Rap Single Certified Gold For The First Time

1980

"The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow becomes the first rap single certified Gold.

With an original beat and a huge party vibe, the song extends the reach of rap well past the Bronx, where Kurtis grew up. The song is a tribute to the break dancers in the area, with lots of wordplay on the different meanings of "breaks." Running nearly 8-minutes long, it's a 12-inch single, just the second one to go Gold, following the Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand disco duet "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)." Perfect for club play, it fills dancefloors throughout the summer of 1980. By melding with disco, rap crosses over to a new audience; in 1981 Debbie Harry busts some rhymes in the Blondie song "Rapture," which becomes the first #1 hit with a rap. As disco fades, so does hip-hop, but it proves far more than a fad when it comes alive a few years later, with Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys and LL Cool J leading the way. Kurtis Blow never reaches the heights of "The Breaks," but in 1985 he releases "If I Ruled The World," later a huge hit for Nas. In later years, Kurtis becomes an ambassador for classic hip-hop, always getting a huge reaction when he does "The Breaks."