You made it, you made it!” I said, “Oh my God. So just then, the nurses and doctors saw that I was awake. “I’m alive I made it, oh my God!” And so I touched my chest, and I saw like four big tubes coming out. And so I started wiggling my fingers, right. Moving around and everything, and I’m like, “Oh my God. I see nurses all around, doctors all around me.
In the hospital, waking up to an operation, so I’m waking up opening my eyes. You know, I’m really fortunate and blessed to still be here. I had four heart operations, and man, I’d say God is still in the miracle business. Man, it was an ordeal the last four years of my life. I want to thank my wife of 37 years, praying for me and my family, and all my friends. (Laughing) Because, man, I am still overjoyed, grateful, and thankful for all my doctors over at UCLA. We can talk about the heart transplant for days. OAW: Would you mind talking about your heart transplant? I’m curious about what it was like for you, how it’s changed your life, and how it’s affected your artistry. You know, 30-40 shows two, three times a year, but once I get through the first three shows, you know, no problem! Everything is, you know, copacetic. It is pretty much a long tour, but I’ll tell you, I’ve been doing this for a long time. That’s what dancers all need to do, is stretch before a show. Kurtis Blow: A lot of it has to do with training and diet and a lot of water and working out before the performance. How do you do that? Especially considering that you recently had a heart transplant? That’s major! A significant thing for you and a profound experience. Oregon ArtsWatch: This is a really long tour, with performances in 31 cities. I had just 15 minutes to ask him as many questions as I could, and this is what we talked about. He was warm, cheerful, upbeat, and open to talking about anything: During our conversation his faith was very much on his mind. A couple of weeks ago I had the immense honor and pleasure to interview Kurtis Blow over Zoom. The Hip Hop Nutcracker has been touring annually beginning in 2015, and this year’s cast is in the midst of its Northwest swing: It played Eugene on Friday the 12th, is in Seattle on Saturday and Sunday, Olympia on Monday, and Portland on Tuesday before heading to Denver and other cities for performances through Jan. He was the first rapper with a music video, the first rap producer, the first rapper featured in a soap opera, and the first rap millionaire.Īs special guest MC, he bookends The Hip Hop Nutcracker by revving the audience up and getting them excited for the show, taking a musical trip down memory lane with a few old-school hip hop songs, singing and dancing in the aisles, and a countdown on New Year’s Eve, then closing with a performance of his song The Breaks. Kurtis Blow was also the first rapper to tour internationally, the first rapper to record a national commercial, and the first rapper to use the drum machine and sample loop. At 20, he was the first rapper to sign with a major recording label, and his single The Breaks was the first certified gold record rap song. His most well-known songs are The Breaks (1980), Christmas Rappin’ (1980), and Basketball (1984). It features Tchaikovsky’s music, a dozen all-star hip hop and contemporary dancers, a DJ, and a violinist, with visual effects that transform the stage into a vibrant city.Įmcee Kurtis Blow is an American rapper, producer, singer, songwriter, actor, activist, and ordained minister. The story begins on New Year’s Eve in 1980 and follows Maria-Clara on her adventures with The Nutcracker Prince.
Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, this Nutcracker is based in New York City. 16, with a single live performance of The Hip Hop Nutcracker at Keller Auditorium, featuring one of the founding fathers of hip hop, Kurtis Blow as the Emcee and host. The holiday season begins in Portland at 7:30 p.m.