No discussion of early hip-hop would be complete without some mention of Kurtis Blow, whose cocky, flamboyant, in-your-face brand of old-school rapping made him an inspiration to Run D.M.C., Whodini, and many other MCs who emerged in the early '80s. Born in New York on August 9, 1959, Blow grew up in Harlem and was rapping in Charles Gallery (a Harlem club) as early as 1976. In 1977 and 1978, the MC's frequent club appearances earned him a small inner-city cult following in Harlem and the South Bronx. But it wasn't until 1979 that Blow enjoyed his first taste of national exposure. That year, he signed with Mercury (Blow was the first rapper to record for a major label) and provided his debut single, "Christmas Rappin'." The song did OK nationally, but not as well as Blow's second single, "The Breaks," a 1980 gem that went to number four on Billboard's R&B singles chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. It was also in 1980 that Blow recorded his self-titled debut album, which was the first rap album to come out on a major label. Several other Mercury LPs followed, including Deuce in 1981, Tough in 1982, and Ego Trip in 1984. By 1984, Blow's rapping style was sounding dated; nonetheless, he had gone down in history as one of hip-hop's most influential pioneers. Blow, who turned 40 in 1999, wasn't as visible in the 1990s, although he hosted a hip-hop radio show on L.A.'s KPWR-FM (Power 106) and wrote the liner notes for Rhino's 1997 series Kurtis Blow Presents the History of Rap.

SOURCE: All Music Guide by Alex Henderson