Kurtis Blow - Rappin'

Kurtis Blow – Rappin’

Rappin’ is a 1980s hip hop track by Kurtis Blow, one of rap’s true pioneers and the first rapper signed to a major record label (Mercury Records). Known as one of the earliest commercially successful rappers, Kurtis Blow helped bring hip hop from the Bronx block parties into the mainstream.

The song Rappin’ embodies the raw, party-starting energy of early rap – heavy on rhythm, crowd call-outs, and braggadocious delivery rather than complex rhyme schemes. It’s very much a time capsule of the genre’s foundations, coming at a moment when rap was still finding its shape in popular culture.

Random facts about Kurtis Blow and the song:

Kurtis Blow’s 1980 single The Breaks was the first certified gold rap record.

He was managed by Russell Simmons (who later co-founded Def Jam).

Kurtis Blow opened for Bob Marley on tour in 1978 – years before most of the world had even heard of rap.

The track Rappin’ (sometimes confused with the 1985 film Rappin’ that he contributed music to) was one of the first rap records to get significant radio play outside New York.

Many early hip hop acts, from Run-D.M.C. to LL Cool J, cite him as a direct influence.