Big Daddy Kane Should Be In Your Top 5
One of the great pastimes of all hip-hop heads is to name your personal Top 5 list of MCs, dead or alive. The list, with some variations, usually consists of the following:
- Tupac Shakur
- Notorious B.I.G.
- Rakim Allah
- Jay-Z
- Na$
There are always additions and subtractions (Lil Wayne, stand up), but Top 5 lists are generally consistent. But I cannot – cannot – understand why Big Daddy Kane is not consistently on the list.
Kane was largely the victim of an on-going phenomenon, which amounts to fan-based euthanasia: once you hit 35 or so, they don’t check for you anymore. Other say that his later work, like Taste For Chocolate, that saw Kane go heavier into R&B.
But my view has always been that experimentation is the hallmark of a real artist, so even though I wasn’t with Taste, I don’t hold it against him. Regardless, there are many reasons why Kane should be in everyone’s Top 5. Allow me to make my case:
1. He was a talented ghostwriter
Many people don’t know this, but Kane started off by ghostwriting for members of the legendary Juice Crew (Biz Markie, Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, MC Shan, Roxanne Shante). On the solo tip, he wrote most of Biz’s bars when dude was on top in the late 80’s.
2. He had swagger when T.I. was in diapers
No disrespect to Cliff, but no one on the corner had swagger like Kane in his prime. While others were trying to be hard Kane destroyed opponents by being slick as an oil spill. Exhibit A:
Dude is wearing a three-piece and a dookie chain and finger rings. Debate over.
3. The ladies love him
He may not have had the washboard abs of Cool James, but he macked them birds. Dude could dance too. Hov? Wayne? Nah. Video evidence Exhibit B, your honor:
4. Big Daddy Kane is for the Children
Word to ODB. When Kane wasn’t destroying MCs, he was laying down inspirational bars for the next generation.
5. He Can Still Rip The Mic
Twenty years after he was headlining, he can still stand toe-to-toe with Busta, Weezy, Na$ and The Game.
That’s legendary status.
Tags: Big Daddy Kane, The Juice Crew
I usually hate getting into the ‘top 5 mcs’ convos (cause no one will ever agree and everybody’s lists look the same) but I co-sign this the fullest! Kane was the original swagger-having rapper and dude had the illest wordplay. He could go from being the mack to dropping positive messages to lyrically rippin any rapper a new asshole.
Thanks for the comment. Kane is dope, no question. I have more “alternative top 5’s: to come.
GOOD BLOG. KANE FELL KINDA HARD AFTER “TASTE OF ….” BUT HE STILL HAD SOME REAL THINGS ON THAT ALBUM, FOR EXAMPLE ” DANCE WITH THE DEVIL” WAS HARD WITH A MESSABE. “CAUSE I CAN DO IT RIGHT” HE JUST SPITTED ABOUT DA GIRLS, BUT THE ALBUM TITLE TRACK IS CLASSIC, EVEN THE VIDEO, THE ONE WITH THE YOUNG HOVA IN IT. OTHER WISE KANE IS ILL, BUT HE DID NOT G.WRITE FOR KOOL G, ACE, SHAN OR CRAIG G ONLY SHANTAE AND BIZ MARKIE. BTW THIS BUSTA SONG FEAT KANE IS HARD.