Customer Reviews

Kurtis Blow

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Kurtis Blow was one of the first rappers to have a full album and this was the first rap record to come out on a major label (Mercury). 1980 also saw the release of the Sugar Hill Gang's classic "Rapper's Delight". A few years later, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five would release "The Message" and in 1984, RUN DMC "said a DJ could be a band" (to quote Chuck D) and the rest is history. If you're looking to start or expand your old school rap collection, Kurtis Blow must be in it somewhere. This his is debut album which originally featured only 7 songs. Only 5 were actually rap tracks, but the ones that are here are all great. "The Breaks" is one of Blow's most classic. "Throughout" & "Rappin Blow, pt 2" are definite standouts. You may recognize "Hard Times" because RUN DMC did another version of it on their debut. "All I Want in This World" is a sappy soul song and "Takin' Care of Business" is Blow's take on the BTO hit. Both of these seem to slow down the album, but the remastered version with bonus tracks "Christmas Rappin" and an instrumental version of "The Breaks" makes it end on a much better note. For those new to Kurtis, I recommend you start with a hits collection, the best of them being Funk Essential's 1994 release "The Best of Kurtis Blow" which features 14 of his most essential music including 3 from this album, not to mention later hits like "Basketball" & "If I Ruled the World". In fact, that may be the definitive Kurtis Blow album and it's definitely the place to start with him. I don't want to take emphasis away from his debut because it's a great album and there's no question of it's historical importance.

A Few Highlights from the 1980s Rap Timeline:
1980 - Kurtis Blow & Sugar Hill Gang
1982 - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5
1984 - Run DMC & Jam Master Jay
1985 - LL Cool J
1986 - The Beastie Boys
1987 - Public Enemy
1989 - De La Soul

In addition to being one of the first rap albums, this was the first rap album to have any kind of impact on the album charts. This album contains "The Break," which was the album's hit, as well as other notable tracks, such as "Hard Times," which was covered a few years later by the Son of Kurtis Blow's group, Run-DMC, on their first album. This album establishes Kurtis Blow as one of rap's first hit makers (by 1980 standards), and though the music on the album is generally disco-styled music played by a live band, rather than a DJ, this album gives a good insight into what was growing in the streets of New York. Also, an interesting track here is Kurtis's take on the BTO song, "Taking Care of Business".

this album sounds more like a disco album then a rap album but its still good to me as its one of the FIRST FIRST RAp artist to be solo. and since i bought it only for 6.99 not so bad.

Excellent remastering job on a historically significant album. Kurtis Blow was the first solo MC to achieve stardom and this was the first significant rap LP. Blow's two classics, "The Breaks" and "Christmas Rappin'", are here, and the rest is good with a little bit of filler. Funky, tight, danceable, and inoffensive (which is not to say lightweight - "The Breaks" was a significant social commentary in its time).

Thank you amazon. I have been looking for this CD for the past ten years. This is undoubtedly one of the most influential albums of my teenage years - the second time only I had encountered rap (the first being Sugarhill Gang's equally excellent Rapper's Delight). Kurtis' sublime blend of rap, dance and R&B is everything modern rap isn't - innocent, fun, danceable and infectious. Your early 80s collection is not complete without this seminal album.

THE ALBUM IS HOT. IT BROUGHT BACK A LOT OF GOOD MEMORIES. IT MAKES ME LAUGH WHEN I REMEMBER THE DANCES WE DID IN THE CLUBS I MISS THAT KINDA MUSIC,THOSE GOOD DAYS.

Excellent remastered,great sound from the 80's. This C.D sound's hot..!!, a really shake funky groove with a warm touch of analog recorded..!! You wanna move?,shake your groove,excellente..! believe me..! Axel C. Maldini :)

I heard it almost 20 years ago. Now I bought it via the internet because it is not available in Germany. This album is a killer and it brings back my youth. I can't believe that today nobody knows Kurtis Blow anymore. When will his other albums be remastered and available on CD?

Since Kurtis Blow's vocal talents were considerably limited, this CD will appeal primarily to people who, like myself, were teenagers at the time who grooved to this the first time around. "Throughout Your Years" sounded great when I was 15, but the Bullwinkle-style delivery makes it sound unbearably corny today. One listen to this makes it clear why Run-DMC were more successful with their version of "Hard Times." Fortunately, the full-length version of "Christmas Rappin'" (arguably his best record) and the second-runner up "The Breaks" is here. Both of these tunes are/were a lot of fun, but as for the rest-you've been warned!

This gem has none of the foul language or calls for violence that has slowly eroded the respectability of the art form of rap over the years. Kurtis shows that if you have a good enough beat, and enough snap in your rap, that's all you need.