Big Daddy Kane’s Long Live the Kane is a seminal album in the golden age of hip-hop. It has the distinction of also being one of the most sampled albums from that era– legendary MC’s like Nas, Beastie Boys, The Notorious B.I.G., and MF Doom have all sampled beats and lyrics from this album, with Nas (who wrote one of my favorite hip hop albums ever when he dropped Illmatic in 1994) putting this album on his list of top albums of all-time. A lot of it is due Kane’s dynamic lyricism and smooth delivery– his approach set new standards for MCing, blending intricate wordplay with a charismatic presence that wasn’t afraid to boast about his talents. “Raw” especially is a highlight here– lines like “I’m genuine like Gucci, raw like sushi” and “I’m not an amateur but a professional unquestionable, without a doubt superb, so full of action my name should be a verb” being ones that burrow their way into your eardrums and never leave.
Standout Songs: “Ain’t No Half-Steppin’”, “Raw”
