Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959), professionally known by his stage
name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter,
record/film producer, b-boy, DJ, public speaker and minister. He is
the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a
major record label. "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 self-titled
debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song. Throughout
his career he has released 15 albums and is currently an ordained
minister.Walker was raised in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. He
attended CCNY and Nyack College, studying communications/film and
ministry.Walker was raised in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. He
attended CCNY and Nyack College, studying communications/film and
ministry.In 1979, at the age of twenty, Kurtis Blow became the first
rapper to be signed by a major label, Mercury, which released
"Christmas Rappin'". It sold over 400,000 copies, becoming one of the
first commercially successful hip hop singles. Its follow-up, "The
Breaks", also sold over half a million copies. He released ten albums
over the next eleven years. His first album was Kurtis Blow, while his
second was the Top 40 pop album Deuce. Party Time featured a fusion of
rap and go-go. Ego Trip included the hits: "8 Million Stories", "AJ
Scratch", and "Basketball". His 1985 album, America, garnered praise
for its title track's music video. From this album, the song "If I
Ruled the World" became a Top 5 hit on Billboard's R&B chart. By 1983,
he moved into production.He lived in Co-op City in the Bronx in the
mid-1980s. Kurtis Blow Top Movies & Young Movies