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."
The Breaks
Kurtis Blow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you got what it takes
'Cause I'm Kurtis Blow and I want you to know
That these are the breaks
Brakes on a bus, brakes on a car
Breaks to make you a superstar
Breaks to win and breaks to lose
And these are the breaks
Break it up, break it up, break it up
If your woman steps out with another man
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And she runs off with him to Japan
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And the IRS says they wanna chat
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And you can't explain why you claimed your cat
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And Ma Bell sends you a whoppin' bill
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
With eighteen phone calls to Brazil
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And you borrowed money from the mob
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And yesterday you lost your job
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
Well, these are the breaks
Break it up, break it up, break it up
Throw your hands up in the sky
And wave 'em 'round from side to side
And if you deserve a break tonight
Somebody say alright (alright)
Say, ho (ho)
You don't stop
Keep on, somebody scream (oww)
Break down
Breaks on a stage, breaks on a screen
Breaks to make your wallet lean
Breaks run cold and breaks run hot
Some folks got 'em and some have not
But these are the breaks
Break it up, break it up, break it up
Break down
To the girl in brown, stop messin' around
(Break it up, break it up)
To the guy in blue, what you gon' do?
(Break it up, break it up)
And to the girl in green, don't be so mean
(Break it up, break it up)
And the guy in red, say what I said
(Break it up, break it up)
Break down
Brakes on a plane, brakes on a train
Breaks to make you go insane
Breaks in love, breaks in war
But we got the breaks to get you on the floor
And these are the breaks
Break it up, break it up, break it up
Break down, yo
Just do it, just do it, just do it, do it, do it
Just do it, just do it, just do it, do it, do it
Just do it, just do it, just do it, do it, do it
Just do it, just do it, just do it, do it, do it
You say last week you met the perfect guy
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And he promised you the stars in the sky
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
He said his Cadillac was gold
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
But he didn't say it was ten years old
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And he took you out to the Red Coach grill
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
But he forgot the cash and you paid the bill
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And he told you the story of his life
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
But he forgot the part about his wife, huh, huh
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
Well, these are the breaks
Break it up, break it up, break it up
Break down
Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" is a classic old-school rap song that was released in 1980. The song's lyrics celebrate the importance and influence of "the breaks" - a concept that refers to those moments in life when you catch a lucky break or make your own successful break. On the surface, the song is a fun-filled celebration of the joys of life, but the lyrics also have a deeper meaning. Kurtis Blow used the lyrics and catchy hook to encourage listeners to maintain their spirits even in the face of adversity.
The song starts with an energizing call to action that gets everyone clapping their hands. A series of catchy verses follows, all praising and saluting the importance of "the breaks." The concept of "the breaks" is further explained to include all the ups and downs of life that we pass through. The one underlying message throughout is the need for an optimistic outlook and a belief in yourself, even when things seem to be going against you. The song's final verses emphasize this winning attitude by asking individuals to break out of their shells and get moving.
Overall, "The Breaks" is a classic rap anthem that still resonates with rap fans four decades after its release. Its lyrics are full of energy, meaning, and good advice.
Line by Line Meaning
Clap your hands, everybody
Let's get everyone's attention and start the song
If you got what it takes
If you're ready to groove along
'Cause I'm Kurtis Blow and I want you to know
This is Kurtis Blow and he's about to get this party started
That these are the breaks
This is what the song is about, the ups and downs of life
Brakes on a bus, brakes on a car
There are brakes on vehicles to stop them from moving
Breaks to make you a superstar
Some breaks can lead you to fame and fortune
Breaks to win and breaks to lose
Some breaks help you succeed, while others lead to failure
But these here breaks will rock your shoes
This song's breaks are so good, they'll make you dance and groove
And these are the breaks
Again, this is what the song is all about
Break it up, break it up, break it up
Let's keep the rhythm going and enjoy the song
If your woman steps out with another man
If your significant other cheats on you
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
It's just one of life's hardships
And she runs off with him to Japan
If they leave the country together
And the IRS says they wanna chat
If the government contacts you about taxes owed
And you can't explain why you claimed your cat
If you're caught lying on your taxes
And Ma Bell sends you a whoppin' bill
If you get an unexpectedly high phone bill
With eighteen phone calls to Brazil
If someone else has made a lot of long-distance calls on your phone
And you borrowed money from the mob
If you got involved with the mafia or loan sharks
And yesterday you lost your job
If you recently became unemployed
Well, these are the breaks
These are all depressing situations, but that's life
Throw your hands up in the sky
Time to dance and enjoy the music
And wave 'em 'round from side to side
Get into the rhythm and feel the beat
And if you deserve a break tonight
If you've had a tough time and need to let loose
Somebody say alright (alright)
Let's hear it for everyone who needs a break
Say, ho (ho)
A call and response to get the party going
You don't stop
The music and good times keep going
Keep on, somebody scream (oww)
Let's keep the energy high with some shouting and screaming
Breaks on a stage, breaks on a screen
Even in entertainment, there are moments of success and failure
Breaks to make your wallet lean
Some breaks lead to financial gain or loss
Breaks run cold and breaks run hot
Some breaks are good, and some bad
Some folks got 'em and some have not
Some people are lucky, and some are not
But these are the breaks
Again, this is what the song is about
To the girl in brown, stop messin' around
A specific call-out to someone to behave or stop acting up
(Break it up, break it up)
A reinforcement to stop what they're doing
To the guy in blue, what you gon' do?
Another specific call-out to someone to make a move or do something
And to the girl in green, don't be so mean
A call-out to someone to be nicer or more pleasant
And the guy in red, say what I said
A reminder to repeat what the previous person said
Brakes on a plane, brakes on a train
Even transportation has moments of safety and danger
Breaks to make you go insane
There are moments in life that can drive you crazy
Breaks in love, breaks in war
Even during moments of great emotion, there are moments of triumph and loss
But we got the breaks to get you on the floor
The song's breaks are so good, they'll make you want to dance
And these are the breaks
Once again, this is what the song is all about
Break it up, break it up, break it up
Keep the energy high and keep dancing
Just do it, just do it, just do it, do it, do it
A call to action to get everyone moving
You say last week you met the perfect guy
If you recently met someone you really like
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
Things may not always work out how we want them to
And he promised you the stars in the sky
If someone makes big promises they can't keep
He said his Cadillac was gold
If someone exaggerates or misrepresents something to you
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
Again, life is full of disappointments
But he didn't say it was ten years old
If you later find out the truth is not what you expected
And he took you out to the Red Coach grill
If someone takes you on a date to an expensive restaurant
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
But there may be a downside to it all
But he forgot the cash and you paid the bill
If someone lets you down when you're expecting them to pick up the tab
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
Again, life is full of unexpected moments
And he told you the story of his life
When someone shares something important or personal with you
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
But sometimes there are surprises in those stories
But he forgot the part about his wife, huh, huh
If someone leaves out an important detail or flat-out lies to you
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
Again, life can be tough and full of surprises
Well, these are the breaks
And once again, this is what the song is all about
Break it up, break it up, break it up
Let's keep the music going and end the song strong
Break down
The end of the song and the call to end the party
Lyrics © MUSIC MANAGEMENT, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lawrence Smith, Russell Simmons, J. B. Moore, Robert Ford, Kurtis Blow, Kurt Walker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@markcalzaverini
Think that those people were just having fun and unknowingly making music history. Amazing.
@louisgonzalez8846
When we are young, we think this will go on FOREVER, and if not, then
It will keep on getting better and better,.........boy,
Was I wrong!!!!!
@Dr.Dave718
40 years ago today, ( I was 10), 6/14/80, “These are Breaks” by Kurtis Blow was released. I remembered first hearing it on 98.7Kiss💋and I still have same the 45 I had brought at “The Wiz” record store
@barryrammer7906
Your looking at the inventor of what we call rap today. This dude is awesome
@stuartperry8141
?
@justinwinnthesecond
More like one of the founding fathers but its still great
@barryrammer7906
@@stuartperry8141 Curtis Blow is the grandaddy of rap. I only watch him Parliament and the Ohio players. Those 3 bands back in the day were transcendent. Meaning I'm a rock guy we loved those 3 bands. That's how good Curtis Blow is. This man invented rap your looking at him. Find other jams by my man you see he was a founder of that music. Before it became what we call rap today. Show him so love he deserves it if you like this is from a professional rock musician. Enjoy 😉
@barryrammer7906
@@justinwinnthesecond I will buy that too anything to get him the credit he deserves. Glad you love this performer as much as I do. I'm a rock guy only listen to Curtis Blow Parliament and the Ohio Players. Transcendent music bt those 3 bands.
@justinwinnthesecond
@@barryrammer7906 ohio players great too. My favorite from them is love rollercoaster
@dereckdean578
If you were a teen when this dropped , you thoroughly enjoyed the best hip hop ,rap era.