Today, Sept. 10, is the birthday of Brooklyn rapper Big Daddy Kane. He is now 50 years of age.

Kane—whose real name is Antonio Hardy—is one of the most successful and revered MCs from the 1980s.  Kane's buttery flow, hard-hitting rhymes and smooth "player" persona is often credited as a seminal influence on his fellow Brooklyn MCs including The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z.  His 1988 debut, Long Live The Kane, is widely considered one of a genre classics and remains one of the most important LPs in 1980s hip-hop.

Although he hasn't dropped an LP since 1998's Veteranz Day, Kane's status as a rap legend is forever. Watch him perform "Ain't No Half Steppin'" on NPR's Tiny Desk for proof.

Happy Birthday, Big Daddy Kane!

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