If Kane has a more realistic industry perspective than do his get-chips-quick contemporaries, it's because he learned by observing reggae legend Danny Tucker, his foremost influence. A gifted multi-instrumentalist and singer who also happens to be Kane's father, Tucker is credited with cutting Boston's first-ever reggae release, "Take Me Home," which he recorded three years after emigrating from Jamaica in 1976. As a kid, Kane often took the stage with his dad, who was most famously associated with the band Zion Initation. Add that to his Mattapan chops and the years he spent in Jamaica as a child and the product is an artist who thoroughly believes in the right to decide his own destiny.
"I grew up on reggae," he explains. "It's in the genes. I'm a revolutionary, I like to burn it down, I like to write songs, and I like to fuck. Hip-hop doesn't understand how deeply rooted it is in reggae, but I'm going to make people realize. Kool Herc is from Jamaica, and so are Heavy D and Canibus. Now you can add Singapore Kane to that list."
SINGAPORE KANE + BIG SHUG | Breezeway, 150 Blue Hill Ave, Roxbury | December 8 at 8 pm | Free | 617.541.5400
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