Check out this nice interview with Kurtis Blow I caught on The Well Versed. Below is an excerpt and you can catch the full read here.
TWV: What was that experience like being around some great people that represented the eighties as well as recapturing and celebrating that time period?
Kurtis Blow: Well, you know that is what it is all about. As we live, we have to take time to smell the roses. And the feelings that used to go around the eighties…you know Hip Hop was different back then. It was fun and wholesome. We had a lot of fun traveling around the country going on the road and stuff and that is what it was all about. So to relive it and go to that show and actually be a part of Way Black When, it brings back those same feelings. Back then, you wanted to have fun and you wanted to entertain people. It wasn’t about violence, disrespect or materialism for that matter. These are some of the qualities and the mindset that is missing in the music and society today.
TWV: What do you miss the most about the eighties?
Kurtis Blow: I miss the actual vibe of—-this is something that is—-wow. That was the hottest thing. Like now, Hip Hop is still the number one music but when it was in the eighties, it was an embryo so it was just happening. Everyone was just finding out about it. So if you were a part of it during that time, you were like an icon. I could go into my old neighborhood and hang out with the guys. We were heroes back then. And now cats can’t go into their own neighborhoods. They will get robbed. The people embraced it more because it was new. They wanted it to be successful. Now it’s like here’s another rapper. He’s got money. Let’s rob him. I think the mindset of the people has changed more so then—basically what I’m trying to say is I just miss the vibe of the people and being a part of something that was fresh and new.