Kurtis Blow Takes Holy Hip Hop Worldwide

Rap News Network
September 22, 2006

Holy Hip Hop Music and Pastor Kurtis Blow announced today that they have entered into a multi-year, multi-album strategic alliance.

September 22, 2006 — Holy Hip Hop Music and Pastor Kurtis Blow announced today that they have entered into a multi-year, multi-album strategic alliance. The terms of the agreement provide generally that: Holy Hip Hop Music and Pastor Kurtis Blow will collaborate, as a part of its exclusive agreement distribution with EMI Gospel, to produce, distribute and market Music Ministry Recordings with the first retail CD release slated for Spring 2007.

“Pastor Kurtis Blow is a man of Faith, Valor and Vision: Faith in that Pastor Kurtis Blow trusts in God with all his heart; Valor in that Pastor Kurtis Blow fears no man or circumstance; and Vision in that Pastor Kurtis Blow is always on the forefront as a pioneer and person who not only can see clearly what is to come, but has no trepidation in acting on vision to fulfill destiny and to accelerate movement. These qualities are why Holy Hip Hop Music and EMI Gospel are proud to be in close covenant and partnership with Pastor Kurtis Blow fulfilling the mission to advance Hip Hop Ministry, advancing the Gospel, worldwide without delay,” said Panchetta Harris, Holy Hip Hop Music - General Manager.

About Kurtis Blow:
Kurtis Blow, one of the founders and creators of recorded rap, stands as an emerging leader in a new generation of rappers with street sense, social criticism and commercial savvy. A timeless artist and hip hop legend, Kurtis Blow has been instrumental in raising up a generation of MCs, and he will soon carry the torch for hip hop music into new arenas. In 1979, at the age of 20, Kurtis Blow became the first rapper to be signed by a major label. Mercury released “Christmas Rappin,” and it sold over 400,000 copies and became an annual classic. Its gold follow up “The Breaks” helped ignite a still spreading international Rap Attack. He released 10 Albums over 11 years — the first entitled “Kurtis Blow,” his full length debut and his second, a Top 50 pop album, “Deuce,” a big hit across Europe; “Party Time,” which featured a pioneering fusion of rap and GoGo; “Ego Trip,” which includes the hits “8 Million Stories,” “AJ” and “Basketball” and in 1985, “America.” “America’s” video innovation received an MTV Monitor Award.

Kurtis Blow is now working for Sirius Satellite Radio on the Classic Old School Hip Hop station Backspin 43. In 1996 Kurtis Blow was featured in a Hip Hop display at the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame. The display still stands. In 1998, the group Next released “Too Close,” in which the music of “Christmas Rap” was sampled for the ..1 pop songs background track. “Too Close” was the longest running ..1 song of 1998 for Billboards Pop Chart. ASCAP honored Blow and Next at a gala affair on May 26, 1999. In 2002 after 9/11, Kurtis went overseas to the Middle East to tour the Armed Forces Bases for 17 shows to bring a little bit of back home to the troops stationed there. The tour consisted of shows in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Krgystan, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. It was a tour I will never forget, Blow says. I did the Bob Hope thing.

Here are many of the firsts credited to Kurtis Blow: First rapper to sign to a Major label First certified gold record for rap (”The Breaks”), First rapper to tour US & Europe (w/ The Commodores, 1980), First rapper to record a national commercial (Sprite), First rapper to use the drum machine, sample & sample loop, First rap music video (Basketball), First rap producer (Rap’s producer of the year in 198385), First rapper featured in a soap opera (One Life to Live), First rap millionaire.

Kurtis Blow helped legitimize Hip Hop, and now, he intends to help redeem it. Having made a deep commitment to the ways and teachings of Jesus Christ, Kurtis has began attending Ministry classes at NYACK College Class of 2009. As co-founder of the Hip Hop Church, Kurtis serves as rapper, DJ and worship leader. Don’t get it twisted, God has always existed, says Kurtis, and in terms of these young people out here who love God but do not like to go to church, only Hip Hop can bring them back to the church.

For More information on Kurtis Blow Ministries, Click here: http://HipHopChurch.org

Source: rapnews.net