“Early on I was a fan of Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers. I liked the way that he used a bunch of words to rhyme together in one line. And I picked up sarcasm by watching the older cats at the barbershop. They were just out there talking and saying slick lines to one another. I also got inspiration from Smokey Robinson.”

American rapper, producer and actor, born 1968

Antonio Hardy, known as Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper, producer and actor who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is best known as a major figure in hip-hop’s golden age and as a performer widely respected for his lyricism. He built his reputation through sharp wordplay and technical skill, qualities that made him influential to later generations of MCs. Rolling Stone placed his song “Ain’t No Half-Steppin’” at number 25 on its list of the 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, and described him as a master wordsmith with a wide impact on rap.