Big Daddy Kane

Juice Crew member Big Daddy Kane's 1988 debut, Long Live, is a straight classic filled with some of the hottest hip-hop ever created. Flexing his skills as both a emcee supreme and smooth-talking ladies man, Kane represents with hits like "Raw," "Set It Off," "Ain't No Half Steppin'," and "Just Rhymin' With Biz."

Faking a stutter or crooning a chorus or rat-a-tat-tatting a salvo of "ill" rhymes, he can rap that rap, and he's so prolific he spins off lyrics for labelmates in his spare time. But too often Marley Marl lets all this facility carry the music instead of adding the right sample, and when Biz Markie comes on the set you suddenly realize what vocal presence means. Of course, Markie's clown can wear as thin as Big Daddy's big man. What a duo they'd make. (Grade - B)