Drake Daddy Kane?

"Why should I give off a gangster contrast
When I can rap about gettin some ass..." - Big Daddy Kane

Since my rotator surgery the only exercise I can get is walking. During one of those recent walks I was listening to a of off Drake's So Far Gone mixtape. It is a really good song set to one of the beats from Kanye's 808 songs and Drake does his thing lyrically. This is when Drake displayed more lyrical balance as an MC. While listening to it my mind went through my it's normal gyrations ...... (why doesn't Drake rap like this more often, why do good rappers get signed to a major label and lose their authenticity, bla, bla, bla... )when suddenly, I thought, Big Daddy Kane.

All of the Golden Agers that give Drake a hard time for being sweet, need to dig in their respective crates. I am not comparing Drakes skills to Kanes. Big Daddy Kane has a number of classic records and is in most people's top 7 rappers of all time. B.D.K was more transcendent, one of the main users of the multisylabic rhyme schemes during his time. The reality is that there are some grounds for comparison. They both have flow and lyrics.  Drake is no lyrical pushover and also brought something new and refreshing to the game for his era. Kane came into the game with a hardcore persona while Drake did not, both are good looking guys who have charm and charisma that goes across gender lines. Both recognized said female appeal and began to release songs aimed and that particular demographic.

Interestingly enough both never really needed to go as far as they did to capture the female audience as their original stuff already had that balance.

Additionally, they both got defensive after fans grew weary of their, ahem, "making songs just for the bitches". Drake has countless references to this in his post So Far Gone releases, and I stumbled up a Kane interlude from the 1993 release, Looks Like a Job For...

Dope rhyme, but you can hear his defensiveness throughout.

Gangster or prankster, define yourself, huh
And put that rough talk on the shelf
You talk all that robbery shit, but it's lame
You wouldn't steal first base at a baseball game
Never sold drugs, you never was a thug
But you're talking ying-yang like as if you're in a gang
I mean for goodness sake
The only beef you ever had was a sirloin steak
You wanna question me and all the words I say
Well, you can bring the noise any fuckin day
I rock a rugged-a-ruff rhyme to besiege ya
And if I see you at a party, put up your dickbeaters
By time I get through wreckin your jaw
You be callin Patti LaBelle and Barry White hardcore
Why should I give off a gangster contrast
When I can rap about gettin some ass
To prove that I'm a gangster only brings me trouble
But the proof that I'm a lover * sound of a zipper *
It's that easy but still you insist (yeah)
That I do this (what?)