About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Is there an East Coast producer with his name on more classics than Paul Mitchell? Regardless of his past work with other artists, the Large Professor has seen nothing but frustration and label drama in his attempts to launch a solo career. Like many true-school New York artists, his most acclaimed effort remains his first, but unlike most, Large Professor's intended 1995 debut The LP never got a proper release date (or a proper mix-down, for that matter). Luckily for hip-hop purists, the Queens producer/MC hasn't done much to alter his musical formula in the decade-and-a-half since. His second official solo album, Main Source, does just as its name suggests, remaining faithful to the tried-and-true format of crisp boom-bap production and upbeat rhyme schemes that Extra P has been following since his days with the seminal New York crew. Like other super producers who take turns on the mike (most notably Pete Rock and Dr. Dre), Large Pro has never claimed to be the most impressive lyricist; his rhymes never veer too far from three topics, namely partying ("Pump Ya Fist," "Party Time," "Large Pro Says"), making "real" hip-hop ("Hardcore Hip-Hop," "Rockin' Hip-Hop") and his own supremacy ("Frantic Barz," "Classic Emergency"), but he manages to make it work with his straightforward delivery and simple yet charismatic wordplay. Main Source also benefits from a choice guest list that includes both established vets and underground newcomers who keep the track list from falling into monotony. The short but sweet "RuDopeDapnNoyd" trilogy works like a sequel to two Gang Starr three-the-hard-way joints of yesteryear with Mobb Deep-affiliate Big Noyd sitting in for Guru. The LP finishes on a high note with Large Pro passing the mic to AZ and Styles P on the soulful, electric guitar-driven boastfest, "the Hardest." Matt Rinaldi, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

• Listener Rating: