Kurtis Blow
The Best Of Kurtis Blow (1994)


As the first commercially successful rap artist, Kurtis Blow is a towering figure in hip-hop history. His popularity and charisma helped prove that rap music was something more than a flash-in-the-pan novelty, paving the way for the even greater advances of Grandmaster Flash and Run-D.M.C. Blow was the first rapper to sign with (and release an album for) a major label; the first to have a single certified gold (1980's landmark "The Breaks"); the first to embark on a national (and international) concert tour; and the first to cement rap's mainstream marketability by signing an endorsement deal. For that matter, he was really the first significant solo rapper on record, and as such he was a natural focal point for many aspiring young MCs in the early days of hip-hop. For all his immense importance and influence, many of Blow's records haven't dated all that well; his rapping technique, limber for its time, simply wasn't as evolved as the more advanced MCs who built upon his style and followed him up the charts. But at his very best, Blow epitomizes the virtues of the old school: ingratiating, strutting party music that captures the exuberance of an art form still in its youth.

Channels:		2 (stereo)
Sample Rate:		44.1 KHz
Sample Size:		16 bit
Bit Rate:		320 kbps

Audio Quality:		Very High (Lossy)
Encoder:		LAME 3.98r
Encoder Settings:	Constant Bit Rate 320 kbps (Insane)
Contains:		Album Art, ID Tag [ID3v2.3 (ANSI) & ID3v1.1]

Format:			Mp3
Genre:			Rap & Hip Hop
M3U Playlist:		Yes

While he made many groundbreaking singles, Kurtis Blow was never a consistent album artist, making this best-of collection his definitive artistic statement. Throughout the early '80s, Blow helped define what rap could do, and these tracks confirm his status as one of hip-hop's legendary acts.

01.The Breaks
02.Christmas Rappin'
03.Hard Times
04.Starlife
05.Tough
06.Daydreamin'
07.Party Time
08.One-Two-Five (Main Street, Harlem, USA)
09.8 Million Stories
10.Aj Scratch
11.Basketball
12.America
13.If I Ruled The World
14.I'm Chillin'


Cheers!