Kurtis Blow, whose real name is Kurtis Walker, is an American singer-songwriter considered to this day to be the first rapper to have experienced commercial success in this particular genre.
Artist who began his artistic career at the age of only 20 by signing with the prestigious Mercury label, a label which allowed him to release a first Single "Christmas rappin". The single would go on to sell nearly 400,000 copies and become one of the first hugely successful Hip Hop Singles.
But it is especially with the following Single "The break" that the singer's career will really take off with the key to a start of planetary recognition worthy of the name. Title taken from his first eponymous album which was also released in 1980 and which will also know the favors of the public.
First album followed by 2 new albums "Deuce" and "Tough", relatively successful albums released in 1981 and 1982 respectively.
This is the release of the single “Party time ?" in 1983 which will somewhat relaunch him but a short-lived revival. Indeed the album "Ego trip" which was released a year later in 1984 will be unable to produce a hit worthy of the name.
He will have to wait until 1985 and the release of the album "America" to succeed in landing a new major hit with the title "If I ruled the world". A high-caliber hit which this time will indeed be the last despite the release of other albums thereafter.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
70s Decade :
Christmas rappin 1979
80s Decade :
The breaks 1980
Throughout your years 1980
Hard times 1981
Tough 1982
Party time 1983
Nervous 1983
8 millions stories 1984
Ego trip 1984
Basketball 1984
America 1985
If I ruled the world 1985
I'm chillin' 1986
The Bronx 1986
Back by Popular Demand 1988
Tracks :
1979...first title and already first planetary success. The artist could not have dreamed of a better career start, to say the least...
1980...and from the second title it's the planetary jackpot. Here he was to achieve the biggest success of his entire career and enter, to say the least, in a sensational way into the musical history of this end of the 20th century. HU-GE !
1980 ... certainly, this title there will not really know the same level of success as its predecessor but will get away with it rather well. Difficult all the same to compete with the previous steamroller...
1981...the sequel will prove to be a little more complicated to manage than expected, unfortunately. With an unscrewing for the less severe in the Charts with this title...
1982...this one will do a little better, but only just. After a career start on the wheel hats, the artist does not manage to find a second wind and frankly struggles to maintain himself at the highest level...
1983...after two particularly harsh years which relegated him to the background, he is back in this year 1983 in a much more combative state of mind. The proof with this title which will allow him to return to the front of the pack suddenly...
1983...from one extreme to another. We thought he had come back to settle permanently at the top of the ladder and here he relapses directly behind. Definitely, times are getting harder and harder for the artist...
1984 ... he will succeed in saving the furniture in extremis with this new title but we are still far from the definitive rescue. He spends his time yo-yoing in the Charts and it's becoming more and more problematic...
1984...another title that will pass 'through', one more. The air holes are multiplying and it is becoming really difficult for him to stay level...
1984... with each new failure, we tell ourselves that he will not recover from it and each time he manages to return to the front of the stage. A will to believe in it always and again which pays off, one way or another. The proof with this title which will remain as one of his most emblematic !
1985...we suspected that the upturn would be short-lived. He can't manage to align 2 consecutive titles classified at the same level and returns as quickly in the shadows as he came out of it...
1985...and here he is back once again on the front of the stage. His constant back and forth between shadow and light makes you dizzy, but he's still there and that's the main thing !
1986...and whatever you think, he manages to last, which is not the case for everyone. He has been present at the highest level for 9 years and just for that, respect as they say !
1986 ... we suspect that he will not be there in 9 years but what is taken is no longer to be taken as they say. Let him enjoy the present moment...
1988...this time, the adventure won't go any further. After an empty year in 1987, he returned in 1988 in relative form. Relative and above all not sufficient to allow him to go further...
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Greatest Hits :
Discography :
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