If
Big Daddy Kane's debut album painted him as an enormously talented battle MC, his follow-up,
It's a Big Daddy Thing, finds him aggressively expanding into new territory and gunning for a wider audience outside the
hip-hop faithful. Unlike later efforts, most of it is rousingly successful, making for an album that's arguably just as strong as his near-classic debut. This is where
Kane starts to take his place as one of
hip-hop's first sex symbols, thanks to the gliding
"Smooth Operator," the somewhat dated
ballad "To Be Your Man," and the
Teddy Riley-produced
new jack swing track
"I Get the Job Done." If the latter is a blatant attempt at crossing over, with a vastly different sound than anything else on the album, it's also a player's statement of purpose. Elsewhere,
Kane plays the anti-drug, pro-education social commentator, bringing his Nation of Islam beliefs further into the spotlight on tracks like
"Another Victory," "Children R the Future," "Calling Mr. Welfare," and
"Rap Summary (Lean on Me)." "Pimpin' Ain't Easy" sits a little uneasily alongside that progressive-minded material, not just for its obvious subject matter but for the line where
Kane declares himself "anti-faggot"; nonetheless, it remains something of a favorite among fans who look past that slip. And of course, there are plenty of showcases for
Kane's near-peerless technique, including
"Mortal Combat," a live version of the rare B-side
"Wrath of Kane," and
"Warm It Up, Kane." There's some filler in the second half, like the amusing,
blaxploitation-styled
"Big Daddy's Theme," but overall
It's a Big Daddy Thing is a strong, varied album that captures every important side of one of
rap's major talents. ~ Steve Huey
