Big Daddy Kane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Big Daddy Kane
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Big Daddy Kane in 2023
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Antonio Hardy |
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| Born | September 10, 1968 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1987–present |
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Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), known as Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He started his career in 1986 with the Juice Crew. Many people see him as one of the most important and skilled rappers in hip hop history.
Rolling Stone magazine put his song "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" on their list of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time. They called him a "master wordsmith" from hip hop's "golden age" and a big influence on many rappers.
Contents
About Big Daddy Kane
Early Life and Start
Antonio Hardy was born on September 10, 1968, in Brooklyn, New York City. In 1984, he became friends with Biz Markie. Kane helped write some of Biz Markie's famous song lyrics.
Both of them later joined the Juice Crew. This was a group of artists led by the famous producer Marley Marl. In 1987, Kane signed with Cold Chillin' Records. His first single, "Raw," was released that same year and became very popular.
Big Daddy Kane got his stage name from two places. Part of it came from "Caine," a character in the TV show Kung Fu. The "Big Daddy" part came from a character in the movie Beach Party.
Music Style and Influence
Kane is known for his unique way of rapping over fast hip hop beats. Even though he has asthma, he was one of the first to rap very quickly. He also became famous for his style, setting trends in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This included high-top fade hairstyles, velour suits, and large four-finger rings. His nickname "King Asiatic Nobody's Equal" is often used to describe him.
In 1988, he released his first album, Long Live the Kane. It featured the hit song "Ain't No Half Steppin'". The next year, 1989, he released It's a Big Daddy Thing. This album was his biggest hit. It included songs like "Smooth Operator" and "I Get the Job Done." The song "I Get the Job Done" became a top 40 R&B hit. He also had a memorable part in the song "The Symphony" in 1988. This song featured other Juice Crew members like Craig G, Masta Ace, and Kool G Rap.
1990s Career Highlights
Big Daddy Kane worked with Patti LaBelle in 1991 on her song "Feels Like Another One." He rapped the chorus for the song. He also appeared in her "Live in New York" video.
He contributed the song "'Nuff Respect" to the soundtrack of the movie Juice (1992). This movie starred Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur. His fast rapping style was clearly shown in this song.
In 1991, Kane won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. This was for his work on the song "Back on the Block" with Quincy Jones.
Kane is seen as one of the greatest rappers from the "golden age" of hip hop (1986–1993). Later albums, like Looks Like a Job For…, were praised by critics. However, he did not reach the same level of success as It's a Big Daddy Thing. He still performs live often.
Acting and Collaborations
As an actor, Kane first appeared in the 1993 western movie Posse. He also appeared in Robert Townsend's 1993 film The Meteor Man.
In the early 1990s, Jay-Z toured with Kane. Kane helped Jay-Z at the start of his career. Kane explained that Jay-Z was not his "hypeman" in the usual sense. Instead, Jay-Z would perform short freestyle raps when Kane left the stage to change clothes. Jay-Z was also featured on Kane's song "Show & Prove" from the 1994 album Daddy's Home.
In 1995, Kane recorded the song "Too Late Playa" with MC Hammer and Tupac Shakur. In 1997, he worked with Frankie Cutlass and other Juice Crew members on "The Cypher Part 3." In 1998, he released his last solo album, Veteranz' Day. Even though it did not sell well, Kane continued to rap and make many appearances in the 2000s.
2000s and Beyond
In 2000, Big Daddy Kane appeared on Tony Touch's "The Piece Maker" mixtape. He also worked with artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Jurassic 5, and Little Brother. He released two singles: "The Man, The Icon" and "Any Type of Way." In "Any Type of Way," he talks about changes in New York City after the September 11 attacks.
In 2003, Big Daddy Kane was featured on the song "What's Your Name" by the group Morcheeba.
In 2005, Big Daddy Kane was honored at the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors event. After other artists performed his hits, he came out to perform "Warm It Up, Kane" with his dancers. Kane also appeared briefly in the movie Dave Chappelle's Block Party.
In 2006, he was a guest rapper on "Get Wild Off This." He also performed with the Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, and Busta Rhymes at the 2006 Summer Jam concert. This was part of an effort to celebrate New York City hip-hop.
In 2007, a new song called "BK Mentality" was released. Kane also appeared on Joell Ortiz's mixtape.
Big Daddy Kane made a short appearance in The Game's 2008 music video for "Game's Pain." In 2009, Kane played the role of Clay in the film Just Another Day. This movie tells the story of two rappers, one young and new, and one older and successful.
In the 2010s, Big Daddy Kane appeared on the album MA Doom: Son of Yvonne. In 2013, Kane formed a band called "Las Supper" with Lifted Crew and Showtyme. Their album, Back to the Future, was released in March 2013. In 2016, he was featured on Tito Jackson's song "Get It Baby." He also appeared in the documentary Hip-Hop Evolution.
In June 2020, Kane released the song "Enough." This song talked about issues related to police actions.
Legacy and Impact
Big Daddy Kane is seen as one of the most important and skilled rappers from the golden age of hip hop.
MTV ranked him No. 7 on their "Greatest MCs of All Time" list. In Kool Moe Dee's book There's a God on the Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Kane is ranked No. 4. About.com put him at No. 3 on their list of the "Top 50 MCs of Our Time." Rapper RZA listed him as one of his "Top 5 best MCs." In 2012, The Source magazine ranked him No. 8 on their list of the "Top 50 Lyricists of All Time."
AllMusic says his best songs are among the finest hip-hop of his time. They describe him as a "masterful battle MC" and "one of rap's major talents." They also mention his "near-perfect technique" and "first-rate technique and rhyming skills."
Kool Moe Dee calls him "one of the most imitated emcees ever." He also says Kane is "one of the true greatest emcees ever." His first two albums are considered classics in hip hop. Rolling Stone says he has always received praise from critics.
Music journalist Peter Shapiro says Kane is "perhaps the most complete MC ever."
Discography
Studio Albums
- Long Live the Kane (1988)
- It's a Big Daddy Thing (1989)
- Taste of Chocolate (1990)
- Prince of Darkness (1991)
- Looks Like a Job For... (1993)
- Daddy's Home (1994)
- Veteranz' Day (1998)
Collaboration Albums
- Back to the Future with The Las Supper (2013)
Filmography
- 1993 Posse as "Father Time"
- 1993 The Meteor Man as "Pirate"
- 2005 Dave Chappelle's Block Party as Himself.
- 2007 Dead Heist as Hunter
- 2008 Love for Sale
- 2009 Just Another Day as Clay
- 2011 Budz House as Keisha
- 2016 Exposed as Jonathan "Black" Jones
- 2018 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Ray Wallis / "Four Stroke"
- 2024 ElemenTory as Chris Cunningham
See also
In Spanish: Big Daddy Kane para niños
