Kane's Domain

During the mid-1980s, the toughest name in hip-hop belonged to Big Daddy Kane, the smooth, debonair rapper and Juice Crew affiliate who could steal your woman and your wallet at the same time. He's one of the few rappers to appear in Playgirl, and for a while, he was seen...

By Jonathan Cunningham

March 15, 2007

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During the mid-1980s, the toughest name in hip-hop belonged to Big Daddy Kane, the smooth, debonair rapper and Juice Crew affiliate who could steal your woman and your wallet at the same time. He's one of the few rappers to appear in Playgirl, and for a while, he was seen as the Casanova of hip-hop. His songwriting was superb 20 years ago (he wrote half of Roxanne Shante and Biz Markie's early material), and his rap delivery on tracks like "Smooth Operator" and Marley Marl's "The Symphony" are legendary. Jay-Z even got his start in hip-hop as Big Daddy Kane's hype man (wonder who's more popular these days?). Lately, he's had somewhat of a career resurgence: Doing spot dates with the Roots, hopping on the mixtapes of DJs Premier and Babu, plus a guest appearance in Dave Chappelle's 2005 smash film Block Party have all helped keep his name from obscurity. He's currently on the road with Nice & Smooth, and both of their rap catalogs should impress new jacks who aren't familiar. Expect lots of wild style rhyming and plenty of throwback jams to keep the audience on its toes.

Big Daddy Kane and Nice & Smooth perform Friday, March 16, at Revolution, 200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. A special b-boy set from the Unique Styles Crew is also a part of this event. Tickets cost $15 and $18. Doors open at 10 p.m. Call 954-727-0950, or visit www.jointherevolution.net.

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