Big Daddy Kane UNSUNG Full Episode TV One Documentary

Big Daddy Kane Portrait

Hailing from the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York, Big Daddy Kane redefined rap success in the late 80’s and early 90s.  The combination of his lyricism, flow, and charisma set him apart from his contemporaries and ushered in a new brand of hip hop that was palatable not only to the fellas but the ladies as well.  Replete with an exciting stage show and a sophisticated fashion sense, Big Daddy Kane brought a sense of class to the otherwise rugged world of rap.  This informative episode provides even more background on the Smooth Operator. Enjoy.

Big Daddy Kane Bio From AllMusic.com:

Emerging during hip-hop’s massive creative expansion of the late ’80s, Big Daddy Kane was the ultimate lover man of rap’s first decade, yet there was more to him than the stylish wardrobe, gold jewelry, and sophisticated charisma. Kane possessed a prodigious rhyming technique honed from numerous B-boy battles; he could also be an Afrocentric consciousness-raiser versed in the philosophy of the Nation of Islam’s Five Percent school, or a smooth urban soul crooner whose singing was no match for his talents as an MC. While he never scored much pop-crossover success, his best material ranks among the finest hip-hop of its era, and his sex-drenched persona was enormously influential on countless future would-be players.

Long Live the Kane

Big Daddy Kane was born Antonio Hardy in Brooklyn on September 10, 1968; the stage name “Kane” was an acronym for King Asiatic Nobody’s Equal. In 1984, he met Biz Markie, and the two struck up a friendship. Kane would go on to co-write some of the Biz‘s best-known raps, and both eventually became important members of the Queens-based Juice Crew, a collective headed by renowned producerMarley MarlKane signed with Marl‘s Cold Chillin’ label in 1987 and debuted the following year with the 12″ single “Raw,” which became an underground sensation. His first album, Long Live the Kane, followed not long after and was equally well-received, producing another underground classic in “Ain’t No Half-Steppin’.” Kane consolidated his success with 1989’sIt’s a Big Daddy Thing, which spawned arguably his most effective love-man song in “Smooth Operator” (and also found him working with new jack producer Teddy Riley on “I Get the Job Done”). 1990’s A Taste of Chocolate was a wide-ranging effort, highlighted by Kane‘s duets with Barry Whiteand comedian Rudy Ray Moore, aka Dolemite.

Prince of Darkness

Kane‘s first major misstep came with the 1991 album Prince of Darkness, a mellower, more R&B-based collection that failed to play to the rapper’s strong suits; however, he maintained his sex-symbol status by posing for Madonna‘s notorious 1992 photo book Sex, as well as Playgirl magazine. 1993’s Looks Like a Job For… was something of an artistic comeback, but it failed to re-establish his status in the hip-hop community, which was in the midst of a Dr. Dre-inspired love affair with gangsta rap. Kane moved to the MCA label for 1994’s Daddy’s Home, and dabbled in an acting career with appearances in Mario Van Peebles‘ 1993 black Western Posse and 1994’s Gunmen. However, he largely retired from the scene over the next few years. Kane resurfaced in 1998 on Blackheart Records, releasing what was ostensibly his farewell album, Veteranz Day.

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