“When hip-hop was new and raw, it was all about being an MC. You wanted to be respected as a lyricist. But as the years passed and hip-hop became big business, hip-hop became like country, rock and pop. And so you now have people who write the songs for rappers.”

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.