like to go to church, maybe hip hop can bring them back to the church."{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}

==References in popular culture==
* The [[They Might Be Giants]] song "Where Your Eyes Don't Go" on their second album, ''Lincoln'', featured the lines "You're free to come and go/Or talk like Kurtis Blow."
* The [[Ice Cube]] song "Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha" featured the line "I'll Kurtis Blow yo ass away/Like AJ".
* The [[R.A. the Rugged Man]] song "L.I.'s Finest" featured the line "These are the breaks like Kurtis." and his song "On the Block (Golden Era)" features the line "At the roller rink no skates on, early 80's girl chasing, Kurtis Blow these are the breaks on."
* The [[Tom Tom Club]] song "Genius of Love" featured the lines "Steppin' to the rhythm of a Kurtis Blow / Who needs to think when your feet just go."
* The song "Christmas Rappin{{' "}} was featured during a Christmas episode of the TV sitcom ''[[Martin (TV series)|Martin]]''.
* [[Bruce Haack]]'s 1982 single "Party Machine" featured the lyric, "Low low low like Kurtis Blow/ Down down down like [[James Brown]]."
* The song "Music Matters" by [[Faithless]] mentioned Kurtis Blow: "From Bamma Lamma to Tamla Mo, [[Curtis Mayfield]] to Kurtis Blow".
* Blow is mentioned in the film ''[[Notorious (2009 film)|Notorious]]''. When [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] was a child, he is shown to be a fan of Blow. As an adult, The Notorious B.I.G. sings Blow's "The Breaks" with his young daughter listening and learning it.
* The [[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]] song "Old School" featured the line "Remember poppin' and lockin' to Kurtis Blow, the name belts".
* In the fourth chapter of ''[[Chronicles: Volume One]]'', [[Bob Dylan]] says he knew Blow, and that it was Blow who introduced Dylan to the rap genre of the time (mentioning contemporary artists like [[Ice-T]], [[N.W.A.]] and [[Public Enemy (group)|Public Enemy]]). Dylan also appears on the first track "Street Rock" of Kurtis Blows 1986 album [[Kingdom Blow]]
* A brief reference to "8 Million Stories" was made in the 2009 hit "[[Empire State of Mind]]" by [[Jay-Z]].
* In 50 Cent's film debut "Get Rich Or Die Tryin", there is a party scene in Marcus's house where two girls are holding a Kurtis Blow album and are singing lyrics from "The Breaks".
* In Chris Rock's movie "CB4", MC Gusto says he's going to send a search party and find Kurtis Blow.
* In the video game ''[[NBA 2K12]]'', "Basketball" is used in the opening video and is also part of the game's soundtrack.
* A poster of Kurtis Blow can be seen in an episode of [[Everybody Hates Chris]]. The episode is Everybody Hates Houseguest.
* "The Breaks" is a featured song on the game Dance Central 2 for the Xbox Kinect.
* In [[Cedric The Entertainer]]'s Starting Lineup, Cedric speculates on having a black president.   After some comparisons of [[Bill Clinton]]'s behaviors, he predicts that, [[Scooby Doo]]-like, Clinton will remove a mask, to reveeal he is Kurtis BlowBLP sources|date=January 2010}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Kurt Blow Walker
| | | Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = Kurt Walker  
| Alias = Kool DJ Kurt
| Born = {{Birth date and age|1959|8|9}}, [[Harlem]], [[New York City]], [[New York]], [[United States]]
| Died =
| Origin = Harlem United States
| Instrument = [[Keyboard instrument|Keyboards]], [[guitar]], [[drum]]s, [[Rapping|vocals]]
| Genre = [[Old school hip hop|Hip hop]], [[Boogie (genre)|boogie]]
| Occupation = [[Rapping|Rapper/singer]], [[record producer]], [[Disc jockey|DJ]]
| Years_active = 1979–present
| Label = [[Mercury Records]] ''(1979-1988)''<br/>Krush Records ''(2008-present)''
| Associated_acts = [[Run-DMC]]<br/>[[The Fat Boys]]<br/>[
| URL = http://kurtisblow.net/
}}

'''Kurt Walker  ''' (born August 9, 1959), better known by his stage name '''Kurtis Blow''', is an [[United States|American]] [[rapping|rapper]] and [[record producer]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book
| first= Martin C.
| last= Strong
| year= 2000
| title= The Great Rock Discography
| edition= 5th
| publisher= Mojo Books
| location= Edinburgh
| page= 93
| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref> He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major [[record label]]. "[[The Breaks]]", a [[single (music)|single]] from his 1980 [[Kurtis Blow (album)|eponymous debut album]], is the first certified [[music recording sales certification|gold record]] rap song.

==History==
Kurtis was born in [[Harlem]], [[New York City|New York]], [[New York]], and got his public start in 1972 as a B-boy and a [[Disc jockey|DJ]] under the [[stage name]] of '''Kool DJ Kurt'''.

In 1979, aged twenty, Kurtis became the first rapper to be signed by a major label, [[Mercury Records|Mercury]], which released "Christmas Rappin{{' "}}.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> It sold over 400,000 copies. Its follow-up, "[[The Breaks]]", sold over half a million copies.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> He released ten albums over the next eleven years. His first album was ''Kurtis Blow'', while his second was the [[Top 40|Top 50]] pop album ''Deuce''. ''Party Time'' featured a fusion of rap and [[go go]]. ''Ego Trip'' included the hits: "8 Million Stories," "AJ," and "Basketball". His 1985 album, ''America'', garnered praise for its title track's [[music video]]. From this album, the song "If I Ruled the World" became a Top 5 [[hit record|hit]] on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'''s [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] [[record chart|chart]]. In 1996, fellow rapper [[Nas]] debuted at #1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] with a [[cover version]] of the song.

Besides his own work, Kurtis has been responsible for hits by [[The Fat Boys]] and [[Run DMC]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Run began his career billed as 'The Son of Kurtis Blow.' [[Lovebug Starski]], Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, [[Full Force]], [[Russell Simmons]] and [[Wyclef Jean]] all have been produced by, or have worked with, Kurtis. Former label mates [[René & Angela]] had their R&B chart topping debut "[[Save Your Love (Rene & Angela song)|Save Your Love (For #1)]]" produced by Blow.

Along with Dexter Scott King, Blow coordinated "King Holiday," a song to celebrate [[Martin Luther King]]’s birthday. The Mercury/Polygram single, co-produced by Blow, included the collaborative efforts of [[Whitney Houston]], [[New Edition]], [[Stephanie Mills]], [[El Debarge]], [[James "JT" Taylor]], The Fat Boys and Run DMC.

Blow's acting performances and music coordination in several [[film]]s includes Leon Kennedy’s ''[[Cry of the City]]'' and the hip hop film ''[[Krush Groove]]''. ''[[The New York Daily News]]'' called his cinematic works, “Noteworthy, a dynamic presence.”{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} As host and co-producer for ''Das Leben Amerikanischer Gangs'', an international film production's focus on the West Coast gang scene, Blow crossed international waters for inner city justice (1995). As host and associate producer for ''[[Rhyme and Reason]]'' Kurtis gives an informative account of the status of hip hop (1998). ''The History Of Rap'', which he produced and wrote, has been planned for a cinema release.

Kurtis has spoken out emphatically against [[racism]]. He was an active participant in the Artists Against Apartheid record “[[Sun City (song)|Sun City]]”. Kurtis also speaks out against alcoholism and drug use. He has served as a spokesperson for The National Ad Council. He is an integral part of its youth campaign and can be seen and heard in print, radio and television nationwide in the 'Say No To Drugs' campaign. He has been involved with Phoenix House of California, a substance abuse organization with black community emphasis.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} In spite of this, he was arrested on Dec. 02, 2010 for possession of marijuana at Los Angeles International Airport<ref>http://www.thirdage.com/news/kurtis-blow-issued-misdemeanor-citation-marijuana-bust_12-3-2010</ref>
In 1995, he started working on-air in radio, Power 106, the #1 CHR radio station in Southern California. He hosted 'The Old School Show' on Sunday nights, featuring hits from the past. He also works for [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] on the Classic Old School Hip Hop station Backspin 43.

Beginning in 1996, Blow was featured in a hip hop display at the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. The display still stands. In 1998, the group [[Next (group)|Next]] released "[[Too Close]]", in which the music of "Christmas Rappin'" was [[sampling (music)|sampled]]. [[ASCAP]] honored Blow and Next at a gala affair on May 26, 1999. In 2002, he traveled to the [[Middle East]] to tour the Armed Forces bases performing seventeen shows for the troops. The tour consisted of shows in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Krgystan, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Blow said, “It was a tour I will never forget,” and “I did the [[Bob Hope]] thing.”

Kurtis was a judge for the 8th annual [[The Independent Music Awards|Independent Music Awards]].<ref>[http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp Independent Music Awards - Past Judges]</ref>

==Minister==
Deeply committed to [[Christianity]], Kurtis attended ministry classes at [[Nyack College]]{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}. As Founder of The Hip Hop Church, Kurtis serves as rapper, DJ, worship leader and licensed minister.<ref>[http://www.hiphopministry.com/ Hip Hop Ministry]</ref> He became an ordained minister on August 16, 2009. There are several hip hop churches in the US, and he is involved with many of them. "Don't get it twisted, God has always existed," said Kurtis, "and in terms of these young people out here who love God but do not like to go to church, only hip hop can bring them back to the church."{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}

==References in popular culture==
The [[They Might Be Giants]] song "Where Your Eyes Don't Go" on their second album, ''Lincoln'', featured the lines "You're free to come and go/Or talk like Kurtis Blow." The [[Ice Cube]] song "Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha" featured the line "I'll Kurtis Blow yo ass away/Like AJ". The [[R.A. the Rugged Man]] song "L.I.'s Finest" featured the line "These are the breaks like Kurtis." and his song "On the Block (Golden Era)" features the line "At the roller rink no skates on, early 80's girl chasing, Kurtis Blow these are the breaks on." The [[Tom Tom Club]] song "Genius of Love" featured the lines "Steppin' to the rhythm of a Kurtis Blow / Who needs to think when your feet just go."

The song "Christmas Rappin{{' "}} was featured during a Christmas episode of the TV sitcom ''[[Martin (TV series)|Martin]]''. [[Bruce Haack]]'s 1982 single "Party Machine" featured the lyric, "Low low low like Kurtis Blow/ Down down down like [[James Brown]]." The song "Music Matters" by [[Faithless]] mentioned Kurtis Blow: "From Bamma Lamma to Tamla Mo, [[Curtis Mayfield]] to Kurtis Blow". Blow is mentioned in the film ''[[Notorious (2009 film)|Notorious]]''. In the biopic, when [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] was a child, he is shown to be a fan of Blow. As an adult, The Notorious B.I.G. sings Blow's "The Breaks" with his young daughter listening and learning it.

The [[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]] song "Old School" featured the line "Remember poppin' and lockin' to Kurtis Blow, the name belts". In the fourth chapter of ''[[Chronicles: Volume One]]'', [[Bob Dylan]] says he knew Blow, and that it was Blow who introduced Dylan to the rap genre of the time (mentioning contemporary artists like [[Ice-T]], [[N.W.A.]] and [[Public Enemy (group)|Public Enemy]]). Dylan also appears on the first track "Street Rock" of Kurtis Blows 1986 album [[Kingdom Blow]]

A brief reference to "8 Million Stories" was made in the 2009 hit "[[Empire State of Mind]]" by [[Jay-Z]].

In 50 Cent's film debut "Get Rich Or Die Tryin", there is a party scene in Marcus's house where two girls are holding a Kurtis Blow album and are singing lyrics from "The Breaks".

==Discography==
===Albums===
* ''[[Kurtis Blow (album)|Kurtis Blow]]'' (1980, Mercury)
* ''[[Deuce (Kurtis Blow album)|Deuce]]'' (1981, Mercury)
* ''[[Tough (Kurtis Blow album)|Tough]]'' (1982, Mercury)
* ''[[The Best Rapper on the Scene]]'' (1983, Mercury)
(contracted; show full)* 1979: "Christmas Rappin{{' "}} (Mercury MDS-4009)
* 1980: "[[The Breaks]]" (Mercury MDS 4010)
* 1982: "Tough EP" (Mercury)
* 1983: "[[Party Time?]]" (Mercury)
* 1983: "Nervous" (Mercury)
* 1984: "Ego Trip" (Mercury)
* 1986: "The Bronx" (Mercury)

* 1988: "Back By Popular Demand" (Mercury)

== Einzelnachweise ==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://kurtisblow.net Official Website]
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089423/ Kurtis Blow] on the [[Internet Movie Database]]
*[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p12 Kurtis Blow] on [[AllMusic]]

{{Persondata⏎
==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links==
*''Kurtis Blow'' on [{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p12|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic] retrieved May 9, 2010
*''Kurtis Blow'' on [http://www.oldschoolhiphop.com/artists/emcees/kurtisblow.htm Oldschoolhiphop.com] retrieved May 9, 2010
*[http://kurtisblow.net Official Website]
* [http://dbrabyn.photoshelter.com/gallery/Mass-at-the-Hip-Hop-Church-in-Harlem/G0000C888B5j6lgI Photo gallery: Mass at the Hip-hop Church]

{{Kurtis Blow}}

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME              =Blow, Kurtis
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH     =August 9, 1959
| PLACE OF BIRTH    =Harlem, New York
| DATE OF DEATH     =
| PLACE OF DEATH    =
}}⏎
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blow, Kurtis}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African American record producers]]
[[Category:Boogie musicians]]
[[Category:People from Manhattan]]
[[Category:Rappers from New York City]]
[[Category:Beatboxers]]

[[bg:Къртис Блоу]]
[[de:Kurtis Blow]]
[[es:Kurtis Blow]]
[[fr:Kurtis Blow]]
[[it:Kurtis Blow]]
[[pl:Kurtis Blow]]
[[pt:Kurtis Blow]]