On this day in Hip Hop history, Big Daddy Kane and his crew, DJ Mister Cee, Scoob, and Scrap Lover, dropped the gold-certified debut album Long Live The Kane on Cold Chillin’ Records in 1988.

Produced entirely by the legendary Marley Marl, Long Live The Kane marked the explosive arrival of the Brooklyn-bred wordsmith known as King Asiatic Nobody’s Equal. The project quickly cemented Kane’s place among rap royalty and went on to become a Source Five Mic Classic, later earning a spot on The Source’s list of the Top 100 Best Rap Albums.

A standout of Hip Hop’s revered “Golden Era,” the album stands shoulder to shoulder with other 1988 masterworks like EPMD’s Strictly Business, Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, and MC Lyte’s Lyte as a Rock.

Kane’s verbal agility and charisma shine on signature cuts like “Ain’t No Half-Steppin’,” “Raw,” and “Just Rhymin’ with Biz”, the latter a nod to his early connection with Biz Markie, who helped introduce him to the rap world. Each track reflects the polished lyricism, confident delivery, and innovative production that helped shape a generation of MCs.

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