The Breaks (song)

For other songs with similar titles, see Break (disambiguation) § Songs.
"The Breaks"
12" single cover
Single by Kurtis Blow
from the album Kurtis Blow
B-side"The Breaks" (Instrumental/Do It Yourself)
ReleasedJune 14, 1980[1]
Recorded1980[2]
Genre
Length
  • 7:43 (Album and 12" version)
  • 5:52 (12" instrumental version)
  • 4:05 (7" version)
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)Kurtis Blow, Robert Ford Jr., James B. Moore, Russell Simmons, Larry Smith
Producer(s)J.B. Moore, Robert Ford Jr.
Kurtis Blow singles chronology
"Christmas Rappin'"
(1979) 		"The Breaks"
(1980) 		"Hard Times"
(1981)

"The Breaks" is a song by American rapper Kurtis Blow from his self-titled debut album. It was released as a single in June 1980 and peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] It was the first certified gold rap song, and the second certified gold 12-inch single.[5][6] In 2008, the song ranked #10 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.[7]

  1. ^ Steve Sullivan (2017-05-17). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 3. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442254497. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  2. ^ "Key Tracks: Kurtis Blow's Self-Titled Debut Album". Red Bull Music Academy. 2015-12-07. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  3. ^ "40 Years of 'The Breaks': Kurtis Blow Remembers the 'Dream World' Surrounding Rap's First Gold Hit".
  4. ^ "Kurtis Blow - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  5. ^ Zanfagna, Christina (2017). Holy Hip Hop in the City of Angels. University of California Press. p. 55. ISBN 9780520296206.
  6. ^ George, Nelson (1988). The Death of Rhythm & Blues. New York, NY: Pantheon Books. p. 191. ISBN 0142004081. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  7. ^ "VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs". Prefixmag.com. Retrieved 2010-05-08.