Kurtis Walker, professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, b-boy, DJ, public speaker and minister. He is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label. "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 self-titled debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song. Throughout his career he has released 15 albums and is currently an ordained minister.
James Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. With the breakthrough success of his single "I Need a Beat" and the Radio LP, LL Cool J became an early hip hop act to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC.
Radio is the debut album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was released on November 18, 1985, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was also Def Jam's first full-length album release.
Marcel Theo Hall, known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper, DJ, and record producer. Markie was best known for his 1989 single "Just a Friend", which became a top 40 hit in several countries. In 2008, "Just a Friend" made No. 100 on VH1's list of the 100 greatest hip hop songs of all time. Markie was sometimes referred to as the "Clown Prince of Hip Hop".
The Fat Boys were an American hip hop trio from Brooklyn, New York, that emerged in the early 1980s. The group was briefly known originally as the Disco 3, originally composed of Mark "Prince Markie Dee" Morales, Damon "Kool Rock-Ski" Wimbley, and Darren "Buff Love" Robinson.
Run-D.M.C. is the eponymous debut studio album by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C., released on March 27, 1984, by Profile Records. The album was produced by Russell Simmons and Larry Smith. It was considered groundbreaking for its time, presenting a tougher, more hardcore form of hip-hop. The album's sparse beats and aggressive rhymes were in sharp contrast with the light sound that was popular in hip hop at the time.
Krush Groove is a 1985 American musical comedy-drama film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures that was written by Ralph Farquhar and directed by Michael Schultz. This film is based on the early days of Def Jam Recordings and up-and-coming record producer Russell Simmons, portrayed by Blair Underwood in his feature film debut. Simmons was the film's co-producer and story consultant; he also had a cameo in the film as a club owner named Crocket.
David Franklin Reeves Jr. is an American musician, DJ, and producer best known for his work in cooperation with Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, and Jam Master Jay. An early associate of Russell Simmons and Larry Smith, Dave first made his name in the 1980s.
Disco Fever was a New York City dance club located in the South Bronx on Jerome Avenue and 167th street that operated from 1976 to 1986. After initially failing to draw very many customers, Sal Abbatiello convinced his father, the owner, to hand over the reins. Abbatiello quickly began featuring hip hop artists including a young Grandmaster Flash, and the club greatly increased in popularity and fame. Hip hop group Run-D.M.C. performed their first show at the club.
Disorderlies is a 1987 screwball comedy feature film starring the rap group, The Fat Boys, and Ralph Bellamy. The film was directed by Michael Schultz who also directed The Fat Boys in Krush Groove.
"The Breaks" is a 1980 single by American rapper Kurtis Blow from his self-titled debut album. It peaked at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first certified gold rap song, and the second certified gold 12-inch single. In 2008, the song ranked #10 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.
Mark Anthony Morales, better known by the stage name Prince Markie Dee, was an American rapper, songwriter, producer, actor, and radio personality. Morales was a member of the Fat Boys, a pioneering hip hop group that gained fame during the 1980s. Morales was the vice-president of Uncle Louie Music Group.
"Basketball" is a rap song written by William Waring, Robert Ford, Kurtis Blow, J. B. Moore, Jimmy Bralower, and Full Force and recorded by Kurtis Blow, released in 1984 from his album Ego Trip.
America is the sixth album by rapper Kurtis Blow, released in 1985 on Mercury Records. The album includes the song "If I Ruled the World" from the film Krush Groove, Blow's biggest hit since "The Breaks" and one of the last of his musical career. The album was the first album Kurtis Blow produced in a new deal with Polygram Records that gave Kurtis the title, 'Hip Hop's First Millionaire". The album was released in an era when old school hip hop was being overtaken by a harder sound and attitude. The album includes the first sample loop which revolutionized the music industry. The single, "If I Ruled the World", reached number 24 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1986.
Darren Robinson, also known as Big Buff, Buff Love, Buffy, The Human Beat Box, and DJ Doctor Nice, was a rapper, beatboxer, and actor who was a member of the 1980s hip hop group The Fat Boys. He, along with Doug E. Fresh and others, were pioneers of beatboxing, a form of vocal percussion used in many rap groups throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Lawrence Smith was a pioneering American musician and hip hop record producer. He is best known for his co-productions of Run-DMC's Run-D.M.C. (1984) and King of Rock (1985) and his solo production of Whodini's Escape (1984) and Back in Black (1986).
"Sucker M.C.'s" is a song by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C. It was first released in 1983 as B-side to "It's Like That". The two-sided release marked the start of Run-D.M.C.'s career as their first single, and it is widely regarded as ushering in a new school of hip hop artists with a street image and an abrasive, minimalist sound that marked them out from their predecessors. Both tracks were collected on the trio's self-titled debut album in 1984. WBAU was the first station to play the two songs.
The Fat Boys Are Back is the second studio album by the hip hop group the Fat Boys, released on June 1, 1985, by Sutra Records. The album was produced by Kurtis Blow. The album peaked at number 63 on the US Billboard 200, and number 11 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 9, 1986.
Big & Beautiful is the third studio album by the hip hop group the Fat Boys, released in May 1986 through Sutra Records; it was their last release on the label.
Run-DMC was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture and one of the most famous hip hop acts of the 1980s. Along with Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Public Enemy, the group pioneered new school hip hop music. The group was among the first to highlight the importance of the MC and DJ relationship.
