Long Live the Kane

Big Daddy Kane

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: June 21, 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002LEK
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,981 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #7 in	Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Old School
  #44 in	Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Gangsta & Hardcore

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Big Daddy Kane's 1988 debut still stands as a raw classic from one of hip-hop's most fruitful years. The production is end to end brilliant, with Juice Crew guru Marley Marl soundtracking Kane through nine furious cuts (and one absolute stinker, the slow jam "The Day You're Mine"). Marl's production has rarely sounded finer, a gritty chorus of drums and funk-soul samples that have since been immortalized. "Raw," "Just Rhymin' with Biz," and "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" are the certified anthems, but they're not the only highlights. Check the furious "Long Live the Kane" and "Set It Off" for Kane's up-tempo odes to himself. "I'll Take You There" and "Word to the Mother(Land)" were the obligatory (yet heartfelt) Nation nods, mandatory during this brief late-'80s period of Afrocentricity. Though his image would soon switch to that of a smoothed-out new jack playa, the memory of Kane as one of hip-hop's supreme lyrical rulers lives long on this masterpiece. --Hua Hsu

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Raw 17 Years Later (5 Stars), May 12, 2005

By	Norfeest "Yes Yes Y'all" (Washington DC USA) - See all my reviews

I can't really say anything that hasn't been said here already. Long Live The Kane is a classic. Hands down. Point blank. Period. The lyrics were unlike anything that had been heard at the time and the beats were most definitely on point. At the time, sampling didn't require clearance (which would change later that year), so DJs/Producers were able to freely sample and the creative sounds of '88 were unlike any other year. Marley Marl most definitely hooked Kane up on this joint. "On The Bugged Tip", "Ain't No Half Steppin", "Raw (Remix)", "Set It Off", and "Just Rhymin' With Biz" are all classic joints. In fact, every song on the album is dope. Man, albums like this really make me long for the days of '88 again.

I have to disagree with some of these reviewers that say there is no filler on this album. "The Day You're Mine" could be considered filler when you examine the content of the rest of the album. But with cats like LL, Slick Rick, and Heavy D dropping classic joints for the ladies at the time, you could say that this was the trend at the time. Don't get me wrong, it's not wack......I'm just saying that it could be considered as filler because the rest of the album is centered around Kane getting busy on the mic.

Long Live The Kane is still a 5 star classic. It's been dissected, copied, examined, and used as a blueprint for hundreds of MCs that followed. Not many rap albums are as heavily sampled as this one. The beats are on point and the lyrics are timeless. Long Live The Kane is a must have album. It simply gets no better than this. Highly reccomended.

Standout Tracks: Every Track Stands Out

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Live The Kane!!!!, April 5, 2004

By	Wayne Maye (Petersburg,VA) - See all my reviews

Big Daddy Kane is one of the most gifted MCs to grace the mic, up there with the likes of Rakim. Kane represented what an artists should do on the mic. It's too bad that no MCs flow like this today, but with Kane's first album, it should come as no surprise that his influence was felt in some other MCs after him, namely Jay-Z. But with Long Live The Kane, Kane made his mark in hip hop forever. Here's the review:

Album Highlights: The entire album, there's no filler here.

Production: Thumbs up. Marley Marl on the boards, nuff said.

Lyrics and Subject Matter: Thumbs up. Outside of Rakim and Kool G.Rap, NO ONE else was THIS nice with the words.

Originality: Thumbs Up.

The Last Word: One CLASSIC album. This is true Big Daddy Kane in all of his glory. He truly represented with his lyrical skills, sense of dropping ILL metaphors, and clever delivery. He won't be forgotten. A STRONG RECOMMENDATION for this album. You won't be disappointed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's responsible for me getting my flatop, October 5, 2004

By	Bigchee (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews

Brooklyn extrodaniaire. Repped our borough to the fullest. Dark skinned playboy that hit the scene that had all of us cats wanting to be like him.

4 finger ring sportin, cameo cut wearing, dude was the idol for the kid. He was the Eric Dickerson of hip-hop back then. Lyrically untouchable. Was rapid fire with his. You couldnt wait for his solo album to drop after hearing him on "Just rhymin with Biz" in 87'.

Miss those days...