Music > Live Reviews

Big Daddy Kane

The Adrian Flux Waterfront

08/05/17

The weekend had turned out to be party heavy so there was a distinct lack of spring in my step as I made way down to the Waterfront to join all the other middle-aged men in witnessing one of the originals - Big Daddy Kane! In Norwich! On a Sunday! Despite arriving an hour after doors opened only a very small crowd had gathered, all of whom were standing far away from the stage school disco style. If there’s one man in Norwich who knows how to get a party started though it’s your friend and mine DJ Chrome. Along with Just-1 and Illinspired we were hugely entertained by some absolute bangers from, well, back in the day of course. As we approached the 9pm stage time of BDK the venue had filled considerably and there was a brilliant atmosphere in the house; more school reunion than school disco you could say.

Obviously being a hip hop show Big Daddy Kane didn’t appear at 9pm, because that’s just not what rappers do right? It was cool though coz the tunes were banging, the crowd got more into it and it meant we could drink more, so that by the time BDK strolled on at 9.37 we were SET. With just his DJ for company it took him a few tracks to really get into his groove, but very quickly it felt like we were watching some next level mic skills. I’m not sure I’ve seen a rapper with a smoother flow, tongue twisting when necessary but always crystal clear, although the backing tracks could have done with being louder I think. Kane was obviously really enjoying himself – posing with a guy sporting a bootleg T shirt in the front row, laughing at another fan who’d brought his entire vinyl discography with him. It felt like the set was building nicely, Smooth Operator had us all busting out some moves, he did a great tribute to some of rap’s fallen – Big L, Guru, Biggie & Tupac all getting a shout out before we got a raucous rendition of his signature tune Ain’t No Half Steppin’. Then the gig ended. At 10.20. So a 43 minute headline set which had cost £20 a ticket from an artist who released his first track in 1987. Not really good enough I’m afraid, and yet no-one seemed to mind, myself included. I still feel like I’ve watched one of the greats performing and for the time he was on stage it was almost completely brilliant, but really an hour long show is the least we should have got.

I suppose I don’t understand why he wouldn’t want to play for longer, he was enjoying it, we certainly were, why would you not want to give your fans a decent return on their investment? It’s the mystery of live hip hop – no band of a similar age from another genre of music would ever play a 43 minute headline set. Also, avoid bootleg t-shirts being sold by producing your own, as zero merch was available. In fact, give me a call Kane, this time next year, bro, we could be millionaires.