Curtis "Kurtis Blow" Walker, (born on August 9, 1959, in Harlem, New York) … Read Full Bio ↴Curtis "Kurtis Blow" Walker, (born on August 9, 1959, in Harlem, New York) is one of the pioneer rappers in the recording industry, and hip hop's first mainstream star. "The Breaks" (1980) is one of hip hop's undisputed classics, with its catchy disco tune and rapping style. Blow was influenced by DJ Hollywood.

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."

Nervous
Kurtis Blow Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You talkin' to me? You make me nervous

Now my generation
Has got this inclination
To think this ain't the land of milk and honey
Missiles every place
Can destroy the human race
And everyone is cryin' for more money

There's an actor and a spy
Who can't see eye to eye
Well who gives them the right to run the place?
There are brothers who are sisters
And misses who are misters
And things keep fallin' down from outer space

And everybody says they want to serve us
But the only thing they do is make me nervous
Really makes me Nervous

Corporate leader's smokin' joints
Big time athletes shavin' points
And all the time they do it with a smile
Middle class commuters
Steali'n millions with computers
And they might just get probation for awhile

But for ordinary folk
The ... sistem's just a joke
They're laughin from New York to the Coast
They bargain on the plea
And the lowyer gets his fee
And everybody's happy well almost

And everybody says they want to serve us
But the only thing they do is make me nervous
Really makes me Nervous

If you're not a lazy slob
You go lookin' for job
But I hope that you ain't lookim' in Detroit
Where they used to make cars
All they do is hit the bars
'Cause the Japanese have markets to exploit

The rich keep getting richer
Drink Martinis by the pitcher
While the rest of us are lookin' for a break
We play lotto and the number
While the politicians slumber
'Cause the politicians know It's all fake

And everybody says they want to serve us
But the only thing they do is make me nervous
Really makes me Nervous

The meaning is right here
Mr. nixon made it clear
Make sure you hit record when you roll the tape
The stuff that gets leftover
Might just keep you out of clover
And you'll never, ever make your great escape

So I hope you've learned the lesson
It's the message of the session
You can take it, but you go to take it slow
Keep it cool and keep it clean
Do it all behind the scene
And if they ask you, just tell' em you don't know

And everybody says they want to serve us

But the only thing they do is make me nervous
Really makes me Nervous

Overall Meaning

Kurtis Blow's song Nervous is a reflection of the paranoia, fear, and disillusionment of the 1980s. The opening line "You talkin' to me? You make me nervous" sets the tone of the song, where the singer is nervous about the world around him. The song begins with an observation of the situation of the world, where the singer recognizes the ongoing Cold War and feels the fear of the possibility of nuclear destruction. They also observe the increase in greed in society, where everyone seems to be asking for more money. Throughout the song, the singer finds themselves surrounded by hypocrites and people in power who do not seem to have the common people's best interests at heart.

Kurtis Blow conveys the message that society has become a sham, where those in power are corrupt, and ordinary people can't trust those who are supposed to serve and protect them. The verses about corporate leaders smoking joints and big-time athletes shaving points suggest that even those who are idolized and elevated by society aren't trustworthy. Blow also points to the unfair treatment of ordinary people, where the system is rigged in favor of the rich and powerful. He highlights the injustices done to the middle-class commuters who steal millions with computers, but only receive probation while others in the system get reprimanded harshly.

Overall, the song portrays the message that society is flawed, but we, as individuals, can still strive to strive in a system that may not work for us. The song reflects on the paranoia and disillusionment of the 1980s, where nuclear war was a real threat, and consumerism and materialism fueled the economy.

Line by Line Meaning

You talkin' to me? You make me nervous
The singer is being addressed in a manner that makes him feel uncomfortable.

Now my generation Has got this inclination To think this ain't the land of milk and honey Missiles every place Can destroy the human race And everyone is cryin' for more money
The current generation is pessimistic about the state of the world and the future, given the threat of war and the greed of people.

There's an actor and a spy Who can't see eye to eye Well who gives them the right to run the place? There are brothers who are sisters And misses who are misters And things keep fallin' down from outer space
People who are not qualified or do not have similar views are allowed to make decisions that affect everyone, while unusual or strange events seem to happen often.

And everybody says they want to serve us But the only thing they do is make me nervous Really makes me Nervous
Politicians and leaders claim to have the best interest of the people in mind, but their actions make the singer feel uneasy and distrustful.

Corporate leader's smokin' joints Big time athletes shavin' points And all the time they do it with a smile Middle class commuters Steali'n millions with computers And they might just get probation for awhile
People in positions of power or privilege engage in illegal or unethical behavior without facing the consequences that ordinary people would, and they do so in a nonchalant or even cheerful manner.

But for ordinary folk The ... sistem's just a joke They're laughin from New York to the Coast They bargain on the plea And the lowyer gets his fee And everybody's happy well almost
The justice system is not fair to regular people and is instead a source of amusement or cynicism, with lawyers and judges benefiting from the misfortune of others.

If you're not a lazy slob You go lookin' for job But I hope that you ain't lookim' in Detroit Where they used to make cars All they do is hit the bars 'Cause the Japanese have markets to exploit
The economy and job market are not favorable, especially in certain areas, and foreign competition is seen as a threat to domestic jobs.

The rich keep getting richer Drink Martinis by the pitcher While the rest of us are lookin' for a break We play lotto and the number While the politicians slumber 'Cause the politicians know It's all fake
Income inequality is growing, with the wealthy enjoying lavish lifestyles while others struggle, and politicians use distractions to avoid taking real action on issues.

The meaning is right here Mr. nixon made it clear Make sure you hit record when you roll the tape The stuff that gets leftover Might just keep you out of clover And you'll never, ever make your great escape
Recording and keeping evidence of conversations or actions is important to ensure accountability and avoid being caught in a compromising situation.

So I hope you've learned the lesson It's the message of the session You can take it, but you go to take it slow Keep it cool and keep it clean Do it all behind the scene And if they ask you, just tell' em you don't know
The singer wants to caution listeners to be careful and discreet in their actions and to not reveal more than they need to when questioned.

Contributed by John B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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