Long Live the Kane

I'm not even go to lie to you, I absolutely thought I would dread watching vh1's "Hip Hop Honors" last night. It wasn't because it was cutting into my masturbation time, it was because vh1 tends to drop the ball when it comes to Hip Hop.(Actually, everyone seems to drop the ball) You think I'm being too harsh, OK, what do you think about Puff Daddy being listed ahead of greats like Rakim, Nas, KRS one and De la soul on the "Top 50 Hip Hop acts of all time" list? Yep, that's what I thought, fucking blasphemous!

So the opening credits come on and I see that they will be honoring LL Cool J, Grandmaster flash and The Furious Five, Ice T, Salt and Pepa, The Notorious B.I.G, and Big Daddy Kane. I watched and overall it was "alright", I mean whoever produced the show and handles what camera angles should be used should be shot, but it was OK. Nelly performed a few LL Cool J songs, reminding me of why I exactly hate that motherfucker.(At least, I'm pretty sure, that was the first time I actually heard him rap though and not sing.) Cierra joined hm on stage for LL's "Doing it" and I kept wondering if the rumors about her having "man meat" were true, so I kept focusing on her crotch. Then LL performed, and regardless of what people think about the guy he is still a motherfucking legend. Even though, sorry L, I could have done without you pouring water on your body like you were in "Flashdance" and shit. But then again, I know that wasn't for me.

The segment for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 was remarkably, this is hard to say, informative considering it was vh1. They dropped some knowledge, schooling the masses that it was indeed "Cowboy" who started the whole call and response tactic that MC's used up until today.("Throw your hands in the air") The segment with Grandmaster Flash performing alongside Kid Capri and Jazzy Jeff was cool, but it just cemented in my mind that Jazzy Jeff is the best DJ ever.

The Ice T performance was cool, especially since he performed, alongside Snoop, two of my favorite songs that were, "Colors" and "6 in the morning". I respect Ice T, and the main fact that he was once a pimp and has Successfully crossed over is a feat in itselfand totally blows my mind.

As I saw Salt and Pepa perform I suddenly got a massive "chubby", because in High School I had the biggest crush on Spinderella. Shit, I still have a big crush on her, do you think I can win her over by saying, "Hey baby, you know I won a blog award right?" OK, maybe not, but they performed alongside En Vogue and I guess they did their thing. The one thing that perplexes me about Salt and Pepa, and I respect them, is how "legendary" are they since Herbie wrote a shitload of their earlier work? I'm just wondering.

There was a tribute to Notorious B.I.G which was alright, but you know that Puffy obviously had to show his fucking face. Watching the performance I thought: 1:I don't ever want to see lil' Cease's non rapping ass on a stage ever again. 2. Ludacris is cool with me and 3. I liked Faith Evans when she had a bit more weight on her, or is that just me?

But, the performance of the night came from a guy who is one of the best rappers to ever do it, Big Daddy Kane. My cousin's changed my life in the summer of 88' when they brought me down 3 tapes that would change my life forever. EPMD's "Strictly Business", Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions..", and Big Daddy Kane's "Long Live the Kane". That was my "Holy Trinity" of Hip Hop albums that would guide me through a lifelong love affair with said art form. Sure I liked Hip Hop before 88, but those albums made me forever breath, eat, and shit Hip Hop.

As I watched the artists who performed in tribute to him, I was happily surprised. As T.I did a verse from Kane's "Smooth Operator" I suddenly didn't despise his very existence any more, when Black Thought did a verse from "Set it off" I remembered why I liked "The Roots" in the first place. Common didn't do his rendition of Kane's "Raw" justice, but made up for it when he got on the floor and started B-Boying.

Then, the man himself, who has to be all of 37 and still ripping the mic with his classic "Warm it Up". I stood out of my chair and shouted when he did the same dance moves that he did in 1989, shuffling his feet back and forth while his arms were around his dancers, falling backwards only to be caught and propped up, to step on Scoob luva's leg and do the splits. That was some classic shit man. Listen, I love Biggie and all, but I must revise a lil' kim line that is in her new single "Lighters up". Revision: "Brooklyn Home to the greatest rappers/ Kane comes first THEN Big comes after!" Get it right you fucking jailbird!

After watching a living legend, I must ask you:

Who's flat top rules in 2005??!!


Check out the performances here