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{{BLPsources|date=June 2007}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| Name                = Kurtis Blow
| Img                 = 
| Img_capt            = 
| Img_size            = 
| Background          = solo_singer
| Birth_name          = Curtis Walker
| Alias               = 
| Born                = {{birth date and age|1959|8|9}}
| Died                = 
| Origin              = [[Harlem]], [[New York City]], [[United States|US]]
| Instrument          = [[Keyboard instrument|Keyboards]], [[Rapping|Vocals]]
| Genre               = [[Hip hop]]
| Occupation          = [[Rapping|Rapper]], [[Record producer|producer]], [[Disc jockey|DJ]]
| Years_active        = 1979–1988
| Label               = [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
| Associated_acts     = 
| URL                 = 
}}

'''Kurtis Blow''' (born Curtis Walker, [[9 August]] [[1959]], [[Harlem]], [[New York City|New York]]) is one of the first commercially successful [[rapping|rappers]] and the first to sign with a major [[record label|label]]. "[[The Breaks (song)|The Breaks]]", a [[single (music)|single]] from his 1980 debut [[album]], is an early [[hip hop music|hip hop]] classic.

==History==
Curtis Walker majored in [[Communication studies|communications]] at the [[City College of New York]], eventually becoming a program director at the college's [[radio station]]<ref>[Toop, David. "Hip-hop." Published in ''Modulations: A History of Electronic Music''. Caipirinha Productions: 2000.]</ref>. First performing as a [[breakdance]]r in New York in the mid 1970s, he then [[Disc jockey|DJ]]ed under the name Kool DJ Kurt. Influenced by pioneering rapper [[DJ Hollywood]], he began MC-ing around 1977, using the name "Kurtis Blow", suggested by his manager, [[Russell Simmons]]. Russell's younger brother [[Joseph Simmons]] was an early DJ for Blow<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/artist/Kurtis+Blow Discogs artist page]</ref>, even using the name "Son of Kurtis Blow", but he later went on to greater fame under the alias [[Joseph Simmons|DJ Run]], as part of [[Run-D.M.C.]]. 

Blow's first release, the "Christmas Rappin'" 12-inch single (1979, [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]), was the first major label hip hop release. His second single, "The Breaks"—released hot on the heels of the [[Sugarhill Gang]]'s mainstream breakthrough hit "[[Rapper's Delight]]"—broke into the top five of [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'s R&B chart. "The Breaks" was voted the best single of 1980 in the [[Village Voice]]'s influential [[Pazz & Jop]] music critics' poll [http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres80.php]. In 1980 he opened for reggae legend [[Bob Marley]] at the [[Madison Square Garden]] where he performed for an audience of 20,000. As further evidence of Blow's ability to crossover to non-hip hop audiences, he opened for English [[punk rock]] band [[the Clash]] at their outdoor concerts on Pier 84 in [[New York City]] in 1982.

Over the course of the 1980s, Blow released five more albums and two EPs. He revisited the charts a number of times with various albums and singles. On his 1986 album, ''Kingdom Blow'', [[Bob Dylan]] contributed vocals to the cut "Street Rock" (an arrangement set up, in part, by Wayne Garfield (co-writer of Blow's "Reasons for Wanting You") and Dylan's [[backing singer]], [[Debra Byrd]]. Along with his own career, he has worked with other [[musician|artists]], [[songwriter|writing]] and [[record producer|producing]]; [[The Fat Boys]], for one, benefited from his help.

He has been in several [[film]]s (usually appearing as himself), including ''[[Krush Groove]]'' and ''The Show''. Blow also became the first hip hop artist embraced by the mainstream [[advertising]] industry with his appearance in a [[Television advertisement|commercial]] for the [[soft drink]] [[Sprite (soft drink)|Sprite]].

In the mid 1990s, Blow was a DJ for [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] based hip hop [[FM]] [[radio station]], Power 106, (KPWR 105.9) every Sunday night on the "Kurtis Blow Old School Show." He now DJs on [[Sirius Satellite Radio]]'s [[old school hip hop]] station, Backspin.<ref>[http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/Page&c=Channel&cid=1104779639871&s=person Backspin DJ profiles]</ref> 

In 2004, he recorded the song "Hey Everybody" with Max C and [[Bomfunk MC's]] for their album, ''Reverse Psychology''.

A theology major at [[Nyack College]] (Class of 2009), Blow's recent focus has been on spirituality, evidenced by ''Kurtis Blow Presents: Hip Hop Ministry'' (2007, EMI Gospel), a compilation of Christian rap.

Blow is also known for songs such as "If I ruled the world" "A.J. Scratch" and "Basketball"

==References in popular culture==

The [[They Might Be Giants]] song "Where Your Eyes Don't Go" on their second album, ''Lincoln'', features the lines "You're free to come and go / And talk like Kurtis Blow."

The [[Tom Tom Club]] song "Genius of Love" features the lines "Steppin' to the rhythm of a Kurtis Blow/ Who needs to think when your feet just go."

The Kurtis Blow hit, ‘Basketball’ is arguably, the most famous song about the sport in existence and it still timeless and popular today.  He still works a crowd 20+ years later with that same hit according to various postings on youtube.com.  'Basketball' is heard at dozens of NBA games during half time each season and it was the theme music for ‘Like Mike’ a major studio film starring Lil Bow Wow released in 2002.

"[[The Breaks (song)|The Breaks]]" was featured in the video game [[Grand Theft Auto Vice City]] on the Fresh 105 radio station.

"[[The Breaks (song)|The Breaks]]" was sampled in the song [[Macarron Chacarron]] which has become an internet phenomenon.

"[[The Breaks (song)|The Breaks]]' was used in the video game [[ Scarface The World is Yours]]

==Discography==
===Albums===
* ''[[Kurtis Blow (album)|Kurtis Blow]]'' (1980, Mercury)
* ''Deuce'' (1981, Mercury)
* ''Ego Trip'' (1984, Mercury)
* ''America'' (1985, Mercury)
* ''Kingdom Blow'' (1986, Mercury)
* ''Back by Popular Demand'' (1988, Mercury)
* ''Kurtis Blow Presents: Hip Hop Ministry'' (2007, EMI Gospel)

===Singles and EPs===
* "Christmas Rappin'" (1979, Mercury)
* ''Tough'' EP (1982, Mercury)
* ''Party Time?'' EP (1983, Mercury)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [[All Music Guide]] [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fifqxq95ld6e~T0 entry]
*{{imdb name|0089423}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blow, Kurtis}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:African American musicians]]
[[Category:American rappers]]
[[Category:African American rappers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from New York City]]

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