CLASS OF '88: Rakim VS Big Daddy Kane

By Martin A. Berrios
You can't know where you are going if you don't know where you have been. Overused cliché or not; this statement holds insurmountable weight in regards to Rap music. Think not? Think again. You have the batch of your new school artists that swear they are bringing something new to the table but it's all been said and done before.



The being heavily draped in chains a la Mr. T game, talk to Slick Rick. Selling millions on your debut album as a teenager is peace but LL Cool J did that when the money wasn't even there like that. Your record is number one on the video countdown show? Try being number one when the networks weren’t even featuring any people of color.



Look no further than the throwback gear everyone is wearing now. We say all of that to say this: the past will always dictate Hip-Hop’s future. And there is no better time than to pay tribute to the old school than on this twentieth anniversary of 1988.



1988 was an incredible time for Hip-Hop. As fans, we were spoiled with classic after classic. In the last eleven months, AllHipHop.com revisited these seminal albums with our Class Of ’88 series. We took a track by track look at It Takes A Nation Of Millions, Paid In Full, Strictly Business, Tougher Than Leather, Power, Lyte As A Rock, In Control Volume 1, took it to the R&B side with Guy and had KRS-ONE speak on those times socially.



But with those impeccable LPs came impeccable MC’s. At the top you had Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. The Brooklyn Knight of rappers had the flair and overlapping rhyme schemes that begot Jay-Z. Representing The Nation Of The Gods And The Earths, Rakim singlehandedly changed way Hip-Hop rapped and gave birth to Nas.



To say who the better rapper through their entire careers was would be futile, as both artists had too many triumphs to count. But as a closer to the Class Of ’88 series, we asked all those involved with the aforementioned classic albums who was iller during 1988, Kane or Rakim. We could have asked any jamoke but those that were asked were rocking alongside both of them, so who better to give an on site analysis? Yeah we know; you don’t have thank us.


Chuck D.: Rakim and KRS-ONE changed the game of rhyme, with their phrasing. They introduced a style of rhyme that changed Rap forever. Ra’ is truly the God rapper and KRS-ONE is the most feared rapper of all time. The most skilled rapper of all time, I think is Big Daddy Kane. That’s only because Big Daddy Kane could deliver on speeds. Its one thing to rap fast but it’s another thing is to rap on something fast and Kane can do it fast, slow, powerful and dance. Sh*t, he can do it all [laughs].

With choosing Rakim or Big Daddy Kane, there is a difference between being evolutionary and being revolutionary. Rakim is revolutionary; he invented something that wasn’t there before, same thing with KRS-ONE. Kane took what was there and did it better, same thing with Jay-Z. Big Daddy Kane and Jay-Z are evolutionary. Rakim, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, KRS-ONE; they are revolutionary. They did something that wasn’t done before.

Ice T.: I’m going to say this because I’m really split. Kane and I became really close friends out the gate and I never really heard anyone rap like Kane as fast as he did. But when I made my first record all I heard in Harlem was Rakim. Every car was playing Rakim and I looked at these n****s like who the f*** is Eric B.? So damn, s**t, I think actually Rakim.


I think Rakim to me but at the same I think Kane’s power came later. I think Rakim was earlier. I think they have an equal amount of power, I just think to me coming from L.A. and walking through Harlem making an album, and hearing his record blasting I was hearing “I came in the door” out of every single car, it blew my mind. Like okay, I can dig it.


DMC: Big Daddy Kane; the reason why I say Big Daddy Kane was Rakim had good records. But everything that Kane said was dope. He was a more of a reflection of everyone while Rakim was the God. Rakim was the great know it all that you climb the mountain you go speak to get specific knowledge. Kane was sexy. Kane was street. Kane was funny. Kane was Rap. Rakim was the epitome.

Rakim was The Bible but Daddy Kane was the word; the gospel. Rakim was specific, while Daddy Kane was everything. Lyrically Kane was better. Rakim wasn’t funny. I got to give it to Daddy Kane man. But you know who’s better than both of them? Chuck D., he had the voice and the flows!


MC Lyte: It’s all according to how you look at it in terms lyrical content they were both monsters. However in ‘88 a new regime had come in and Kane was part of that new regime. If you are talking about that year it would be Kane. If you are talking about overall, I don’t think a decision can made between the two.

Both are grand at what they do however I remember being moved in the crowd, and clapping to this with Rakim much earlier. If you are going to talk about that moment in time, Kane was killing it. He was more real to me than anything else.


Erick Sermon: I’m biased on that. Throughout all my interviews I’ve always said the reason why I rap is because of Rakim. I can’t answer that question even though Kane immaculately dope on the microphone but Rakim is why I rap.


Parrish Smith: That’s impossible to choose [laughs]. I’m not one of these artists to yell out any name on the phone. I’m looking at “Make Them Clap To This,” and then I go to Kane with “Raw;” that’s hard! That’s not an easy one.

We always went on before Big Daddy Kane, we was in Joe Louis Arena it was sold out. We thought one night we could get him and we can have Kane perform us. We asked Kane what he thought and he said “Ya’ll think ya’ll ready, okay go ahead.” So Kane went on before us.

He came out in a hot tub bubble bath and Scoob and Scrap was on their game not missing a step. He made it very hard for us to get down. So we went after Kane and after the show and we were like we are going back to performing before you. That’s the type of presence Kane had on the stage.

But with Rakim song wise, it was a different ball game. So performance wise you got to bring KRS in. Stage wise KRS gets the trophy. With the lyrics between Kane and Rakim it’s a dead heat. With the stage performance KRS ONE no questions asked.