Big Daddy Kane - Nuff Respect (1992)

This album signalled a return to form for Kane after two releases that were almost universally panned by fans and critics alike. Too much like Barry White? Too soft? Sold out? Big Daddy had something for that ass here - with a mixture of production from himself, long time collaborators Easy Mo Bee, Large Professor, Public Enemy's Bomb Squad and the oft-criticised TrakMasterz (who brought some real heat to the table) supporting him as he turned in his hungriest microphone performance in years.
From the return-of-the-champion feel of the title track, to the mocking of wack emcees on How U Get A Record Deal?, to the rugged and raw The Beef Is On, it seemed that Kane had taken all the criticism on board and came out swinging. Of course he still couldn’t resist a quick dash back into ladies’ terrority, but even here, the well-produced Very Special (Kane's first Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit) saw him share mic time with Spinderella of Salt-N-Pepa and produce a chemistry and ultimately an end result that was different from all those ‘soft’ tracks on earlier albums.
My personal fave of the album, 'Nuff Respect is a treat for the ears; old-school lyricism don't get much better than this. No wonder so many rappers (such as Eminem) cite him as an influence on their technique.