Long Live the Kane
This article possibly contains original research. (May 2009) |
Long Live the Kane | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Warner Bros. | ||||
Producer | Marley Marl | |||
Big Daddy Kane chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Long Live the Kane | ||||
|
Long Live the Kane is the debut album by American rapper Big Daddy Kane, released by Cold Chillin' Records on June 21, 1988.[2] It was produced by Marley Marl and established both as premier artists during hip hop's golden age. Kane displayed his unique rapping technique while covering topics including love ("I'll Take You There"), Afrocentricity ("Word to the Mother(Land)") and his rapping prowess ("Set It Off"). Marley Marl and Big Daddy Kane display a sparse production style - creating beats with fast-paced drums and lightly utilized James Brown samples.
Four singles were released in promotion of Kane's first album: "Raw/Word to the Mother (Land)," "Ain't No Half-Steppin'/Get Into It," "I'll Take You There/Wrath of Kane" and "Set It Off/Get Into It." The most commercially successful of these singles were "
Big Daddy Kane's debut album contains many tracks that were later featured on
The album is broken down track-by-track by Big Daddy Kane in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique.[6]
Recording & production
As is the case with many Juice Crew associated projects on the Cold Chillin' label, the production was handled by legendary beatmaker Marley Marl. This has become a source of contention among many former artists on the label, Big Daddy Kane included. According to these artists, Marl was not really responsible for the production on their songs, arguing that he contributed little to no creative input beyond engineering and programming the drums. Marl has countered the artists claims by suggesting that the rappers had limited knowledge of production equipment, and would have not gotten the same signature "boom bap" sound that was unique to the producer.
In reality, many Juice Crew rappers would indeed bring in records that they wished to sample, and choose which parts they wished to rhyme over. Marl would then hook the beat up on a sampler, and give it his characteristic sound. This artistic synergy resulted in songs like "Ain't No Half Steppin'", which according to Kane, Marl initially disapproved of because of its multiple samples. Others were already full songs before being programmed, such as "Just Rhymin' With Biz" and "Set It Off". "Set It Off" was originally made by The 45 King, and was intended for Biz Markie. However, Kane heard it and liked the James Brown sound it had, asking 45 King for the beat. The 45 King sped up the beat, and gave the song its signature sampled hook.
Legacy and influence
Big Daddy Kane's debut album is one of the most influential hip hop albums from the Golden Era. Kane's lyrics have been sampled and reused, his rapping style has been emulated as well as the beats.
On "The Listening," a 2002 song by
- "Back when 'fresh' was the word, and 'Raw' was on Prism/
- Marley on the boards, plus Kane was Long Livin'/
- G Rap and Ace spittin' murderous/
- Bought Long Live the Kane, sat down and learned every word of it/
- Sneakin' my Walkman in the homeroom, playin' it/
- Listen for cadences"
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [8] |
Los Angeles Times | [9] |
MusicHound R&B | 4.5/5[citation needed] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer | [10] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
The Source | 5/5[12] |
The Village Voice | B[13] |
In 1998, the album was selected as one of
It was certified as
Even though he spends a good 90% of the album boasting about his skills and abilities on the microphone, and cutting those of other MCs, Big Daddy Kane consistently proves himself a thrilling artist on his debut album, Long Live the Kane, one of the most appealing creations from the original new school of rap. This debut captures the Big Daddy Kane who rocked the house at hip-hop clubs and verbally cut up any and all comers in the late '80s with his articulate precision and locomotive power – the Big Daddy Kane who became an underground legend, the Big Daddy Kane who had the sheer verbal facility and razor-clean dexterity to ambush any MC and exhilarate anyone who witnessed or heard him perform. There are missteps here, to be sure – especially "The Day You're Mine," on which Kane casts himself as a loverman over a stilted drum machine and lackluster, cheesily seductive singing (offering a glimpse of the particular corner into which he would eventually paint himself). But there are also plenty of legitimate early hip-hop classics, none of which have lost an ounce of their power, and all of which serve as reminders of a time and era when hip-hop felt immediate, exciting, fresh, and a little bit dangerous (in the figurative, rather than literal, sense), and when hip-hop spawned commercial tastes of the moment rather than surrendering to them. Although his next album would be nearly the artistic equal of the debut – and, in many ways, even bettered it – Big Daddy Kane would never sound as compelling or as fresh as on this first effort.[7]
Track listing
- All songs produced by Marley Marl.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Long Live the Kane" | A. Hardy | 4:55 |
2. | "Raw" (Remix) | A. Hardy | 5:45 |
3. | "Set It Off" | A. Hardy | 4:07 |
4. | "The Day You're Mine" |
| 5:12 |
5. | "On the Bugged Tip" (featuring Scoob Lover) | A. Hardy | 3:18 |
6. | "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" | A. Hardy | 5:18 |
7. | "I'll Take You There" | A. Hardy | 4:55 |
8. | "Just Rhymin' with Biz" (featuring Biz Markie) | A. Hardy | 4:02 |
9. | "Mister Cee's Master Plan" (featuring Mister Cee) | A. Hardy | 5:24 |
10. | "Word to the Mother (Land)" | A. Hardy | 3:09 |
Total length: | 46:40 |
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[21] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ "Dart_Adams on Twitter". Dart Adams. 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
- ^ "Dart_Adams on Twitter". Dart Adams. 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
- ^ Big Daddy Kane Biography at Allmusic
- ^ Ain't No Half Steppin' at Allmusic
- ^ a b The Very Best of Big Daddy Kane at Allmusic
- Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies, Villard, Random House.
- ^ a b Swihart, Stanton. "Long Live the Kane – Big Daddy Kane". AllMusic. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ^ Gold, Jonathan (September 11, 1988). "The World of Hard Rap". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (January 26, 1989). "Big Daddy Kane: Long Live the Kane (Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros.)". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ The Source (150). New York. March 2002.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ Christgau, Robert (November 8, 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ The top 100 Best Rap Albums list on Rocklist.net
- ^ "Nas' 25 Favorite Albums". Complex Networks.
- ^ RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database at RIAA.com Archived 2007-06-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Big Daddy Kane Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- ^ "Big Daddy Kane Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1989". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ "American album certifications – Big Daddy Kane – Long Live the Kane". Recording Industry Association of America.