Photographer: George DuBose.

Big Daddy Kane had already sealed his place in the hip-hop canon by the time his second classic full-length, IT'S A BIG DADDY THING, dropped in 1989. Featuring an expanded production staff including Prince Paul, Easy Mo Bee, Mister Cee, and Teddy Riley as well as a few beats from Marley Marl, IT'S A BIG DADDY THING finds the Bed-Stuy native as sharp as ever, slap-boxing listeners' ears with rapid-fire one-liners. At 17 tracks deep, IT'S A BIG DADDY THING combines positive Afro-centrism ("Young, Gifted and Black," "Children Are the Future") with more party-oriented themes ("Ain't No Stopping Us Now," "It's a Big Daddy Thing"), mack-daddy slow jams ("To Be Your Man"), and brazen misogyny ("Pimpin' Ain't Easy"). A handful of the record's tracks--such as "Another Victory," "Smooth Operator," and "Warm It Up Kane"--are essential for any DJ's crate and continue to rock hip-hop parties to this day. Nice & Smooth, Ant Live, Blue Magic, Scrap Lover, and Scoob Lover make guest appearances.