One of the biggest solo acts of hip-hop's golden age, rapper Big Daddy Kane possessed a fantastic flow. His intricate rhymes had just the right amount of menace and braggadocio.
Apparently his onstage hubris was part of a successful persona that elevated his first two albums into the pantheon of rap classics. Originally from the mean streets of Brooklyn, the legendary rapper left the city behind and retreated to the slower pace of North Carolina many years ago.
Now Big Daddy hopes to set it off again with success in the housing market. He's listed his rather modest four-bedroom home in Raleigh for just of $165,000. And the rapper didn't half-step when it came to renovations.
Listing agent Steve Gillooly said the home's been completely redone. "There's brand-new carpet, it's been freshly painted inside, and the marble floor in the kitchen and dining room is immaculate," Gillooly says.
We were curious about how this unassuming suburban home jibes with the over-the-top excess we're used to seeing when it comes to celebrity homes. Gillooly said Big Daddy (aka Antonio Hardy) is a humble guy at heart.
"He's down-to-earth. He has the money to buy whatever he wants, but he chooses to be humble and give back to the community."
And the rap legend isn't abandoning his humble roots to buy a gilded estate. Gillooly said the rapper is staying in Raleigh, but simply opting for more space.
"It's a larger home in a regular community. He's going to convert the basement into a home recording studio."
Long live the Kane!