Set It Off

The song originated from a beat The 45 King had made for Biz Markie; Big Daddy Kane heard it, wanted it, and the beat was sped up with the signature sampled hook added. It was issued on Kane’s debut album Long Live the Kane, which was recorded in 1987–1988 for Cold Chillin’ Records. Released as one of the album’s singles in 1988, it helped define Big Daddy Kane’s rapid-fire delivery and wordplay. The track was singled out in retrospective coverage as one of the album’s key performances. The track became a staple of golden-age hip-hop and has been widely sampled; WhoSampled lists it as sampled in more than 100 songs. Its beat and cadence remain a reference point for later hip-hop records and freestyles.