Kurtis Blow is the Special Guest MC in "The Hip Hop Nutcracker," a remixed version of the classic holiday story, set in modern-day New York City. (Photo courtesy "The Hip Hop Nutcracker")
"The Hip-Hop Nutcracker," a retelling of the classic ballet in an urban setting, returns to Richmond this month along with rap veteran Kurtis Blow, who bookends the show with performances. Blow, 60, is best remembered for his hit songs from the 1980s “The Breaks,” “Christmas Rappin'” and “Basketball." More recently, his name was entangled in the wave of allegations that hit Virginia's top three statewide offices earlier this year, including Attorney General Mark Herring's confession that he portrayed the New York-born rapper in blackface at a party during college. Blow, now a minister, talks about his favorite Christmas present, his most enduring song and a phone call from our attorney general.
Richmond magazine: I went to "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" last year — it was great. I really enjoyed it and took most of the family with me. We had a good time. So, is anything going to be different this year?
Kurtis Blow: Pretty much it's the same production. The story is still the same story about two young people who fall in love, and their love creates a special magic that defeats evil. And, you know, we need that more than ever nowadays, right? We have Jennifer Weber, our choreographer and director and one of the creators … so we have some new dance moves and new routines that make the production tighter.
RM: You know you're always going be connected with Christmas because of your “Christmas Rappin'” song. I want to ask you about the song, but first I want to know, what was the best Christmas present you ever got?
Blow: Best Christmas present I ever got. Wow. I would imagine … well, last year I got this [Apple] watch. [Laughs] It's pretty amazing. But I have to go all the way back to … one of my first presents as a young kid, about 3 or 4 years old. I got a big huge battleship that I put together, and it was amazing. And I'll never forget that as my first big present.
RM: You still have it?
Blow: No. I wish. But it was huge! [Laughs]
RM: I just read a Smithsonian magazine article about “Christmas Rappin.'” Why do you think that song has endured so long?
Blow: It was the first song … released on a major label for hip-hop. And, you know, its a big, big, huge part of my legacy. And I just want to thank all the radio DJs for playin’ it every year, just making it into a classic they played like Nat King Cole, and it’s my favorite song, my favorite song, my first one, of course, out of all the 200 that I have. … Christmastime and the holiday season is my favorite time of the year — that song is a big part of it. I'll be singing that song when I come to see you guys.
RM: When we talked last year, you mentioned that a hip-hop museum in New York was in the works. What would you say to someone who says, 'Well, you know, there are rappers in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, so why a hip-hop museum?'
Blow: To be honest with you, I'm not too impressed about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame because we don't do rock 'n' roll. [We do] hip-hop. It’s a different form of music, and why not have our own music museum, our own brick-and-mortar location where the whole world can come and see the stories? You know, a lot of cats [are] not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but they will be in the hip-hop museum. And it can be in a place where we all can come and learn and witness and be a part of how this culture really got its start.
RM: Sounds good. Well, since I'm calling you from the great state of Virginia, you can probably guess what I’m going to ask you about next.
Blow: [Laughs]
RM: Did you ever hear from our attorney general regarding what he admitted to doing years ago?
Blow: Right, the blackface incident. Yes, I remember that. It was actually kind of flattering, but at the same time, it's very hurtful. But I did get to talk to the attorney general, and he did apologize. And so we've moved on from there. As a matter of fact, I think he might come out to the show.
RM: That's good to hear. So how you are doing health-wise since the last time we talked?
Blow: I’m just out of emergency open-heart surgery about six months ago. I'm still in recovery, but God is good, the doctors say I'm a miracle walking around here. And I'm gonna take it easy, but you know, I'm going to give it my all, and just being out there on stage is a blessing, and I thank God.
"The Hip Hop Nutcracker" comes to the Altria Theater on Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The show is a backspin on the original ballet, with a modern landscape replacing the story’s 19th-century German setting. Some classic elements remain, such as the gang of mice, the land of sweets and Tchaikovsky’s original score with a brand-new beat. $37 to $67.
