Big Daddy Kane Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
The Big Daddy Kane who was righteously catapulted atop hip-hop's hierarchy with certified classic albums Long Live The Kane, and It's A Big Daddy Thing unfortunately quickly diminished his impeccable reputation by attempting to become hip-hop's version of Barry White/Dolomite. BDK began to spiral out of control with the release of 1990's Taste Of Chocolate and he has fought desperately, yet unsuccessfully ever since to recapture his crown. D-Day has finally arrived for Kane, as his seventh and supposedly last (we all know how long emcees stay retired) very appropriately entitled LP Veteranz Day is finally ready for mass consumption. Thankfully, Kane seems to have listened to those who clamored for him to bring it back to the streets. Another unexpected twist was that Kane choose almost exclusively to keep things in house, producing all but 4 of its 13 full-length endeavors. Big Daddy shows his versatility flexing lyrical muscle over "Terra N Ya Era." With "Entraprizin" Kane makes sure to reiterate that the wrath of Kane has yet to cease. The end to end burner here is "Unda Presha," as Daddy spits rhymes galore, going straight for the jugular displaying the killer instincts which were so prevalent in his earlier days. However, all is not well for Kane as previous shortcomings do eventually creep their way into the setting. Not ready to give up on his prince of darkness alter ego, "Change This Game Around" is a very lazy ode to his favorite pastime of hitting skins. Giving it up for the old school he thanks everyone for "2 Da Good Tymz" a clumsy attempt at a club track, which is hampered by unoriginal production. Expectations were low for this project, but this is most definitely Kane's best body of work since Looks Like A Job For, and much more of a cohesive effort then the last debacle he brought forth. Although not breaking any new ground, Kane does deliver enough quality cuts to keep fans from writing out his death certificate prematurely. ~ Matt Conaway, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It looks like the return of the loverman on the cover of Big Daddy Kane's sixth LP, Daddy's Home, though hardcore fans who bought it anyway were treated to a tight, tough record that alternated classic Kane with a few surprisingly successful detours and enough space to salute the next generation of East Coast hardcore. He set it off on an excellent opener, breaking up his usually quick flow for a few gems of carefully phrased, lyrically lurching rap that make him sound like the return of the drunken master. "Brooklyn Style...Laid Out" and the hands-in-the-air jam "In the PJ's" are great double features for Big Daddy Kane and Big Scoob. For the irresistible "Show and Prove," Big Daddy Kane invited a pair of young rappers, Jay-Z and Ol' Dirty Bastard, well before they would appear on their own records (both MCs' styles are definitely in place, and Jay-Z gets in a few zany speed raps). One detour that didn't work was "Don't Do It to Yourself," an attempt at duplicating West Coast G-funk that doesn't come across. Despite a few choruses that sounded a little tired, Daddy's Home proved that Kane was still in prime form. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Looks Like a Job For...'
Release Date 5/25/1993
Tracks 14
Label Cold Chillin'
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After the stylistic missteps and weak self-productions of Prince of Darkness, Big Daddy Kane returned to the rhyme with 1993's excellent Looks Like a Job For..., an album that updated his sound for the early '90s but left plenty of room for the greatest to freestyle. And led by a pair of TrakMasterz productions, the title track and the casually, hilariously dismissive "How U Get a Record Deal?," it started off incredibly strong. Nearly all of these were the usual battle raps, but Kane also had much to say with tracks like "Rest in Peace" and "Brother Man, Brother Man," the latter featuring him smoothly trading rhymes with his protégé, Lil' Daddy Shane. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Prince of Darkness'
Release Date 1/1/1991
Tracks 15
Label Cold Chillin'
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
More soul-based than his previous records, Kane not only has a slightly changed musical style on Prince of Darkness, but changes his rapping style to suit the sound, bringing a faster, twisting wordplay to his rhymes. When the change in style works -- as in "I'm Not Ashamed" -- the record is deadly, but when it doesn't, it's deadly boring; unfortunately, most of the record doesn't work. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Taste of Chocolate'
Release Date 1/1/1990
Tracks 13
Label Cold Chillin'
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Big Daddy Kane gave one of his most consistent efforts with Taste of Chocolate, his third album. Kane not only had first-rate technique and rhyming skills working to this CD's advantage, he also had quite a bit of excellent and varied material to choose from. Though he still spends too much time bragging about his microphone skills, such hard-hitting numbers as "Mr. Pitiful" and the sobering "Dance With the Devil" show just how substantial he can be. This time, Kane is joined by a number of distinguished guests, including Barry White (who is typically charismatic on the rap ballad "All of Me"); Malcolm X's daughter Gamilah Shabazz (with whom he duets on "Who Am I") and the raunchy comedian Rudy Ray Moore. When Kane and Moore exchange insults on "Big Daddy Vs. Dolemite" things get outrageously entertaining. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'It's a Big Daddy Thing'
Release Date 9/19/1989
Tracks 17
Label Cold Chillin'
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
If Big Daddy Kane's debut album painted him as an enormously talented battle MC, his follow-up, It's a Big Daddy Thing, finds him aggressively expanding into new territory and gunning for a wider audience outside the hip-hop faithful. Unlike later efforts, most of it is rousingly successful, making for an album that's arguably just as strong as his near-classic debut. This is where Kane starts to take his place as one of hip-hop's first sex symbols, thanks to the gliding "Smooth Operator," the somewhat dated ballad "To Be Your Man," and the Teddy Riley-produced new jack swing track "I Get the Job Done." If the latter is a blatant attempt at crossing over, with a vastly different sound than anything else on the album, it's also a player's statement of purpose. Elsewhere, Kane plays the anti-drug, pro-education social commentator, bringing his Nation of Islam beliefs further into the spotlight on tracks like "Another Victory," "Children R the Future," "Calling Mr. Welfare," and "Rap Summary (Lean on Me)." "Pimpin' Ain't Easy" sits a little uneasily alongside that progressive-minded material, not just for its obvious subject matter but for the line where Kane declares himself "anti-faggot"; nonetheless, it remains something of a favorite among fans who look past that slip. And of course, there are plenty of showcases for Kane's near-peerless technique, including "Mortal Combat," a live version of the rare B-side "Wrath of Kane," and "Warm It Up, Kane." There's some filler in the second half, like the amusing, blaxploitation-styled "Big Daddy's Theme," but overall It's a Big Daddy Thing is a strong, varied album that captures every important side of one of rap's major talents. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
