Search - Big Daddy Kane :: Very Best of Big Daddy Kane (Ocrd)

The Very Best Of Big Daddy Kane Could Have Been Better

Jacob Fleming | Lawrence, KS USA | 03/06/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While Big Daddy Kane is by all means deserving of a career retrospective, especially when so much of today's player and R&B hook laden rap is a pale derivative, this greatest hits album seems a bit of a disappointment. It does feature some of Kane's best songs, with his amazing wordplay, mixture of humor and braggadocio, along with a political consciousness initially rooted in five-percent teachings. Also, the liner notes consist of a nice essay on Kane's legendary status (though little historical info), with plenty of photos. Perhaps for those who are new to King Asiatic this is sufficient, but why can't a compilation meet the needs of the die-hard fan as well as serving as a primer for the initiate? Rhino has at times seemed almost fetishistic in their desire to be complete with their retrospectives. However, with THE VERY BEST OF BIG DADDY KANE, over 3/4th's of the material comes from LONG LIVE THE KANE and IT'S A BIG DADDY THING. While these may be his most important efforts, the later albums are criminally underrated and should have been better represented, dispelling the myth that Kane fell off a long time ago. Only two songs are from TASTE OF CHOCOLATE, and just one from his comeback album, LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR... and that is "Very Special" with Spinderella - by far the weakest track! Presumably it is included to represent Kane's romantic side, but that could have been better achieved with any of his previous ballads ("The Day You're Mine", "To Be Your Man", even the much maligned "All Of Me" with Barry White). His fourth album, THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS is missing entirely, perhaps because it was panned when it came out, Kane seemingly moving towards an R&B audience. However, on it there are many notable songs to choose from. Why not the title track, the singles "Groove With It" and "Ooh Aah Nah Nah Nah", or the collaboration with Busta Rhymes and Q-Tip on "Come On Down"? Any of these would have made this a far better rounded affair instead of twelve of seventeen songs coming from just two albums. Lastly, this may seem a bit nitpicky, but more rare non-LP material could have been included, which would have shown some real effort was put into compiling this CD. Granted, there is "Raw", here in its original single mix; but why not the original 12" versions of "Wrath Of Kane" and "Rap Summary (Lean On Me)" as opposed to the ones already available on IT'S A BIG DADDY THING? Kane's first 12" on the Prism label from 1987, "Get Into It"/"Something Funky" would have been a nice addition. Only "Just Rhymin' With Biz" from that same single is included, available already on LONG LIVE THE KANE. Then there's the rare promo-only Marley Marl remix of "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" which would have made this a must have. Ironically, the only unreleased track, "Give A Demonstration" is an outtake from THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS and it comes as a nice finale. Not surprisingly, none of Kane's non-Cold Chillin' work is here, like "Nuff Respect" from the JUICE soundtrack and songs from his last two albums DADDY'S HOME and VETERANZ DAY. Their inclusion would have made for a more complete overview of Kane's career and further asserted the worthiness of a greatest hits album. Admittedly, the songs on THE VERY BEST OF BIG DADDY KANE do this anyway, but little is added to the argument post-1989. Big Daddy Kane is deserving of a collection that highlights all of the aspects of this versatile MC's 14 plus year career. Instead we get a Cliff Notes of his first two albums. Why bother? Those are BEST OF's already."

One of the most important albums in history

03/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I agree that there are many previously unreleased tracks that should have found their way onto this album, in and of itself, this "best of" collection is truly one of the most important and impressive albums in history. Kane is probably the single most slept-on artist of the past 15 or so years. His presence in Hip Hop is unparalleled, his style untouchable. He was the greatest live performer of all time, next to Rakim. And this album pays tribute to an all time great, a living legend in his own right, and a musical pioneer. If it weren't for his innovations throughout his early career, but especially in the early 90s, rap would be much different now. While he received much criticism then, for introducing R&B to rap, and for doing duets with singers Barry White and Patti LaBelle, he opened the door for the present day trends in contemporary music. Kane's laid back yet on-point style is still unmatched. And the last track on the album (previously unreleased), "Give A Demonstration" is one of the most innovative displays I've ever heard. If it had come out in '91, when it was recorded, there would have been riots in the street, because nobody had developed such style or rhyme technique at the time."

Classic Intelligence

Shamontiel L. Vaughn | Chicago | 10/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I listen to folks like Big Daddy Kane, it amazes me that today's rappers think they're "the best rapper alive." You have got to be kidding me! I can't think of one rapper who is on today's "hip hop" magazine covers that can outdo Kane. This man took metaphors, similes, multisyllabics, rhythm, and competition and annihilated them. I love this album. I added his page to my MySpace page and I could just sit and listen to it all day. "Smooth Operator" and "Set it Off" are my favorite cuts on here, but I could let every single one of these songs play out. I must be getting old because I'm at the point where when I want to go to a club, I specify what kind of music the deejay must play for me to even drive into the parking lot. Remember when hip-hop consisted of something past how much your car/jewelry cost and how many hoes you had? Man, those were the days!"