by SCOTT C

Master of the SP1200, and one of the founding members of classic hip hop group Main Source, Large Professor has a resume that includes collaborations that found him both holding the mic and behind the boards. He’s responsible for classic beats behind Eric B & Rakim, Nas, Akinyele, Mobb Deep, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and A Tribe Called Quest, as well as his own gems like “Live at the BBQ” and “Fakin’ the Funk.” The Mirror spoke to Extra P over the phone from his home in New York.

Mirror: How did you initially hook up with K-Cut and Sir Scratch [of Main Source]? Growing up in Toronto, the whole New York-Toronto connection in late ’80s and early ’90s hip hop was very exciting for us.

Large Professor: Oh, you want to way back (laughs)! We went to high school together in Flushing, New York. Main Source basically came out of high school, and their mother was actually the manager of the group. They had moved from Toronto to New York, and that’s how we met.

M: By the time K-Cut and Sir Scratch moved back to Toronto, Main Source was already some serious classic shit, and was very encouraging to the rest of us coming up. At this point in your career, are you still making music at 100 per cent?

LP: Definitely. That’s my love, that’s my heart. Even though there have been many ups and downs in the industry over the years, this is where I want to be.

M: I know that when you reach legendary status, it can be a double-edged sword. Is this true for you?

LP: It can be extremely difficult to keep all the old fans happy and tap into the new generation at the same time. It’s a balancing act sometimes, because you want to give the loyal fans what they want, but you have to stay fresh with the new generation too. Hip hop, from 10 years ago up to now, has changed. It used to be so easy to get in the game, but now there’s a million MCs, a million producers, everything is so corporate—but we’re still keeping it grounded.

M: How much production are you doing, versus MCing, these days?

LP: Well, I do production every day. It’s like neck and neck. I’m an artist, I’m a producer, and I’ve always been both. I probably do produce more than I write though.

M: For a little while, there seemed to be a shortage of producers who could hold it down on the mic as well.

LP: Oh, yeah. It’s a rare thing. You got a few, though. You got your man Kanye, who took it to another level, but I wish there were more.

M: Do you still cross paths with a lot of the cats you used to work with, or that were putting out music around the same time you were back in the day?

LP: I still cross paths with Guru and Primo, Pete Rock and CL, Lord Finesse, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes—and Nas, of course. These guys are still out there doing their thing, and so am I.

With Medaphoar, Faculty, Applied Science, D-Shade and Team Canada at Foufounes Électriques
on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 9 p.m., $15

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