The Breaks (song) explained

The Breaks
Cover:Kurtis Blow - The Breaks.jpg
Caption:12" single cover
Type:single
Artist:Kurtis Blow
Album:Kurtis Blow
B-Side:"The Breaks" (Instrumental/Do It Yourself)
Released:June 14, 1980[1]
Recorded:1980[2]
Length:
  • (Album and 12" version)
  • (12" instrumental version)
  • (7" version)
Label:Mercury
Producer:J.B. Moore, Robert Ford Jr.
Prev Title:Christmas Rappin'
Prev Year:1979
Next Title:Hard Times
Next Year: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.[3] It was the first certified gold rap song, and the second certified gold 12-inch single.[4] [5] In 2008, the song ranked #10 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.[6]

Lyrics and structure

"The Breaks" repeats the word "break" (or any of its homophones) 84 times over six and a half minutes. It features six breakdowns (seven including the outro) while there are three definitions for "break," "to break" or "brakes" used in the lyrics. Unlike most hip-hop songs which sample prerecorded funk, the funk beat in this song is original (contrary to suggestions that it sampled "Long Train Runnin'" by The Doobie Brothers).

Chart performance

The single hit No. 87 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart, and No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Dance chart.

Chart (1980)Peak
position
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[7] 47
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 87
US Billboard National Disco Top 100[9] 9
US Billboard Hot Soul Singles[10] 4

Certifications

It sold over 500,000 copies, becoming the first rap song to earn a gold certification from the RIAA[4] and the second 12-inch single to earn a gold certification, following "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer.[5] [11]

Media

The song has featured in several video games: the 2002 game on the fictional in-game radio station "Wildstyle", the 2005 game , the 2006 game and the 2011 Kinect game Dance Central 2.

Samples

It has been sampled by others, including the background beat being used in Organized Rhyme's song "Check the O.R." and the 2005 reggaeton single, "Chacarron Macarron" by El Chombo.

Female rap group Nadanuf remade the song alongside Kurtis Blow on their 1997 album Worldwide.[12] Blow re-recorded the song on the album Tricka Technology by A Skillz and Krafty Kuts.

H.O.T's Tony Ahn rapped portions of "The Breaks" as an uncredited vocal for the intro of S.E.S.'s "I'm Your Girl".

Notes and References

  1. Book: Steve Sullivan. Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 3. Rowman & Littlefield. 2017-05-17. 9781442254497. 2019-12-05.
  2. Web site: Key Tracks: Kurtis Blow's Self-Titled Debut Album. Red Bull Music Academy. 2015-12-07. 2019-12-05.
  3. Web site: Kurtis Blow - Chart history Billboard. www.billboard.com. 2015-07-01.
  4. Book: Zanfagna . Christina . Holy Hip Hop in the City of Angels . 2017 . University of California Press . 9780520296206 . 55.
  5. Book: George, Nelson . Nelson George

    . Nelson George . 1988 . The Death of Rhythm & Blues . New York, NY . Pantheon Books . 191 . 0142004081 . June 16, 2015.

  6. Web site: VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs . Prefixmag.com . 2010-05-08 .
  7. Web site: officialcharts.com. officialcharts.com. February 21, 2023.
  8. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

    . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 93.

  9. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

    . Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 37.

  10. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

    . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 67.

  11. Hot Madonna: July Fills Her Coffers With RIAA Metal . Grein . Paul . Billboard. Billboard Publications, Inc.. August 10, 1985 . June 16, 2015 . 1 . 0006-2510. 97. 32.
  12. Web site: Answers.com - Worldwide . Answers.com . 2007-07-11 .