Producer Profile: Large Professor (Part 2, 1993-1999)

Following the success of Main Source's debut album 'Breaking Atoms', Large Professor's production work became sought after and, although there would be long breaks in his work, he'd go on to produce some stunning tracks.

In 1993, he contributed the beat for 'Keep it Rollin'' on A Tribe Called Quest's album 'Midnight Marauders'. The beat is pinned by a sample of Roy Ayer's Ubiquity era track 'Feel Like Making Love' from his 1974 album 'Change Up the Groove'. Large Professor's next high profile work would come on the debut of Nas, who made his debut appearance on 'Breaking Atoms'. Large Professor produced three of 'Illmatic''s tracks including the single 'It Ain't Hard to Tell'. The track contains a drum sample from Kool and the Gang's 'N.T.' and also contains a clever sample of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album cut 'Human Nature'.

Through 1995 and 1996, Large Pro worked on his solo album titled 'The LP', but it was shelved in 1996 (it was later released as a promo in 2002). This major label limbo led to a brief dead spot in his career with scant production for Common, Organized Konfusion, and a handful of underground acts until the turn of the century. One of those production credits is for X-Ecutioners DJ Rob Swift who tapped Large Professor for his 1999 single 'Dope on Plastic'. 'Dope on Plastic' incorporates samples from Quincy Jones' 'Ironside' and a huge beat from Grand Funk Railroad's surprisingly huge 'Nothings the Same' from 1969's 'Closer to Home'.

Check back for part 3 of Large Professor's producer profile where we'll cover his production credits from after the year 2000.

The Lowdown:
A Tribe Called Quest 'Keep it Rollin''
from 'Midnight Marauders' (1993) (MP3/CD)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity 'Feel Like Making Love'
from 'Change Up the Groove' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD)
Nas 'It Ain't Hard to Tell'
from 'Illmatic' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'It Ain't Hard to Tell'
Kool and the Gang 'N.T.'
from 'Live at PJ's' (1971) (MP3/CD not available)
Michael Jackson 'Human Nature'
from 'Thriller' (1982) (MP3/CD)
Rob Swift 'Dope on Plastic'
from 'Dope on Plastic' (1999) (MP3/CD not available)
Quincy Jones 'Ironside'
from 'Smackwater Jack' (1970) (MP3/Import CD)
Grand Funk Railroad 'Nothings the Same'
from 'Closer to Home' (1969) (MP3/CD)

BONUS CUTS:
Get your remix on: Rob Swift's 'Dope on Plastic' (Instrumental) and 'Dope on Plastic' (Acapella).