Kane is known for his ability to syncopate over faster hip hop beats, and despite his asthmatic condition he is acknowledged as one of the pioneering masters of fast rhyming. Kane signed with Tyrone Williams’s (Marl’s manager) and Len Fichtelberg’s Cold Chillin' Records label in 1987 and debuted the same year with the 12' single 'Raw,' which was an underground hit. Both eventually became important members of the Queens-based Juice Crew, a collective headed by renowned producer Marley Marl. In 1984, Kane became friends with Biz Markie, and he would co-write some of Biz's best-known lyrics.
