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."
Way Out West
Kurtis Blow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Coming from a place you'd expect the least
There came a stranger, dressed in black
From a Harlem Town, a long way back
Had a Stetson hat with a band of gold
Eyes like steel, make your blood run cold
Had a microphone hanging by his side Just ready to be amplified
Rode into town on a big black steed
Lookin' for a man named Ganamede
"I hear the dude just won't get down
If I rock this world I can rock this town!"
And when they asked him for his name
He said "Kurtis Blow, I play the rappin' game
I can do the do, I can do the deed
And tonight I'm gonna rock Ganamede!"
Now Ganamede thought he was cool
Wore Gucci shoes, had a fancy school
A fancy job in a big corporation
Fancy girls all across the nation
Fancy car, fancy clothes,
Fancy friends and fancy dough
Only one thing he wouldn't do
Is let himself get down with you
The stranger went to the old saloon
Grabbed his mike and spun a tune
And everyone in the whole darn place
Said "Do the rap and set that pace!"
He rapped 'em down and he rapped 'em out
He made 'em dance and he made 'em shout
He said "If you like Kurtis Blow
Then let me hear you all say...
A say ho-oo! Ho-oo!
Hi-yo! Hi-yo!
Say Kurtis! Kurtis!
Say Kurtis Blow! Kurtis Blow!
At midnight Ganamede came in
To watch the dancers move and spin
He took a seat over by the bar
And started smokin' a big cigar
"I admit the stranger is not bad
But tonight I'm gonna make him sad
'Cause I don't care about the groove
There ain't no dude gonna make me move!"
The joint was jumpin' hard at one
But Ganamede was havin' none
Things were really fly at two
The stranger rapped and the tension grew
But Ganamede maintained his cool
"I'll make the stranger play the fool
'Cause I don't care about the groove
There ain't no dude gonna make me move!"
The showdown came at three o'clock
The stranger said, "I'm gonna make you rock
I'm gonna make you move, I'm gonna make you dance,
They're gonna take you out in an ambulance
Now everybody lend a hand
I'm gonna make you be the band
There ain't no jive, no superstition
We're gonna have a little demolition
Get down!
Now stomp your feet
To the funky beat
Just clap your hands
And let the beat expand
Let me here the bass
Put it in my face
Let the guitar play
Just put it away
And now I think we've got the groove
So Ganamede, get up and move!"
Now everyone looked at the bar
At the lonely man with the big cigar
He began to move, he began to shake
He'd had as much as he could take
He took his body to the floor
And then the crowd began to roar
The stranger just had done the deed
And rocked the house with Ganamede.
From three to four he couldn't stop
From four to five he just had to rock
From five to six he let it loose
At seven he still had the juice
At eight o'clock he was goin' strong
Gettin' down with every song
At nine o'clock he couldn't dance
And someone called an ambulance
As they put him in the back
Of that big white shiny Cadillac
He said "Please get me Kurtis Blow
There's something that he ought to know"
He said "I thought I'd make my name
By beatin' you at the rappin' game
But you beat me fair and square
And anyway, I just don't care."
The stranger asked him what he meant
Said Ganamede, "I am content
I never used to catch a groove
I never used to dance or move
But it's more fun to play the fool
Than tryin' hard to be real cool
So anytime you're back in town
I'm gonna get up and I'm gonna get down!"
The stranger watched him drive away
Knowing what he'd done that day
And then he went right back inside
To make the dancers slip and slide
To rock 'em out, to rock 'em in,
To make 'em rock it down again
And he said "If you like my sound
Let me hear you all say...
Throw down! Throw down!
At the showdown! At the showdown!
Throw down! Throw down!
At the showdown! At the showdown!
Now stomp your feet
To the funky beat
Just clap your hands
And let the beat expand
Let me here the bass
Put it in my face
Let the guitar play
Just put it away
A-rock on!
The lyrics of Kurtis Blow's song Way Out West describe a showdown between two men in a small western town. The first protagonist is a stranger who has come from Harlem, dressed in black, with a Stetson hat and a microphone. He is confident in his ability to 'rock' the town with his rapping skills. The second protagonist is a rich man named Ganamede, who looks down on the stranger's streetwise attitude and believes he is too cool to be moved by his music. The song describes the events of the showdown, as the stranger raps and the dancers of the town move and shout. Ganamede refuses to join in until the very end when, after enduring many hours of rapping, he finally gives in and joins the crowd in dancing with abandon.
The lyrics of Way Out West convey the central theme of many hip-hop songs – the transformative power of music. The stranger's rapping skills are presented as a means of getting people to connect, dance, and have fun, regardless of their social status. He is challenging the social order of the town by challenging Ganamede to let his guard down and join in the fun, proving that being 'cool' is not always the best thing. The song emphasizes the importance of having fun and being open to new experiences rather than being focused on status.
Line by Line Meaning
Way Out West from way back east
Coming from an unexpected place, a stranger in black enters town from far away Harlem
There came a stranger, dressed in black
The stranger wears black and arrives at the saloon on a horse
From a Harlem Town, a long way back
The stranger comes from Harlem, which is far away
Had a Stetson hat with a band of gold
The stranger wears a Stetson hat with gold band
Eyes like steel, make your blood run cold
The stranger has cold, steel-like eyes
Had a microphone hanging by his side
He carries a microphone on his side
Just ready to be amplified
The stranger is ready to perform and amplify his voice
Rode into town on a big black steed
The stranger rides into town on a big black horse
Lookin' for a man named Ganamede
The stranger is searching for Ganamede in town
And when they asked him for his name
When asked for his name by others in town
He said "Kurtis Blow, I play the rappin' game
The stranger introduces himself as Kurtis Blow and says he is a rapper
I can do the do, I can do the deed
Kurtis Blow boasts that he is capable and confident in his skills
And tonight I'm gonna rock Ganamede!"
Kurtis Blow decides that tonight is the night he will prove himself and rock Ganamede
Now Ganamede thought he was cool
Ganamede thought he was a cool person
Wore Gucci shoes, had a fancy school
Ganamede dressed fashionably and went to an expensive school
A fancy job in a big corporation
Ganamede had a successful job in a big company
Fancy girls all across the nation
Ganamede had many fancy girlfriends across the country
Only one thing he wouldn't do
Ganamede refused to do only one thing
Is let himself get down with you
Ganamede refused to dance with anyone else
The stranger went to the old saloon
Kurtis Blow heads to the saloon
Grabbed his mike and spun a tune
Kurtis Blow takes his microphone and begins to perform
And everyone in the whole darn place
Everyone in the saloon becomes interested in Kurtis Blow's music
Said "Do the rap and set that pace!"
The audience cheers for Kurtis Blow and urges him to continue playing
Now midnight Ganamede came in
At midnight Ganamede enters the saloon
To watch the dancers move and spin
Ganamede watches other people dance
He took a seat over by the bar
Ganamede sits at the bar
And started smokin' a big cigar
Ganamede begins smoking a big cigar at the bar
But tonight I'm gonna make him sad
Ganamede decides that he will make Kurtis Blow lose the dance-off tonight
'Cause I don't care about the groove
Ganamede does not care about the beat or music
There ain't no dude gonna make me move!"
Ganamede is confident that nobody can make him dance
The joint was jumpin' hard at one
The saloon is busy, loud, and full of people at 1:00 A.M.
But Ganamede was havin' none
Despite the liveliness of the saloon, Ganamede remains still
Things were really fly at two
Things were really exciting at 2:00 A.M.
The stranger rapped and the tension grew
Kurtis continued to play music, and the tension continues to rise between him and Ganamede
But Ganamede maintained his cool
Ganamede remains calm and collected in the face of Kurtis Blow's music
The showdown came at three o'clock
The anticipated face-off between Kurtis and Ganamede finally arrives at 3:00 A.M.
The stranger said, "I'm gonna make you rock
Kurtis Blow promises to make Ganamede dance
They're gonna take you out in an ambulance
Kurtis Blow is confident that Ganamede will dance so hard that he will faint
The stranger asked him what he meant
Kurtis Blow asks Ganamede what he meant to say
Said Ganamede, "I am content
Ganamede is content with his current state
I never used to catch a groove
Ganamede never used to enjoy dancing or music.
I never used to dance or move
Ganamede never used to dance or move when the music was good
But it's more fun to play the fool
Ganamede realized it's more fun to let loose and enjoy oneself
Than tryin' hard to be real cool
Ganamede stopped trying to be cool and decided to focus on having fun instead
So anytime you're back in town
Ganamede tells Kurtis Blow to come back to town when he's playing again
I'm gonna get up and I'm gonna get down!"
Ganamede plans to dance and have fun when Kurtis Blow is back in town
Knowing what he'd done that day
Kurtis Blow knows the impact he made by teaching Ganamede how to have fun
And then he went right back inside
Kurtis Blow goes back to the saloon to continue performing
To rock 'em out, to rock 'em in,
Kurtis Blow continues to play music, making the people dance
To make 'em rock it down again
He keeps the party going and makes the people dance more
And he said "If you like my sound
Kurtis Blow asks the audience if they enjoy his music
Let me hear you all say...
Then he asks them to respond in a certain way
Now stomp your feet
Kurtis Blow instructs them to stomp their feet
To the funky beat
Kurtis Blow wants them to stomp their feet in rhythm with the music
Just clap your hands
Then, he tells them to clap their hands in rhythm
And let the beat expand
Kurtis Blow wants them to continue dancing and enjoying the music
Let me here the bass
He asks them to listen to bass instruments
Put it in my face
Kurtis Blow enjoys being immersed in the music and wants them to listen to the bass too
Let the guitar play
He instructs them to listen to the guitar too
Just put it away
Then, he asks them to dance more and forget their worries
A-rock on!
Kurtis Blow urges them to continue dancing and enjoying themselves
Throw down! Throw down!
He urges the crowd to cheer and enjoy themselves even more
At the showdown! At the showdown!
URGING the audience again to keep enjoying the showdown
Contributed by Adalyn L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jeff Carter
on Rappin' Blow
Those aren't the full lyrics. What are the lyrics after the "Ho, ho's"?