The greatest rapper of all time, according to Big Daddy Kane
Who is the greatest rapper ever? Now that’s a good question. And in a field so studded with definitive talent, it ultimately must come down to personal taste. Or even longevity, as far as Big Daddy Kane is concerned.
In a 2007 interview with Unkut magazine, legendary rapper Big Daddy Kane, formerly of Juice Crew, sat down to discuss a wealth of topics, from the then current state of MTV – remember that? – and his own discography.
One particular detail that’ll interest both fans of the rapper, widely considered to be one of the most skilled and influential figures in the hip-hop game, and hip-hop listeners in general is who Big Daddy Kane argued was the greatest rapper. A good question, as I said.
“So how did you and LL used to get along?” the interviewer asked, referring to LL Cool J.
“I guess it was a friendly rivalry. L is my man, and he’s always been my man. I got a lotta respect for that dude, and I like to refer to him as the greatest rapper of all time,” Kane replied.
The interviewer detailed his shock. “OK, right.”
“Now I didn’t say the greatest MC! I said the greatest rapper,” Kane clarified. “What I mean is the longevity of his career, and the different things he’s done in the span of his career. Only other rappers that really come close would be like Tupac, Jay-Z and Eminem…I mean to what L has accomplished. L has done it for several generations, that’s why I have to put him on top.”
“I’d agree with that,” the interviewer conceded. “But what about as a straight-up MC? Who would you say was the greatest?”
“Who’s the greatest? Shit, you talkin’ to him baby!” replied Kane, laughing. “It would have to be someone like me or a KRS or a Rakim. If you wanna put Nas in that…G Rap.”
LL Cool J is, as fans will know, a true pioneer of hip-hop genre. Akin to Big Daddy Kane, they both emerged from New York City in the 1980s, pushing lyrical skill with significant urban swagger. Their rivalry fuelled the creative standard for both of them, elevating standards for MCs and helping define the battle-driven spirit of early rap.
LL’s aggressive delivery contrasted with Big Daddy Kane’s smooth lyricism, and it offered two models of MC excellence for not just listeners, but for other rappers and MCs too. By excelling in different lanes, LL Cool J and Big Daddy Kane asserted to the world at a time now known as the Golden Era that originality, not imitation, was the key to longevity and respect in rap.
And decades on, this homage of Kane’s to LL highlights how unlike future generations of hip-hop artists, their rivalry was purely professional, and relations between the two were deeply respectful. And Kane is right to point out LL’s longevity: since 2005, LL Cool J has stayed busy by expanding beyond music. He became a major TV star, most starring as Sam Hanna on NCIS: Los Angeles, making it one of the longest-running dramas led by a rapper-turned-actor. He also hosted Lip Sync Battle, and was eventually inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. Well, he is the greatest rapper ever, according to Big Daddy Kane.