Even though he spends a good 90% of the album boasting about his skills and abilities on the microphone, and cutting those of other MCs, Big Daddy Kane consistently proves himself a thrilling artist on his debut album, Long Live the Kane, one of the most appealing creations from the original new school of rap. This debut captures the Big Daddy Kane who rocked the house at hip-hop clubs and verbally cut up any and all comers in the late '80s with his articulate precision and locomotive power -- the Big Daddy Kane who became an underground legend, the Big Daddy Kane who had the sheer verbal facility and razor-clean dexterity to ambush any MC and exhilarate anyone who witnessed or heard him perform. There are missteps here, to be sure -- especially "The Day You're Mine," on which Kane casts himself as a loverman over a stilted drum machine and lackluster, cheesily seductive singing (offering a glimpse of the particular corner into which he would eventually paint himself). But there are also plenty of legitimate early hip-hop classics, none of which have lost an ounce of their power, and all of which serve as reminders of a time and era when hip-hop felt immediate, exciting, fresh, and a little bit dangerous (in the figurative, rather than literal, sense), and when hip-hop spawned commercial tastes of the moment rather than surrendering to them. Although his next album would be nearly the artistic equal of the debut -- and, in many ways, even bettered it -- Big Daddy Kane would never sound as compelling or as fresh as on this first effort.

There's always an argument over who's the best lyricist in hip-hop. Nas, Jay-Z, Rakim, Eminem, Black Thought, Ice Cube, Biggie and a Wu-Tang member (usually Ghostface) are usually the top contenders. No offense to them, as they're all great rappers, but Big Daddy Kane conquers them all. No one can shift words around like the Big Daddy did with such powerful delivery and an excellent voice (only Ice Cube or Ghostface can match the delivery and Rakim or Kool G. Rap match the lyrics). I've been listening to this album for years and I still can't get all the words to the first verse of "Set It Off" down without messing up.

But the lyrics aren't the only reason to get this album. Marley Marl's production stands the test of time, and the production on "Ain't No Half Steppin" is just brilliant and is one of hip-hop's greatest songs of all time with Kane's mellow flow and clever lyrics. Mister Cee, the DJ, also showcases his skill on the turntables on songs like "Long Live the Kane" with his soul samples and ability to spice up any Marley Marl beat to make it even better.

Put simply, there's a reason this album got 5 mics from the Source. It's a hip-hop classic, and it influenced everything from Jay-Z and Common to Dr. Dre's G Funk era that ruled the early to mid 90s. Pick up this album and "It's a Big Daddy Thing" to hear a master of the microphone rip it from start to finish.

ONE HELL OF AN ALBUM FROM THE LATE 80'S...THIS ONE WAS A PART OF MY COLLECTION,BACK THEN AND, IT STILL IS.