Songfacts®:

• Before rap music was minting millionaires at regular intervals, money problems were a common theme. In this song, Kurtis Blow raps about his struggles to make ends meet. It's hard times, but he's determined to stay strong and keep at it.
• Kurtis Blow, issued by Mercury Records, was the first rap album released on a major label. Mercury dipped their toe in the water by first signing Kurtis on for two singles: "Christmas Rappin'" and "The Breaks." Both did very well, earning him an album deal. "The Breaks" was included on the album along with six other tracks, including "Hard Times."
• Russell Simmons is one of the writers on this track. Three years after it was released, he founded Def Jam Records and became one of the most influential figures in hip-hop. The other writers on the track are Blow's producer, Larry Smith; his drummer, Jimmy Bralower; and his collaborators J.B. Moore and William Waring.
• Run-D.M.C. released their version of this song as a single in 1983 and included it on their self-titled debut album in 1984. Their version has similar lyrics but a chunkier beat, with the signature interplay between their rappers, Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels. Russell Simmons, who co-wrote the original, is Joseph's brother. On the Run-D.M.C. version, Larry Smith and William Waring retain their credits, but the others are jettisoned for Run and DMC.
  
  If you consider this version a cover, it makes "Hard Times" the first major-label rap song to get covered by another artist.