Big Daddy Kane Apologizes for Pushing Sign Language Interpreter During Performance
Big Daddy Kane is famous for being a smooth operator on stage, but at a recent show, things didn't go smoothly as the legendary rhymer pushed a sign language interpreter to the side of the stage during his performance.
Last Saturday (Jan. 15), a video surfaced online of Big Daddy Kane performing his classic 1988 song "Raw" at a concert in Virginia on Jan. 14. In the middle of BDK's set, an ASL—American Sign Language—interpreter, later identified as Billy Sanders, appears on the side of the stage signing the song's lyrics with his hands. The hip-hop icon proceeds to then push him back, almost to the backstage area. In the clip, you can hear the audience gasp as they watch BDK continuously shove the deaf interpreter.
Hours later, after the show, Big Daddy Kane hopped on his Instagram page and posted a video explaining what happened at the show.
“So, I know a lot of people out there saw this," he began before showing the offending clip. "...But see what y’all didn’t see was this,” Kane said as he showed a video of himself apologizing to the deaf interpreter and the audience. “I’ve done a lot of crazy stuff in my life, but I would never try to disrespect an interpreter that’s doing sign language for the deaf community on stage."
"No one told me what was going on," he continued. "No one told my manager that there was gonna be an interpreter. We were clueless, so when I came on stage and saw someone just mouthing the lyrics, I was trying to get them off the stage.”
BDK also added that no one on the internet showed the video of him apologizing and allowing the ASL interpreter to do his job afterwards.
"But no one showed the clip of me apologizing to the brother and allowing him to stay on stage and finish the show," Kane stated. "No one showed the clip of me apologizing to the crowd. Because as I said on the clip, I want everyone to enjoy the show, and that means even those that can’t hear it.”
Big Daddy Kane captioned the Instagram video, “I just found out the Brothers name. Billy Sanders my sincere apology Bro.”
It’s good to see Big Daddy Kane own up to his mistake and clear up the misunderstanding.