He became an MC in his own right around 1977, and changed his name to Kurtis Blow (as in a body blow) at the suggestion of his manager, future rap mogul Russell Simmons. Blow began his career in New York City in the mid-1970s, when he was a breakdancer until switching to DJing under the name Kool DJ Kurt and then finally rapping. He was the first rapper to record a full length album on a major label (1979). This occurred after recording "Christmas Rappin", his first single; during this time, "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang became the first hit for hip hop. The whole field was derided as a fad, though, and thus there was much resistance to signing Blow. In 1980 he opened for reggae legend Bob Marley at the Madison Square Garden where he performed for an audience of 20,000.
He has appeared in several feature films, including Krush Groove and The Show. A duet with rock icon Bob Dylan called "Street Rock", appeared on Blow's 1986 album, Kingdom Blow[1] by special arrangement of Wayne Garfield (Garfield and Blow co-wrote, "Reasons For Wanting You" on Kingdom Blow)[2] and Debra Byrd, American Idol's head vocal coach and former Dylan backup singer (see album credits).[citation needed]
And in 2004, he recorded the song "Hey Everybody" with Max C and Bomfunk MC's for their album, Reverse Psychology. He also co-wrote songs with The Fat Boys, including their signature songs, "Fat Boys" (1984) and "The Fat Boys Are Back" (1985).
Kurtis Blow also became the first hip hop musician embraced by the mainstream advertising industry with his appearance in a commercial for the soft drink Sprite.
He is currently a DJ on Backspin 43, which is the old school hip hop station on the Sirius Satellite Radio service. According to an interview with I Suppose Productions, he is also currently a theology major at Nyack College working to enter the ministry. According to Blow, "Man's real telos... the real purpose in life, is to serve God."
AJ Scratch
Kurtis Blow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
one two three four...here
(verse one)
Up in the Bronx where the people are fresh
There was one Dj who had to pass the test
And now he's down by law and he's ready to play That's right y'all his name is AJ
Never gets nervous when he cuts the beat
Top notch service in the clutch on the street
A complete elite treat that can't be beat
Because AJ never knew the agony of defeat
(chorus)
AJ I wanna see you (X4)
Kurtis Blow (scratch)
(verse two)
Grandmaster Flash,Affikaa Bambaatta
Starsky,Spoonie Gee and Rum DMC
Gotta realize that he goes way back
And now he's down with the king
And we could never be whack
So just kick off you shoes and relax your feet
And rock to the rhythm of the Kurtis Blow beat
Yes,yes,y'all and just shake butt
Because AJ is gonna cut it up
(chorus)
Clap your hands (scratch)
The second verse of Kurtis Blow's song AJ Scratch pays tribute to some of the pioneers of hip hop, including Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Starsky, Spoonie Gee, and Run-D.M.C. It suggests that AJ Scratch "goes way back" and is respected by all these legends in the genre. Additionally, it asserts that because AJ is now "down with the king," meaning that he is affiliated with the top tier of hip hop artists and producers, he and the people who appreciate his work could never be "whack." The verse concludes by urging the listener to let loose and dance to the beat that Kurtis Blow is producing, which will be complemented by AJ Scratch's skills as a DJ, with the implication that the combination of their talents will be an unbeatable experience.
The chorus of AJ Scratch prompts the listener to clap their hands while scratching a record, creating a rhythmic and percussive effect that would be common in early hip hop performances. This phrase is repeated multiple times throughout the song and serves as a refrain that brings together the different verses.
Line by Line Meaning
Grandmaster Flash, Affikaa Bambaatta
Two great hip-hop legends, along with Starsky, Spoonie Gee, and Run DMC, are mentioned to show the long history of hip-hop that Kurtis Blow is a part of.
Gotta realize that he goes way back
Kurtis Blow is reminding us that he is one of the pioneers of hip-hop and has been around since it first began.
And now he's down with the king
Kurtis Blow has earned his place as one of the top hip-hop artists, and is now respected by the 'king' of the industry.
And we could never be whack
Kurtis Blow and his crew are too good to ever be considered 'whack' or out-dated.
So just kick off your shoes and relax your feet
Kurtis Blow wants his audience to sit back, relax, and enjoy his music.
And rock to the rhythm of the Kurtis Blow beat
Kurtis Blow wants everyone to enjoy his unique hip-hop style and dance to his beats.
Yes, yes y'all and just shake butt
Kurtis Blow is encouraging his listeners to dance and move to his music.
Because AJ is gonna cut it up
Kurtis Blow is referring to his DJ, AJ Scratch, who is known for his skills in scratching records and creating beats. He is telling the audience to get ready for AJ's awesome skills.
Clap your hands (scratch)
The chorus is a call and response, with Kurtis Blow asking the audience to clap their hands, while his DJ scratches the records in the background.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AARON O'BRYANT, KURT WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeff Carter
on Rappin' Blow
Those aren't the full lyrics. What are the lyrics after the "Ho, ho's"?