"Christmas Rappin'" - Kurtis Blow - 1979

This is a plezWorld re-post to get you in the Spirit.

To aid in that effort and help you work up a sweat, I've included "Christmas Rappin'" and Part 2 of "Rappin' Blow"!

"Christmas Rappin'" by Kurtis Blow

As released by Mercury Records in 1979

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house...

Hold Up! That's played out!

Don't you get me all that jive
About things you wrote before I was alive
'Cause this ain't 1823
Ain't even 1970

Now I'm the guy named Kurtis Blow
And Christmas is one thing I know
So every year, just about this time
I celebrate it with a rhyme

Gonna shake it, gonna bake it, gonna make it good
Gonna rock shock rock through your neighborhood
Gonna ring it, gonna sing it till it's understood
My rap's about to happen
Like the knee you was slappin
Or the toe you been tappin' on a hunk of wood

'Bout a red-suited dude, with a friendly attitude
And a sleigh full of goodies for the people on the block
Got a long white beard, maybe looks kind of weird
And if you ever seen him he could give a quite shock

Now people let me tell ya about last year
When the dude came flying over here
Well the hawk was out, the snow's on the ground,
Folks stayed in to party down

The beat was thumping on the block,
And I was dancing in my socks

And the drummer played at a solid pace

And a taste of the bass was in my face

And the guitar player laid down a heavy layer of the funky chunky rhythm of the disco beat

And the guy with the 88
Started to participate
And I could sure appreciate it sound so sweat

We were all in the mood so we had a little food
And a joke, and a smoke, and a little bit of wine
When I thought I heard a hoof on top of the roof
Could it be or was it me? I was feeling super fine

So I went to the attic where I thought heard the static
On a chance that the prance was somebody breaking in
But the noise on the top was a reindeer clop
Just a tricky St. Nick so I let the sucker in

He was rolly, he was poly, and not the holy moly
You got a lot of whiskers on your chinny, chin, chin
He was loud, he was proud of the hairy little crowd
On the point of the door where the skin should've been

Get's cool for a fool throwin' out a merry yule
For a day on sleigh where the cold winds blow
So the beard maybe cleared but I never have it cheered
'Cause it's warm in the storm when it's ten below

I said, "You're right it's cold tonight,
Can you stop for a drop before you go?"
He said, "Why not? If the music's hot,
And I'll chance a dance beneath the mistletoe."

So he went downstairs and forgot his cares
And he rocked the spot and danced like a pro
And every young girl tried to rock his world
But he boogie oogie oogied till he had to go

And before he went this fine old gent
Finding gifts went sift through his big red bag
In the top for the bottom he reached in and got 'em
Had toys for boys and a girl's glad rag

And the grownups got some presents too
A new TV and a stere-ooh.
A new Seville 'bout as blue as the sky
The best that money couldn't buy

'Cause money could never ever buy the feelin
The one that comes from not concealin'
The way you feel about your friends
And this is how the story ends

The dude he heads back at the pole
Up north where everything is cold
But if he were right here tonight
He'd say "Merry Christmas! And to all -- a good night!"

~~~~~ RAPPIN' BLOW, PART 2 ~~~~~

I see that its not clear,
For you good buddy so clean out your ears,
So listen very closely while I pop my game,
'Cause my names in the Hall of Fame

The K-U-R, the T-I-S,
The first is the best I must confess
The B-L-O and the W
Makes you wanna catch the boogaloo flu

Now, If your name is Annie
Get up off your fannie
If your name is Clyde,
Get off your backside
If you name is Pete,
You don't need a seat

'Cause i'm Kurtis Blow and i'm on the go
I'm rocking to the beat in stere-ery-ooh!

Now just throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care.
And if your ready like Freddie to rock real steady ,
Somebody say, "Oh yeah!"

Young ladies, all the ladies in the house say, "Owww"
And you don't stop, come on, come on, come on, let me see you rock.

Ah get down and stop messing around
When Kurtis Blow is in your town
I'm Kurtis Blow on the microphone
A place called Harlem was my home

I was rocking one day, it started to shake
It sound to me a-like a earthquake
I packed my bags, I said goodbye
I kissed my woman, and I started to fly

I came to Earth by a meteorite
To rock you all on the mic
So just kick off your shoes, let your fingers pop
Kurtis Blow's just about ready to rock

Now people in the back, if you're not too whack, say:
"Don't stop the body rock!"

People in the front, if you want to bump, say:
"Don't stop the body rock!"

People in the middle, if you want to wiggle, say:
"Don't stop the body rock!"

And people on the side, if you want to slide, say:
"Don't stop the body rock!"

Now a preacher or a teacher or a e-lec-tri-cian
A fighter, or a writer, or a po-li-ti-cian
The man with the key to your ignition
Kurtis Blow is competition

Young ladies, shock the house
Yes, the young ladies, shock the house

A-just throw your hands in the air
And wave them like you just don't care

If you're really, really ready to rock this house this morning
Somebody say, "Oh yeah!"

Somebody scream

Young ladies, Mercedes, all the ladies in the house say "ow"
"Ow"

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho-ho-ho!

KURTIS BLOW AD LIB & 70's ERA PARTY CHANTS

plez sez: quite possibly the GREATEST christmas song ever?!? quite possibly the GREATEST dance hit ever?!? ok, it is easily the GREATEST christmas song that you can dance to!!!

it is a fact that this was the FIRST rap single ever released by a major record label! kurtis blow and his two producers took this song to Mercury Records, who signed him to a 2-single deal, under the condition that if both singles were successful, he would get an album deal. this was the first single, and it did very well. the second single was "The Breaks," and it became the first rap song to be certified as a gold record, selling over 500,000 copies. kurtis got the album deal and became the first rapper signed to a major label. his first album contained the second part of "Christmas Rappin'," the party part with was released as "Rappin' Blow, Part 2."

plezWorld was in high school and had a party at my parents' house during the christmas break. i remember that my parents' house was packed, cars were all over the front lawn, and my oldest brother hooked me up with some "punch" and one of his frat brothers played the part of the dj. this song had just been released and it was the ONLY song that we played at the party... over and over and over! it was such a JAM, that we didn't want to listen to any of the other records! those were the days when you could throw a house party with only one or two records.

it's funny, but this single (which was a 12" single) is probably still in the record player at my parents' house.

NOTE: the sugar hill gang's "rapper's delight" was released earlier in the year by sugar hill records, which was not a major label at the time.


["christmas rappin'" info courtesy of SongFacts.]

[Lyrics are courtesy of plez sez from my bank vault-type memory of 29 years ago!]

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Seniors for the Ethical Treatment of Hip Hop

Just when you thought that you've seen (or heard) it all... then you stumble onto something like this. The Funky Fresh Senior Choir does a number of renditions of hip hop standards including joints by MC Hammer, Outkast, and Nelly!

ENJOY!

plez sez: "i'm getting so hot, i'm gonna take my [robe] off!"

and whoever was on the keyboards was definitely "in the groove"...

i'm definitely trippin'... i can't stop laughing!

Shaq Freestyle Rap

Shaquille O'Neal Does Some Freestyle Rap

plez sez: Shaq sounds kinda bitter, if you ask me (he spent this year's NBA Finals at home and he's only got one more ring than Kobe Bryant)! but it seemed like good fun, except the rip on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaq couldn't carry Kareem's jock strap!

but you gotta love the hook: "Kobe, tell me how my ass taste!"

"Christmas Rappin'" by Kurtis Blow

"Christmas Rappin'" by Kurtis Blow

As released by Mercury Records in 1979

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house...

Hold Up! That's played out!

Don't you get me all that jive
About things you wrote before I was alive
'Cause this ain't 1823
Ain't even 1970

Now I'm the guy named Kurtis Blow
And Christmas is one thing I know
So every year, just about this time
I celebrate it with a rhyme

Gonna shake it, gonna bake it, gonna make it good
Gonna rock shock rock through your neighborhood
Gonna ring it, gonna sing it till it's understood
My rap's about to happen
Like the knee you was slappin
Or the toe you been tappin' on a hunk of wood

'Bout a red-suited dude, with a friendly attitude
And a sleigh full of goodies for the people on the block
Got a long white beard, maybe looks kind of weird
And if you ever seen him he could give a quite shock

Now people let me tell ya about last year
When the dude came flying over here
Well the hawk was out, the snow's on the ground,
Folks stayed in to party down

The beat was thumping on the block,
And I was dancing in my socks

And the drummer played at a solid pace

And a taste of the bass was in my face

And the guitar player laid down a heavy layer of the funky chunky rhythm of the disco beat

And the guy with the 88
Started to participate
And I could sure appreciate it sound so sweat

We were all in the mood so we had a little food
And a joke, and a smoke, and a little bit of wine
When I thought I heard a hoof on top of the roof
Could it be or was it me? I was feeling super fine

So I went to the attic where I thought heard the static
On a chance that the prance was somebody breaking in
But the noise on the top was a reindeer clop
Just a tricky St. Nick so I let the sucker in

He was rolly, he was poly, and not the holy moly
You got a lot of whiskers on your chinny, chin, chin
He was loud, he was proud of the hairy little crowd
On the point of the door where the skin should've been

Get's cool for a fool throwin' out a merry yule
For a day on sleigh where the cold winds blow
So the beard maybe cleared but I never have it cheered
'Cause it's warm in the storm when it's ten below

I said, "You're right it's cold tonight,
Can you stop for a drop before you go?"
He said, "Why not? If the music's hot,
And I'll chance a dance beneath the mistletoe."

So he went downstairs and forgot his cares
And he rocked the spot and danced like a pro
And every young girl tried to rock his world
But he boogie oogie oogied till he had to go

And before he went this fine old gent
Finding gifts went sift through his big red bag
In the top for the bottom he reached in and got 'em
Had toys for boys and a girl's glad rag

And the grownups got some presents too
A new TV and a stere-u.
A new Seville 'bout as blue as the sky
The best that money couldn't buy

'Cause money could never ever buy the feelin
The one that comes from not concealin'
The way you feel about your friends
And this is how the story ends

The dude he heads back at the pole
Up north where everything is cold
But if he were right here tonight
He'd say "Merry Christmas! And to all--a good night!"

~~~~~ RAPPIN' BLOW, PART 2 ~~~~~

I see that its not clear,
For you good buddy so clean out your ears,
So listen very closely while I pop my game,
'Cause my names in the Hall of Fame

The K-U-R, the T-I-S,
The first is the best I must confess
The B-L-O and the W
Makes you wanna catch the boogaloo flu

Now, If your name is Annie
Get up off your fannie
If your name is Clyde,
Get off your backside
If you name is Pete,
You don't need a seat

'Cause i'm Kurtis Blow and i'm on the go
I'm rocking to the beat in stere-ery-oh!

Now just throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care.
And if your ready like freddie to rock real steady ,
Somebody say, "Oh yeah!"

Young ladies, all the ladies in the house say, "Owww"
And you don't stop, come on, come on, come on, let me see you rock.

Ah get down and stop messing around
When Kurtis Blow is in your town
I'm Kurtis Blow on the microphone
A place called Harlem was my home

I was rocking one day, it started to shake
It sound to me a-like a earthquake
I packed my bags, I said goodbye
I kissed my woman, and I started to fly

I came to Earth by a meteorite
To rock you all on the mic
So just kick off your shoes, let your fingers pop
Kurtis Blow's just about ready to rock

Now people in the back, if you're not the whack, say:
"Don't stop the body rock!"

People in the front, if you want to bump, say:
"Don't stop the body rock!"

People in the middle, if you want to wiggle, say:
"Don't stop the body rock!"

And people on the side, if you want to slide, say:
"Don't stop the body rock!"

Now a preacher or a teacher or a e-lec-tri-cian
A fighter, or a writer, or a po-li-ti-cian
The man with the key to your ignition
Kurtis Blow is competition

Young ladies, shock the house
Yes, the young ladies, shock the house

A-just throw your hands in the air
And wave them like you just don't care

If you're really, really ready to rock this house this morning
Somebody say, "Oh yeah!"

Somebody scream

KURTIS BLOW AD LIB & 70's ERA PARTY CHANTS

plez sez: quite possibly the GREATEST christmas song ever?!? quite possibly the GREATEST dance hit ever?!? ok, it is easily the GREATEST christmas song that you can dance to!!!

it is a fact that this was the FIRST rap single ever released by a major record label! kurtis blow and his two producers took this song to Mercury Records, who signed him to a 2-single deal, under the condition that if both singles were successful, he would get an album deal. this was the first single, and it did very well. the second single was "The Breaks," and it became the first rap song to be certified as a gold record, selling over 500,000 copies. kurtis got the album deal and became the first rapper signed to a major label. his first album contained the second part of "Christmas Rappin'," the party part with was released as "Rappin' Blow, Part 2."

plezWorld was in high school and had a party at my house during the christmas break. i remember that my parents' house was packed, cars were all over the front lawn, and my oldest brother hooked me up with some "punch" and one of his frat brothers played the part of the dj. this song had just been released and it was the ONLY song that we played at the party... over and over and over! it was such a JAM, that we didn't want to listen to any of the other records! those were the days when you could throw a house party with only one or two records.

it's funny, but this single (which was a 12" single) is probably still in the record player at my parents' house.

NOTE: the sugar hill gang's "rapper's delight" was released earlier in the year by sugar hill records, which was not a major label at the time.


["christmas rappin'" info courtesy of SongFacts.]

"Read A Book" - The Rap Video

I stumbled across the following video on YouTube.com. It is a somewhat entertaining satire on the state of hip hop today. I edited the description of the video:

This was shot on BET Animation [for] "106 & Park". It is a satirical observation on the current ridiculous, offensive, and embarrassing state of the once noble art of hip hop. The rapper who made the song is also satirizing the current popular rap music which is an embarrassment to everything [that] rap was. While making this social satire, he also provides a positive message [mixed with some] social commentary.

WARNING:
Due to excessive cussin' and gratuitous use of the n-word,
this video is NOT suitable for children.

plez sez: i grappled with myself for several days trying to decide whether to post this video on my blog. i don't want anyone to misconstrue this blog as a supporter of this kind of "art."

i tend to agree with the video description that this is a sad commentary on the state of rap (and hip hop). the question we should ask, "what is more important, the message or the messenger?" should we continue to support and make millionaires out of the kind of "artists" who would write, produce, and distribute something that you wouldn't want your young children to listen to?

back in the day, it was understood that Millie Jackson, Redd Foxx, and Richard Pryor were only for adults. but now, "artists" like Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent enjoy mass distribution and airplay of their "art" no matter how crude and vile the content.

i remember when rap music first enjoyed popularity (late 70's and early 80's): there wasn't an emphasis on "keepin' it real"! there was little or no cursing. believe it or not, but the Video Vixen is a relatively new phenomenon. and the n-word didn't enjoy such popularity in our music.

if it weren't so sad, it would be funny.

damn! i long for the days of rap songs like "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five."