Kurtis Blow released the 1980 single “The Breaks,” one of hip hop’s earliest gold-certified hits.
Released by Mercury Records, “The Breaks” was built around an upbeat disco-influenced groove and repeated uses of the word “break.” Its commercial success helped demonstrate that rap music could reach a large mainstream audience through a major record label.
The song followed Blow’s 1979 debut single, “Christmas Rappin’,” which was also historically important. “The Breaks” became his signature recording and is often cited as the first certified gold rap single, although earlier hip hop recordings had already appeared independently and regionally.
Kurtis Blow was born Curtis Walker in Harlem, New York. He was among the first rappers signed to a major label and helped establish the rapper as a solo recording artist rather than only a performer on party records or live DJ sets.