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Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane

Birth name

Antonio Monterio Hardy

Born

September 10, 1968 (1968-09-10) (age 55)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

Genre

Hip hop, hardcore hip hop

Occupation(s)

Rapper, actor, record producer, model

Years active

1986-present

Label

Cold Chillin' Records (1986-1993)
Reprise Records (1986-1993)
Warner Bros. Records (1986-1993)
MCA Records (1994)
Blackheart Records (1998)
Mercury (1998)
Polygram (1998)

Associated acts

Big L, Easy Mo Bee, Juice Crew, Kool G Rap, Prince Paul

Antonio Monterio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hip hop. His name was formed from two different things: the Big Daddy part is the name of a character Vincent Price played in the film Beach Party, and the Kane part came from his fascination with martial arts movies when he was young. Kane is known for his ability to syncopate over faster hip hop beats, and he is acknowledged for being one of the pioneers of fast rhyming. His sense of style is renowned and set a number of late-1980s and early-1990s hip hop trends, such as high-top fades, velour suits and four-finger rings.

He started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group, the Juice Crew, and made his breakthrough appearance on the posse cut "The Symphony". His debut album, Long Live the Kane, was released in 1988 and featured the hit "Ain't No Half Steppin'". The following year, Kane released his second album, It's a Big Daddy Thing, which became his biggest commercial success to date. In 1991, Kane won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his performance on the Quincy Jones collaboration track "Back on the Block". Widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers during the "golden age of hip hop" in 1986-1997, Kane's experimentation with R&B beats and his alignment to the Five Percent Nation drew criticism. His later albums, such as Looks Like a Job For..., were critically acclaimed, but he was never able to return to the commercial and artistic success of his first two albums. Big Daddy Kane's latest album, Veteranz Day, was released in 1998.

Discography[]

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