[videowaywire video_id=”180EEC3B6531A583″]
*NPR got a dose of old school hip hop courtesy of Big Daddy Kane.
The smooth operator came through Monday with a brief performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, which features sets performed in one of the building’s cramped, cluttered offices.
Backed by four musicians — a drummer, saxophonist, pianist, and a guitar player — Big Daddy Kane began with his 1989 classic “Smooth Operator,” which included a call-and-response hum of the “Smooth Operator” melody with the gathered crowd.
After opening the floor for his musicians to showcase their talents, Kane flowed into “Ain’t No Half Steppin” and “Raw,” and even hit us with an impromptu freestyle towards the end of his set.
During the performance, Kane discussed his love for hip-hop and encouraged real hip-hop enthusiasts to keep the genre thriving and “powerful.”
“I love to see it grow and to see it continue on,” he told the crowd. “I hope everybody out here is supporting hip-hop and trying to make it continue on. I’ve seen a lot of biased stuff going on about how, ‘This is not hip-hop,’ and ‘This is real hip-hop.’ But I mean, you never know what floats somebody’s boat. Whatever form of hip-hop you like, man, love it and keep it going. Keep it strong, make sure it stays powerful — because there’s always gonna be different ways of presenting something and expressing yourself.”
Watch Big Daddy Kane’s full Tiny Desk Concert below.
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