Big Daddy Kane in Oakland

Big Daddy Kane is an American rapper from Brooklyn, born Antonio Hardy in 1968, who recorded as a member of the Juice Crew. His early albums Long Live the Kane and It’s a Big Daddy Thing established his fast, rhythmically precise delivery through tracks including “Ain’t No Half-Steppin’,” “Raw” and “Smooth Operator.” In 2018, he celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut album at the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk. Later that year, his NPR Tiny Desk Concert recast songs from across his catalog for a live band, and in 2021 he faced KRS-One in a Verzuz event at Barclays Center.