Eight Gigs: Big Daddy Kane

In 1989, Big Daddy Kane rapped two-and-a-half minutes of incendiary bars over a weeping horn loop provided by producer Marley Marl. It began “rough, rugged and real, you’re on stand still,” and ended with an homage to Nina Simone. This was Kane’s version of “Young Gifted and Black,” an unapologetic celebration of his skin tone. While Big Daddy Kane is mostly celebrated for his smooth operator delivery, his braggadocio and even his performance, understated is his social consciousness. Think back to “Stop Shammin’,” “Children R The Future” and “Dance With The Devil.”