The rappers Big Daddy Kane thinks shifted hip-hop “back to the lyrics”
Big Daddy Kane is a revered hip-hop artist who emerged on the scene in the late early 1980s. Born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, Kane (real name Antonio Hardy) eventually became part of the iconic Juice Crew and went on to become a legend and one of the most beloved Brooklyn MCs of all time.
As a solo rapper working the underground hip-hop circuit of New York, Hardy brushed shoulders with many lyricists, one of whom happened to be Biz Markie. Akin to Kane, he began his career in New York City nightclubs and collaborated with a vast array of artists.
However, Kane had an unparalleled synergy with Hardy. Having established a name for himself in Brooklyn and with an ever-growing buzz, Kane was recruited by Marly Marl to join his newly formed collective Juice Crew.
Based in Queensbridge, New York, Juice Crew brought together an eclectic range of rappers from different areas to create a supergroup. Spearheaded by Marly Marl and Mr Magic, the potent eight-piece was formed in 1983 and has become synonymous with hip-hop’s golden age, which was an era of lyricism.
Hip-hop culture wasn’t initially message-driven. From its birth in the late 1970s until the early ’80s, rap music was centred around fun and dancing. Born and raised at New York block parties, the music took much of its messaging from its predecessor, funk, regarding the subject matter.
However, with the politicisation of hip-hop during the ’80s, after an ebb and flow of subject matters, the music began to address and highlight real-life issues affecting the impoverished. That said, during an appearance on Hip-Hop Wired’s YouTube series I Got Questions, Hardy revealed that several artists he believes brought the culture “back to lyrics” in a meaningful way.
Speaking to Ghostface Killah, Kane reflected, “During that time period, there was a shift and a different movement. When Rakim came, when KRS came, and then I came, it shifted back to being about the lyrics, and when I listen to Wu[-tang Clan] stuff, I can hear how important lyricism was to y’all.”
Conscious, highly lyrical rap with a deeper meaning has always been part of the DNA of New Jersey and New York MCs. From KRS-One to Talib Kweli, Lauryn Hill and Mos Def, the movement has always been present, with no signs of slowing down in the modern era.
Despite the success of 1982’s ‘The Message’, political messaging with a deep focus on the lyrical content didn’t initially spread like wildfire in hip-hop, but the influence of the track would later become evident. However, in the eyes of Big Daddy Kane, it was KRS-One, Rakim and himself brought it back into focus by the end of the decade.