Difference between revisions 106856028 and 106856680 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]]cleanup-reorganize|date=October 2011}}
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{{Infobox pPerson
|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), professionallybetter 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.

== 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, Kurtis. Former label mates [[René & Angela]] had their R&B chart topping debut "[[Save Your Love (Rene & Angela song)|Save Your Love (For #1)]]" gift rappproduced by KurtBlow.

Along with [[Dexter Scott King]], Kurt, Blow co-ordinated "King Holiday," a song to celebrate [[Martin Luther King]]’s birthday. The Mercury/Polygram single, co-produced by KurtBlow, included the collaborative efforts of [[Stephanie Mills]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[New Edition]],  [[El Debarge]], [[James "JT" Taylor]], The Fat Boys, [[Menudo]] ([[(Ricky Martin]]), [[TeeTina Marie]] and Run DMC. The mMusic vVideo 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, KurtBlow 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>

⏎
Here are many of the firsts credited to Kurtis Blow: {{Citation needed|date=November 2011}}
 
•        First rapper to sign to a Major label

•        First certified gold record for rap (“The Breaks”)

•        First rapper to tour US & Europe (w/ The Commodores, 1980)

•        First rapper to record a national commercial (Sprite)

•        First rapper to use the drum machine, sample & sample loop on a rap song 

•        First rap music video (“Basketball”)

•        First rap producer (Rap's producer of the year in 1983 85)

•        First rapper featured in a soap opera (“One Life to Live”)First rap millionaire.⏎
⏎
==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 JesusGod but do not like to go to church, maybeonly 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]]''. W⏎
* 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".
* 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 Blow.

==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)* 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 />References==
{{Reflist}}

==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{{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]]
[[Category:Nyack College alumni]]

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