

I had developed a love for the piano, which is my favorite instrument. Rocky and I were at odds in the studio over this song. passing away in May, can you speak to your friendship with Rocky and him writing a portion of “The Breaks,” as well as being like a father figure to you?
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Related News Britney Spears Gives Fans an Update on Her Wellbeing, Says She's the 'Happiest I've Ever Been' I’m 21, and I just made it into manhood and here I have the No. I thought I hit the big time and had a hit record. I was 21-years-old and the record actually peaked at No.

Were the charts something you were focused on? “The Breaks” was one of the first rap songs to make the Hot 100. It was one of the first songs to have a hook that was a repetitive chorus and once you heard it, you were hearing it throughout the day. It was the second certified 12-inch in the history of music. The record was the first certified-gold record in hip-hop. I was in the right place at the right time and available for all of the promotion and press for the documentation of this birth of the culture.
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It was a series of miracles and blessings from God. Kurtis Blow: I remember it being like a dream world. What do you remember most from that time in your life? With your boombox turned all the way up, dive into our nostalgic interview with Kurtis Blow, where he reminisces on 40 years of “The Breaks,” his friendship with Robert Ford Jr., why Michael Jordan stopped talking to him on the quest to his first NBA title, and more.īillboard: “The Breaks” is turning 40-years-old this weekend. “I remember having many conversations with him, either on a plane or riding in a car somewhere or waiting backstage. “He traveled with me for the first year or so, doing shows, live performances,” Blow told Billboard earlier in June. The hip-hop pioneer played an integral role in Blow’s rise to stardom, as Kurtis looked at him as a father figure, who helped him shed his shy tendencies and turn into a more evocative performer on stage. One person in the studio that helped write and produce the salient “The Breaks” was the late Robert “Rocky” Ford Jr., who passed away at age 70 in May. The domino effect continued for Blow to impact the charts, which led to “The Breaks” peaking at No.

Kurtis’ funky rhymes freed hip-hop from the shackles to infiltrate radio dials across the country. “The Breaks” made history as the first rap song to ever be gold-certified by the RIAA - yes, he’s still got the plaque - and the second 12-inch single overall to go gold.
