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."
Got to Dance
Kurtis Blow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About the day you had
You've got to find a way to make it right
And if your body's got the juice
And you're feelin' kinda loose
You're stepping out and throwing down tonight
There's a million different ways
To get yourself a shot of exercise
But the only way I know
To let my body go
Is dancin' 'till the sun begins to rise
I Got to dance
You can go to the gym
Work it out, take a swim
Or play a little ball with the guys
You can try a machine
To keep your body mean
But that's the kinda work that I despise
You can run in the sun
But It's never, ever fun
'Cause people are tired of routine
So the only way for me
To set my body free
Is dancin' with the ladies on the scene
I Got to dance
You can go Fifty-Four
If they let you in the door
But it really doesn't matter anyway
All you do is hit the spot
Where the beat is runnin' hot
And let the music take you far away
The DJ is the dude
To keep you in the mood
To keep you dancin' 'till you have to drop
You got to feel the beat
To generate the heat
To make you say you never wanna stop
You Got to dance
You can sit at home and chill
Gettin' fat until you're ill
And what you do is really up to you
But if you like to party
And I mean party hardy
Then maybe I can tell you what to do
Now I know a lot of ways
To get me through the days
But night time is the time I come alive
I like to kick it all around
Kick it up and kick it down
'Cause dancin' is the way that I survive
I Got to dance
Kurtis Blow's song 'Got to Dance' is all about dancing as the ultimate solution to feeling down and wanting to get loose. The opening lines indicate that the singer has had a bad day, and the only way to make it right is to dance. The lyrics highlight the various ways in which one can exercise, but the only way that works for the singer is to dance until the sun comes up. Dancing is not only a form of exercise for the singer, but it also sets him free, and he goes on to urge others to give dancing a try.
The lyrics also suggest that dancing is a social activity and that it is best enjoyed with others. When the singer mentions going to Fifty-Four, he is referring to Studio 54, a famous nightclub in New York City during the 1970s and '80s. Studio 54 was known for its dance floor and its celebrity clientele, and it was one of the most popular nightclubs of its time.
Through the lyrics of 'Got to Dance,' Kurtis Blow is not only promoting dancing as an exercise but also as a lifestyle choice. The song encourages people to let loose, have fun, and not take life too seriously. The upbeat tempo of the song, combined with the catchy lyrics, make it a feel-good song that can cheer up anyone who is feeling down.
Line by Line Meaning
You're feelin' kinda bad
You're feeling low and down
About the day you had
About the things that happened to you throughout the day
You've got to find a way to make it right
You need to find a way to improve your mood
And if your body's got the juice
And if you're feeling energized
And you're feelin' kinda loose
And your body is relaxed and flexible
You're stepping out and throwing down tonight
You're going out and showing off your dance moves
There's a million different ways
There are plenty of ways
To make it through the days
To get through daily life
To get yourself a shot of exercise
To get some physical activity
But the only way I know
The most effective way I know
To let my body go
To completely release myself
Is dancin' 'till the sun begins to rise
Is to dance all night until morning
You can go to the gym
You can work out at the gym
Work it out, take a swim
Exercise and relax in the pool
Or play a little ball with the guys
Or play some sports with your friends
You can try a machine
You can use exercise equipment
To keep your body mean
To keep your body in shape
But that's the kinda work that I despise
But I really don't enjoy that kind of workout
You can run in the sun
You can go for a run outside
But It's never, ever fun
But it's never as enjoyable as dancing
'Cause people are tired of routine
Because people are bored of doing the same thing repeatedly
So the only way for me
So the only way I truly enjoy
To set my body free
To let loose and express myself
Is dancin' with the ladies on the scene
Is to dance with some women while out and about
You can go Fifty-Four
You can go to nightclubs like Studio 54
If they let you in the door
If you're allowed to enter
But it really doesn't matter anyway
But ultimately, it doesn't make a difference
All you do is hit the spot
All you have to do is find the right place
Where the beat is runnin' hot
Where the music is intense
And let the music take you far away
And allow the music to transport you mentally
The DJ is the dude
The person in control of the music is important
To keep you in the mood
To maintain the right vibe and energy
To keep you dancin' 'till you have to drop
To make you dance until you're exhausted
You got to feel the beat
You have to connect with the rhythm
To generate the heat
To create the energy
To make you say you never wanna stop
To make you want to dance forever
You can sit at home and chill
You can relax at home
Gettin' fat until you're ill
And gain weight until it negatively affects your health
And what you do is really up to you
And ultimately, it's your choice
But if you like to party
But if you enjoy socializing
And I mean party hardy
And I mean partying to the fullest extent
Then maybe I can tell you what to do
Then maybe I can suggest something for you
Now I know a lot of ways
I know many different methods
To get me through the days
To help me feel good during daily life
But night time is the time I come alive
But nighttime is when I feel the most alive
I like to kick it all around
I really enjoy going out and having fun
Kick it up and kick it down
Dancing vigorously and energetically
'Cause dancin' is the way that I survive
Because dancing is the way I cope and thrive
I Got to dance
I really need to dance
Contributed by Nicholas R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
M.P. van Sijll
Ever Heard Of Google Search? You Should Try it one time....
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You're feelin' kinda bad
About the day you had
You've got to find a way to make it right
And if your body's got the juice
And you're feelin' kinda loose
You're stepping out and throwing down tonight
There's a million different ways
To make it through the days
To get yourself a shot of exercise
But the only way I know
To let my body go
Is dancin' 'till the sun begins to rise
I Got to dance
You can go to the gym
Work it out, take a swim
Or play a little ball with the guys
You can try a machine
To keep your body mean
But that's the kinda work that I despise
You can run in the sun
But It's never, ever fun
'Cause people are tired of routine
So the only way for me
To set my body free
Is dancin' with the ladies on the scene
I Got to dance
You can go Fifty-Four
If they let you in the door
But it really doesn't matter anyway
All you do is hit the spot
Where the beat is runnin' hot
And let the music take you far away
The DJ is the dude
To keep you in the mood
To keep you dancin' 'till you have to drop
You got to feel the beat
To generate the heat
To make you say you never wanna stop
You Got to dance
You can sit at home and chill
Gettin' fat until you're ill
And what you do is really up to you
But if you like to party
And I mean party hardy
Then maybe I can tell you what to do
Now I know a lot of ways
To get me through the days
But night time is the time I come alive
I like to kick it all around
Kick it up and kick it down
'Cause dancin' is the way that I survive
I Got to dance
John Milner
this instrumental chorus takes me back to summer 1983 south bronx instantly! <3
valkireskamargo
que legal eu adoro o kutis blow,lembro me do inicio da minha adolecencia,ouvia muito..som de primeira qualidade...
Roger
amazing song. thanks Kurtis for these real RAPs
Xilomen Angelisa
Thank GOODNESS I was raised in a family where only real hip hop was tolerated.
Régis Blanc
OLD SKOOL RAPPIN ' JUST DAMN RULEZ ... HAIL THE ORIGINAL N.Y.C VIBES !!!
The Kantzabedians
Classic!!!! the best
Jay
That flow though
OLIVIER MICHAUD
awesome
EM90
Listening in my 1982’s Plymouth Turismo
Adam Harris
In this song, the MXR-185 with Oberheim DMX EPROMs and Oberheim DMX were heard.