Big Daddy Kane has collaborated with countless artists during his long career, but none of them have been as memorable as Rick James.
During an Idea Generation interview with Noah Callahan-Bever late last month, Kane recalled working with the late funk legend on the 1988 song “Loosey’s Rap,” which also featured Roxanne Shanté.
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“Rick, he’s a visionary,” Kane recalled. “I was really there just to write for Shanté. He just asked me to jump on the song. Watching him at work, and his vibe, was amazing.”
Kane went on to say that the “Super Freak” singer, who he called “a very caring brother,” took an interest not only in rap music, but also the young rappers’ careers.
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That extended, Kane continued into the next time he was with James, during the photoshoot for the singer’s Wonderful LP.
“We hung out and he sat there the whole day, talking about business,” Kane said. “He’s telling me what to look out for, telling me about things that went wrong in his career… He was really concerned about my career, and wanted to give me game.”
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But when the business talk ended and a few women visited James’ hotel room, a whole different side of the singer popped up.
To make his point, Kane momentarily lapsed into a dead-on Rick James impression, which you can see below.
Big Daddy Kane posted the impression to his Instagram, commenting: “R.I.P. Rick James. I miss you my good Brother! Forever a REAL ONE to me.”
You can watch the rest of Kane’s talk with Callahan-Bever here. The conversation, which took place at The William Vale Hotel in Brooklyn on November 30, covers a huge swath of topics, including Kane’s close friendship with the late Biz Markie; what it was like to do a song for Quincy Jones; and Kane’s experiences working with a young JAY-Z.
Kane has been interacting with his history recently in other ways as well. Most notably, he’s been auctioning off archival items to raise money for The ASCAP Foundation, alongside stars like Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.
Kane contributed a signed copy of his 1988 hit single “Ain’t No Half-Steppin.'”
