Big Daddy Biography: Early Life, Career, Albums, Discography, Wife & Net Worth
Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper, producer, and actor who started his career in 1986 as a Juice Crew member. He is widely considered one of hip-hop’s most influential and talented MCs.
Rolling Stone ranked his song “Ain’t No Half-Steppin'” 25th on its list of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, calling him “a master wordsmith of rap’s… golden age and a huge influence on a generation of MCs.”
Big Daddy Biography
Antonio Hardy was born on September 10, 1968, in Brooklyn, New York City. Kane met Mister Cee in high school, and he went on to play an important role as Kane’s DJ. Kane met Biz Markie in 1984 and collaborated on some of the latter’s most well-known lyrics.
Both joined the Queens-based Juice Crew, led by producer Marley Marl. Kane signed with Cold Chillin’ Records, owned by Tyrone Williams and Len Fichtelberg, in 1987, and made his debut with the 12″ song “Raw” the same year.
The name Big Daddy Kane is a combination of Caine, David Carradine’s character on the TV show Kung Fu, and Big Daddy, portrayed by Vincent Price in the 1963 film Beach Party.
Kane’s debut album, Long Live the Kane, was released in 1988 and included the breakthrough single “Ain’t No Half Steppin'”. In 1989, he released his second album and biggest hit to date, It’s a Big Daddy Thing, which included 1970s sample throwbacks like “Smooth Operator” and the Teddy Riley-produced tune “I Get the Job Done”.
He also contributed a verse on the Marley Marl-produced hit “The Symphony” (1988), which included Juice Crew members Craig G, Masta Ace, and Kool G Rap.
Big Daddy Kane appeared as a guest rapper on Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet in 1990, on the song “Burn Hollywood Burn”, in which he discussed the depiction of African-American characters, notably during the Jim Crow Era.
Big Daddy also used Aunt Jemima as an example of how Black women were stereotyped and assigned low-status jobs, with the lyrics “And Black women in this profession / As for playing a lawyer, out of the question / For what they play, Aunt Jemima is the perfect term”.
Big Daddy Kane appears on Patti LaBelle’s 1991 album, “Burnin'”. He contributed the rap chorus for the song “Feels Like Another One”. He was also featured in the DVD release “Live in New York”.
He contributed the song “‘Nuff Respect” to the soundtrack of Ernest Dickerson’s feature film debut Juice, starring Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur, showcasing his quick lyrical delivery.
Kane won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1991 for his contribution to Quincy Jones’ collaboration single “Back on the Block” from the same-titled album.
He made his acting debut in Mario Van Peebles’ 1993 western Posse, followed by an appearance in Robert Townsend’s 1993 picture The Meteor Man. He also posed for Playgirl and Madonna’s book Sex in the 1990s.
Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, and KRS-One all appeared on Tony Touch’s “The Piece Maker” mixtape in 2000. A rejuvenated Kane worked with a number of hip-hop acts, including A Tribe Called Quest, Jurassic 5, Little Brother, and DJ Babu of the Beat Junkies.
He recorded two singles, “The Man, The Icon” (produced by Alchemist) and “Any Type of Way” (produced by DJ Premier), in which he discusses urban breakdown in post-9/11 New York City (“Giuliani got New York lookin’ like it’s Amistad”) and the dissolution of the middle class.
Big Daddy Kane appeared on the trip hop trio Morcheeba’s 2003 track “What’s Your Name”. Big Daddy Kane was honoured at the 2005 VH1 Hip-Hop Honours. After a medley of classics by T.I., Black Thought, and Common, he appeared to sing “Warm It Up, Kane” with his old dancers, Scoob and Scrap.
Kane and Kool G Rap both appear briefly in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. He was a guest MC on the Stanton Warriors’ track “Get Wild Off This” on their Stanton Sessions Vol. 2 breaks mix in 2006.
He also performed alongside the Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, Busta Rhymes, and Q-Tip during the 2006 Summer Jam performance (June 7, 2006), as part of Busta Rhymes’ initiative to honour the legacy of New York City hip-hop.
In 2007, the mixtape compilation Official Joints included a new single, “BK Mentality”. Kane was also featured on Joell Ortiz’s The Brick: Bodega Chronicles mixtape.
Big Daddy Kane spoke with Dr. Zoe Today on November 24, 2014, about his upbringing, childhood influences, relationships, sexual experiences, and Madonna’s 1992 book Sex.
In 2016, he appeared on Tito Jackson’s track “Get It Baby” and in the documentary Hip-Hop Evolution. Kane released the tune “Enough” in June 2020, which was about police violence.
Discography
- Long Live the Kane (1988)
- It’s a Big Daddy Thing (1989)
- Taste of Chocolate (1990)
- Prince of Darkness (1991)
- Looks Like a Job For… (1993)
- Daddy’s Home (1994)
- Veteranz Day (1998)
Big Daddy Wife
Big Daddy Kane’s wife is Shawnette Hardy, whom he married in 2010. They do not have any biological children together, Shawnette has a stepson called Lamel Hardy.
Big Daddy Net Worth
Despite being entangled in issues, Big Daddy’s music releases have all been commercially successful. He earns all of his money through his singing career. He has attended numerous music performances and events both in the United States and abroad.
There is no doubt that Kane is one of the most successful rappers in America. He is claimed to have a massive net worth of $5-8 million.
Social Media
Instagram: @officialbigdaddykane
