In some hip-hop circles, Big Daddy Kane is considered to be a prelude to a young Jay-Z. Both are from Brooklyn, both have flows that are unmatched, and both are known for their lyrical fortitude in their craft. The “Prince of Darkness” has an upcoming documentary on Netflix.
In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop, Kane gave an update on the documentary, “Paragraphs I Manifest.” The project was first announced in 2021 and will feature emcees discussing the
impact the Brooklyn hip-hop recording artist dhad on his contemporaries and those who came after him. He is hoping that, with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, it can be released before the year is out.“We’re in the editing stages right now,” Big Daddy Kane stated. “And hopefully, we’ll be finished within the next two months. That’s what I’m praying for, you know, because I really feel that it’s important to get this out as Hip-Hop is celebrating 50 years.”
He spoke about vibing with the artists that contributed to the documentary and paying homage to their career evolutions in hip hop.
“The most rewarding part of this experience is hearing different artists’ perspectives,” he said. “To sit with someone like Common, who I respect as a great lyricist and is someone with a unique flow other than the norm and representing a city other than New York, to hear his influences and his thought process, things of that nature. To hear Eminem talk about losing a rap battle. To hear him talking about what motivated him to write a song, who he listened to and studied, stuff like that.”
With the divide between old, new, and the future of hip-hop, he recognized some of the talent that have followed in his footsteps and will carry the mantle of him and others like him who grabbed the microphone as young artists.
“When you see people like J. Cole, Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine, Kendrick Lamar
and Lady London, I have a special respect for that because they’re true to lyricism.”You can see the hip-hop pioneer in various venues across the country as he is still one of the premier “legacy artists” that pure hip-hop fans want to see perform. He is also slated to be on stage this summer at the second annual Rock The Bells Festival in Queens on August 5.