Kurtis Blow

He has appeared in the films Krush Groove and The Show. His name and song-writing abilities gained prominence again when Ringo Starr released a cover of "You're Sixteen" in 1973. The whole field was derided as a fad, though, and thus there was much resistance to signing Blow. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. This occurred after recording "Christmas Rappin", his first single; during this time, "Rappers Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang became the first hit for hip hop. Johnny Burnette's career was cut short at the age of 30 when he drowned in a boating accident. He was the first rapper to record a full lengh album on a major label (1980). Although they managed to get a recording contract, in 1957 the group split up due to a lack of commercial success, but while living in California in 1960 Burnette had a back-to-back major hits with songs he wrote titled "Dreamin" and "You're Sixteen", followed by "Little Boy Sad" a year later.

Blow began his career in New York in the mid-1970s, when he was a breakdancer until switching to DJing and then rapping. They are considered to be the ones who originally coined the phrase "Rockabilly". Bob Dylan appeared on Kurtis Blow's 1986 album "Kingdom Blow". Along with his brother Dorsey Burnette and a friend, Paul Burlison, in the early 1950s he formed the Johnny Burnette Rock and Roll Trio. He was influenced by DJ Hollywood. Johnny Burnette (March 25, 1934 - August 14, 1964) was a Rockabilly pioneer in Memphis, Tennessee. "The Breaks" (1979) is one of hip hop's undisputed classics (basically a catchy disco tune with rapping) and Nas made a new version of Blow's "If I Ruled The World".

Kurtis Blow, (born Curtis Walker on August 9, 1959), is one of the most influential early rappers and hip hop's first mainstream star. 1988 Back by Popular Demand. 1986 Kingdom Blow. 1985 America.

1984 Rapper in Town. 1984 Ego Trip. 1983 Party Time (EP). 1982 Tough.

1981 Deuce. 1980 Kurtis Blow (Mercury).