Kurtis Blow, born as Kurtis Walker, is undoubtedly one of the great pioneers of hip hop music, and is arguably rap’s first superstar artist. His 1980 single, “The Breaks,” was the first certified gold rap record, and the New York-born rapper is still revered today, nearly 40 years after he first broke out.
In addition to his solo work, Blow worked other musical giants of the 80s, including Run DMC, Full Force and Rene & Angela.
He is also an ordained minister and founder of The Hip Hop Church in Harlem.
