Everett Collection
Happy 65th birthday to rapper, songwriter, DJ, record producer, minister and hip-hop legend Kurtis Blow! The multitalented star was born Kurtis Walker on Aug. 9, 1959 in New York City.
He was a pioneer of the burgeoning rap culture in the Bronx, New York, in the late 1970s and early ’80s, and his sound influenced greats like Run DMC, the Fat Boys and many others.
“The Breaks,” off his 1980 debut album, remains a touchstone of the hip-hop movement.
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He appeared in the 1985 film Krush Groove (pictured above), featuring a who’s who of 1980s rap greats.
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And we’ll never forget his 1985 hit “Basketball,” a tribute to the game and the legends who played it.
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Today, he’s celebrating a different sport, one that has its origins in the same time and place as hip-hop and rap. Breaking makes its debut as an Olympic sports at the Paris Games. Breakdancing emerged in New York City and grew in popularity alongside rap. It’s evolved from cardboard dancefloors on the streets and rooftops into an athletic form judged at the highest level of sport.
“Breakdancing is the ultimate of dancing, and it’s great to see it in the Olympics,” Blow says. “I’m just so honored and grateful that I’m alive to see this.”
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Blow is MC of the Hip Hop Nutcracker, a touring stage show that reimagines Tchaikovsky’s timeless holiday ballet with breakdancing and hip-hop grooves. The production is now in its 12th year. (Check here for tour dates and tickets.)
So much love and crazy mad props to Kurts Blow! May your crew always be strong, your pops always lockin’, your cypher full and your freezes frosty.
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