Big Daddy Kane is the ultimate prototypical MC. Born and raised in the most credible hip-hop hotbed of Brooklyn, N.Y., he was street-certified, a sex symbol, stylish, dangerous, humorous, edgy, and could pen classic, timeless songs for himself as well as others. His words had substance, he spoke with knowledge, and he had 100 ignorant flows. Kane could brag like no other and the man could even dance. His name was powerful, regal, held weight, and even sounded good when you said it. He had an eye for talent having discovering JAY-Z (and his own DJ, Mister Cee, discovered Biggie) and his ear for beats was uncanny.

Listen to the title track to his 1991 Prince of Darkness LP. He uses the same sample of Zapp and Roger’s “Alright” that Tupac would use just two years later for his uber-smash “Keep Your Head Up.” A year earlier, his Taste of Chocolate title track incorporated a sample from Sylvester’s “Was It Something That I Said.” Lil Kim and her team would flip the beat more than half a decade later for her signature “Big Momma Thang.” Even Beyonce has used a sample that Kane rocked first.

In honor of B.D.K.’s enlightening appearance on Drink Champs this week, we’ve assembled a list of all the songs you need to hear. Whether you’re a new fan or you’ve been down since day one and are Diddy-bopping down memory lane, this one is for everyone. Thirty songs for Kane, who celebrates the 30th anniversary of his flawless first LP, Long Live The Kane, this year.

‘Big Daddy Kane’ appears on ‘Drink Champs’ tonight at 10 p.m. ET.