Kurtis Blow

Kurtis Blow was the first rapper to attain any chart success as a solo MC. His rap style found an accessible middle-ground between disco rappers the Sugar Hill Gang and the harder rhymes of Bronx MCs like the Cold Crush Brothers. Early hits "Christmas Rapping" and "The Breaks" brought the figure of the b-boy into the public eye for the first time and inspired a whole generation of rappers to follow, including LL Cool J and Run DMC.