Big Daddy Kane

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Big Daddy Kane

Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968 in Brooklyn, New York), better known by his stage name, Big Daddy Kane

Big Daddy Kane

Antonio Hardy , better known by his stage name, Big Daddy Kane, is an African-American rapper. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group, the Juice Crew....
, is an African-American rapper. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group, the Juice Crew

Juice Crew

The Juice Crew was a Hip hop music collective of largely Queensbridge-based artists in the mid- to late-1980s. Founded by producer Marley Marl and radio DJ Mr....
.

1980s In 1984, he met Biz Markie

Biz Markie

Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name Biz Markie, is a rapper, disc jockey, and comedian, best known for the single "Just a Friend"....
, and the two struck a friendship. Kane would go on to co-write some of Biz's best-known lyrics, and both eventually became important members of the Queens-based Juice Crew, a collective headed by renowned producer Marley Marl.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Big Daddy Kane'

Start a new discussion about 'Big Daddy Kane'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968 in Brooklyn, New York), better known by his stage name, Big Daddy Kane

Big Daddy Kane

Juice Crew

The Juice Crew was a Hip hop music collective of largely Queensbridge-based artists in the mid- to late-1980s. Founded by producer Marley Marl and radio DJ Mr....
.

Biography

1980s

In 1984, he met Biz Markie

Biz Markie

Cold Chillin' Records

Cold Chillin' Records was a producer-and-crew label that released many classic records in the late 1980s and early 1990s, founded by manager Tyrone Williams and run by Len Fichtelberg....
label in 1987 and debuted the following year with the 12" single "Raw," an underground hit. Kane is known for his ability to syncopate over faster hip hop beats, and despite his asthmatic condition he is acknowledged as one of the pioneering masters of fast-rap. His sense of style is renowned and set a number of late-1980s and early-1990s hip hop trends (high-top fades, velour suits, and four-finger rings). The backronym

Backronym

A backronym is a reverse Acronym and initialism, a phrase constructed after the fact to make an existing word or words into an acronym.Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
"King Asiatic Nobody's Equal" is often applied to his moniker. His name "Kane" came from Caine from the popular TV show Kung Fu
Kung Fu (TV series)

Kung Fu is an American television series which starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller ....
. The "Big Daddy" came from Vincent Price

Vincent Price

Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an United States film actor, remembered for his distinctive voice, his 6-foot 4-inch stature and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films done in the latter part of his career....
's character in an old Frankie Avalon

Frankie Avalon

Frankie Avalon is an United States actor, Singing, Sex_Symbol, and former teen idol....
movie, Beach Party
Beach Party

Beach Party was the first of seven Beach Party films from American International Pictures aimed at a Adolescence audience. It was directed by William Asher and written by Lou Rusoff....
.

He released his debut album under Cold Chillin' Records in the early summer of 1988 called Long Live the Kane
Long Live the Kane

Long Live the Kane is the debut album by rapping Big Daddy Kane, released by Cold Chillin' Records in 1988. It is completely produced by Marley Marl and it established both him and Kane as premier artists during Golden age hip hop....
which featured the hip hop hit "Ain't No Half Steppin". The following year, he released his second album and biggest hit to date It's a Big Daddy Thing
It's a Big Daddy Thing

It's a Big Daddy Thing is the second full-length album by Big Daddy Kane. To date, it is his most successful effort commercially and is held by many listeners to be his greatest work so far....
which included 1970s sample throwbacks like "Smooth Operator" and the Teddy Riley produced track "I Get the Job Done" which hit the R&B top 40 during the closing of the 1980s. He also had a memorable verse on the Marley Marl produced track "The Symphony" released in late 1988 which included Juice Crew member Craig G, Masta Ace

Masta Ace

Masta Ace is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut "The Symphony". The single that has earned him the most attention is called "Born to Roll"....
, and Kool G. Rap (later remixed to include Big Pun

Big Pun

Christopher Rios , better known as Big Punisher or Big Pun, was a Puerto Ricans in the United States-United States rapping who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s....
, DMX

DMX (rapper)

Earl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is an United States entertainer, who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name stands for Dark Man X, the name he used when he first started rapping in 1990....
and KRS-One

KRS-One

1990s

Big Daddy Kane appeared on Patti Labelle

Patti LaBelle

Patricia Louise Holte , best known by her stage name of Patti LaBelle, is an American rhythm and blues and soul music singer-songwriter and actor....
's 1991 effort, "Burnin'". He provided the rap chorus to the single "Feels Like Another One". He also appeared on the video release "Live in New York".

Widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers during the "golden age" of hip hop

Golden age hip hop

Hip hop's "golden age" is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop?usually cited as 1985 to the early 90s ?said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence....
(1986–1993), Kane's experimentation with R&B

Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music first created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s....
beats and his alignment to the Five Percent faction

The Nation of Gods and Earths

The Nation of Gods and Earths, sometimes referred to as the Five-Percent Nation, the Five-Percent Nation of Islam, or the Five Percenters was founded in Harlem, New York in 1964 by Clarence 13X, known to his young disciples as Allah or the Father....
drew criticism. Later albums, such as Looks Like a Job For…
Looks Like a Job For…

Looks Like a Job For... was the fifth album by rapper Big Daddy Kane, released in 1993 through Cold Chillin' Records. After the failure of his 1991 album Prince of Darkness , Kane was able to regain his past acclaim, with an album that was considered as a return to his past greatness....
, were acclaimed, but he was never able to return to the commercial and artistic success of It's a Big Daddy Thing. However, he still tours extensively.

As an actor, he debuted in Mario Van Peebles

Mario Van Peebles

Mario Van Peebles is an United States Film director and actor who has appeared in numerous films. He is the son of writer, director and actor Melvin Van Peebles and Germany actress Maria Marx....
' 1993 western

Western (genre)

The Western is a fiction genre seen in film, television, radio, literature, painting and other visual arts. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the later half of the 19th century in what became the Western United States , but also in Western Canada, Mexico , Alaska and even Australia ....
, Posse, and appeared in Robert Townsend

Robert Townsend

Robert Townsend is an United States actor, comedian, film director, and writer....
's 1993 Meteor Man. Big Daddy Kane also posed for Playgirl
Playgirl

PLAYGIRL is a monthly pornographic women's lifestyle magazine published in the United States that features semi-nude or fully nude men. The magazine was founded in 1973 during the height of the Feminism movement as a response to List of men's magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse magazine that featured similar photos of women....
and Madonna's

Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City in 1977, for a career in modern dance....
Sex book during the 1990s.

2000s

Recently (especially as of 2002), a rejuvenated Big Daddy Kane has occasionally been visible collaborating with alternative hip hop

Alternative hip hop

Alternative hip hop is a form of hip hop music that is defined in greatly varying ways. Allmusic defines it as follows:Alternative Rap refers to Hip hop music groups that refuse to conform to any of the traditional stereotypes of rap, such as gangsta rap, Miami bass, hardcore hip hop, and party rap....
artists, including Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5 was an United States alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 by Rapping Chali 2na, Akil, Zaakir aka Soup , Mark 7even, and Phonograph#The phonograph in the 21st century maestros DJ Nu-Mark and DJ Cut Chemist, who came together from two separate crews, the Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee....
, Little Brother

Little Brother

Little Brother is an United States Hip hop music group from North Carolina that consists of Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh. Producer 9th Wonder was a part of the group since its inception, but left before recording the album Getback....
, and DJ Babu

DJ Babu

DJ Babu is a Filipino-American DJ. One-third of the hip hop music group Dilated Peoples , Babu is also a member of the Beat Junkies Disc jockey crew, and together with rapper Defari forms the duo the Likwit Junkies....
of the Beat Junkies

Beat Junkies

The World Famous Beat Junkies is a Hip hop crew of Hip hop music DJs specializing in Turntablism. Established in 1992 in Orange County, California by J-Rocc who is African-American....
. He has released two singles, the Alchemist

The Alchemist (producer)

Alan Daniel Maman, better known as The Alchemist, is a hip hop music producer and Rapper. He hails from affluent Beverly Hills, California....
-produced "The Man, The Icon", and the DJ Premier

DJ Premier

Christopher Edward Martin , better known as DJ Premier is an United States record producer and DJ, and the instrumental half of the duo Gang Starr, together with MC Guru on the lyrical side....
-produced "Any Type of Way" (on which he discusses urban collapse in post-9/11 New York City ["Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani

Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani is an United States of America lawyer, businessman and politician from the U.S. state of New York who was Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
got New York lookin' like it's Amistad

La Amistad

La Amistad was a 19th-century two-Mast schooner built in the United States but owned by a Spaniard living in Cuba. The ship was notable as the scene of a revolt by African captives being transported from Havana....
"] and the erosion of the middle class

Middle class

Middle class is the group of people in contemporary society who are between the working class and nobility. This socioeconomic class includes professionals, highly skilled workers, and lower and middle management....
.)

Big Daddy Kane appeared on the trip-hop group Morcheeba

Morcheeba

Morcheeba are a United Kingdom musical ensemble that mixes influences from trip hop, rock music, rhythm and blues and pop music. Their most popular albums include debut Who Can You Trust? and Big Calm....
's 2003 single "What's Your Name". In 2004, "Warm It Up, Kane" appeared on popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a Nonlinear gameplay action-adventure game computer game and video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the third 3D computer graphics game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and fifth original game overall....
, playing on classic hip hop

Old school hip hop

Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and often by extension the music in the period preceding it . The image, styles and sounds of the old school were exemplified by figures like the Fat Boys, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, The Treacherous Three, Funky Four Plus One, Fab 5 Freddy and Grandmaster Flash...
radio station Playback FM.

In 2006, he appeared as a guest MC on the track "Get Wild Off This", produced by The Stanton Warriors for their Stanton Sessions Vol. 2 breaks mix.

In 2005, Big Daddy Kane was honored during the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors. After a medley of hits performed by T.I.

T.I.

Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., , better known by his stage name T.I., and also by his alter ego T.I.P., is a Grammy-award winning American rapping, songwriter, executive producer#Music, actor, and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, Black Thought

Black Thought

Tariq Trotter, better known as Black Thought, is an United States hip-hop artist who is the lead MC of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based hip-hop music group The Roots and occasional actor....
, and Common

Common (rapper)

Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an United States rapper and actor.Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained a significant underground following into the late 90s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians....
, he came out to perform his beloved track "Warm It Up, Kane" with his old dancers, Scoob and Scrap. The performance was tremendously well-received. Kane and Kool G. Rap can both also been seen briefly in Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Dave Chappelle's Block Party

Dave Chappelle's Block Party is a documentary film hosted and written by comedian Dave Chappelle, and directed by Michel Gondry. Its format is inspired by the documentary Wattstax....
documentary. Most recently, he appeared alongside the Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Tang Clan

The Wu-Tang Clan is a New York City?based hip hop group. Wu-Tang Clan consists of nine United States rapping: RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard....
, Rakim

Rakim

Rakim is an American rapping and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim....
, and his longtime friends Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes

Trevor Smith, Jr., better known as Busta Rhymes , is a Grammy Award-nominated Jamaican?United States rapping, songwriter, and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the name Busta Rhymes after watching him perform....
and Q-Tip

Q-Tip (rapper)

Q-Tip , is an American hip hop music artist, singer, and occasional actor from Queens, New York City, perhaps best known as the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest....
in a segment of the 2006 Summer Jam

Summer Jam

Summer Jam is the annual hip-hop fest held at Giants Stadium and sponsored by New York based radio station Hot 97FM and also by a Boston based radio station, Jam'n 94.5 FM ....
concert (June 7, 2006, as part of an initiative by Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes

Chinga Chang Records

Chinga Chang Records is an East Coast rap record label founded by Daniel Craig Maknally in 2003. Chinga Chang Records has offices in New York, and now Hawthorne, California....
released the mixtape Official Joints, which featured "BK Mentality", a new track by Big Daddy Kane.

Big Daddy Kane made a cameo in the video for Game's Pain

Game's Pain

"Game's Pain" is the lead single from The Game 's third studio album LAX .In the song, which features Keyshia Cole, Game makes references to The Notorious B.I.G., Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Nas, Luke Skyywalker of 2 Live Crew, Common, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, N.W.A., Ice Cube , Eazy-E, New Edition, Naughty By Nature,...
, by Compton rapper The Game

The Game (rapper)

Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name The Game, is an American rapper. He rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, and his two Grammy nominations....
. The video also featured appearances by Raekwon

Raekwon

Corey Woods, better known by the stage name Raekwon , is an United States East Coast hip hop rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. His 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is widely considered to be one of the best Wu-Tang solo albums, and one of the finest and most influential hip hop albums of the 1990s....
, Three Six Mafia and Ice Cube

Ice Cube

O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube is an United States of America rapper, actor, screenwriter, and film producer.He began his career as a member of the rap group N.W.A along with group leader Eazy-E, and later launched a successful solo career in music and Film....
. The Game also referenced Jay-Z

Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter , better known as his stage name, Jay-Z, is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is the former Chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records....
's former occupation as Kane's hypeman with the line Ask a Jay-Z fan about Big Daddy Kane: Don't know him, Game gon' show 'em. The line can also be interpreted as a subtle shot at Jay-Z.

Big Daddy Kane made a surprise appearance on the remix of the song Don't Touch Me

Don't Touch Me (Throw da Water on 'em)

"Don't Touch Me " is a promo single from rapper Busta Rhymes from his forthcoming album Back on My B.S.. It was produced by Grind Music for The Hitmen ....
of Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes

The Brick (Bodega Chronicles)

The Brick: Bodega Chronicles is the name of the debut album of Brooklyn-rapper, Joell Ortiz. It was released on Koch Records, whom Ortiz was dealing with before he signed with Aftermath Entertainment....
, the debut mixtape by upcoming rapper Joell Ortiz

Joell Ortiz

Joell Ortiz is a Puerto Rican-American Hip-Hop artist from Brooklyn, New York....
.

Cultural References

Ice-T

ICE-T

* Ice-T is a U.S. rapper and actor.* ICE-T is a tilting model of the German DBAG Class 411 series of high-speed trains....
refers to Kane in his song Midnight: "The sound's up loud/ To attract attention/ .../ Bumping Big Daddy/ The nigga was definitely flowing". It is uncommon in hip hop recordings of that time for one rapper to display such admiration for another.

Discography

Albums

Album information
Long Live the Kane Long Live the Kane *Long Live the Kane* is the debut album by rapping Big Daddy Kane, released by Cold Chillin' Records in 1988. It is completely produced by Marley Marl and it established both him and Kane as premier artists during Golden age hip hop.... Released: June 21, 1988 Billboard 200 chart position: #116 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #5 Certification: Gold Singles: "Get Into It"/"Somethin' Funky"/"Just Rhymin' With Biz", "Raw"/"Word To The Mother (Land)", "I'll Take You There (Remix)"/"Wrath Of Kane"
It's a Big Daddy Thing It's a Big Daddy Thing *It's a Big Daddy Thing* is the second full-length album by Big Daddy Kane. To date, it is his most successful effort commercially and is held by many listeners to be his greatest work so far.... Released: September 15, 1989 Billboard 200 chart position: #33 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #4 Certification: Gold Singles: "Smooth Operator"/"Warm It Up Kane", "I Get The Job Done"/"Big Daddy's Theme", "To Be Your Man"/"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now", "Rap Summary (Lean On Me)"/"Long Live The Kane"
Taste of Chocolate Taste of Chocolate *Taste of Chocolate* is the third album by rapper Big Daddy Kane, released in late 1990 on Cold Chillin' Records. After the success of his first two albums, Long Live the Kane and It's a Big Daddy Thing, Taste of Chocolate became Kane's first album not to reach Gold sales status.... Released: October 30, 1990 Billboard 200 chart position: #37 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #10 Singles: "Cause I Can Do It Right"/"Dance With The Devil", "All Of Me"/"Cause I Do It Right (Remix)", "It's Hard Being The Kane"/"Who Am I"
Prince of Darkness Prince of Darkness (Big Daddy Kane album) *Prince of Darkness* is the fourth album by rapper Big Daddy Kane, released in late 1991 on Cold Chillin' Records. The album received harsh reviews and is widely considered to be his worst effort.... Released: October 29, 1991 Billboard 200 chart position: #57 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #25 Singles: "Ooh, Aah, Nah-Nah-Nah", "Groove With It", "Raw '91", "The Lover In You"
Looks Like a Job For… Looks Like a Job For… *Looks Like a Job For...* was the fifth album by rapper Big Daddy Kane, released in 1993 through Cold Chillin' Records. After the failure of his 1991 album Prince of Darkness , Kane was able to regain his past acclaim, with an album that was considered as a return to his past greatness.... Released: May 25, 1993 Billboard 200 chart position: #52 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #9 Singles: "How U Get A Record Deal"/"Here Comes Kane, Scoob And Scrap", "Stop Shammin'", "Very Special"/"Stop Shammin'"
*Daddy's Home* Released: September 13, 1994 Billboard 200 chart position: #155 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #26 Singles: "Show & Prove"/"In The PJ's"
*Veteranz Day* Released: April 28, 1998 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #62 Singles: "Uncut, Pure"/"2 Da Good Tymz", "Hold it Down"/"Unda Presha"

External links

The 411 on Big Daddy Kane