Main Source - Breaking Atoms
1. Snake Eyes
2. Just Hangin Out
3. Looking At The Front Door
4. Large Professor
5. Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball
6. Scratch & Kut
7. Peace Is Not The Word To Play
8. Vamos A Rapiar
9. He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)
10. Live At The Barbeque
11. Watch Roger Do His Thing
12. Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball (Bonus Version)
Okay, this is a straight up classic. Released back in 1991, this album has kind of been forgotten about, and is actually kind of hard to get hold of because apparantly wild pitch records went bust.
Anyways, from the first few seconds of 'Snake Eyes', when the dusty samples start, and the bass and piano loop kicks in your on to one of the best opening tracks in hip-hop history. From this track all the way through to 'Just a Friendly Game of Baseball Remix', there is no lessening in the sheer quality of this album. Although its listed members are Large Professer, Sir Scratch & K-Cut, duties are listed as: all tracks produced by Large Professer & lyrics by large Professer. Sir Scratch & K-Cut are listed for turntables, and athough get their chance in the spotlight on 'Scratch & Kut', this really is the Large Professers album. He has always seemed to be thought of behind the likes of Premo & Pete Rock as one of the greatest producers of the early 90s, but judgein by this he is on par with them. The beats dont sound a bit dated with 'Snake Eyes', 'Live at the Barbeque' and 'Large Professer' soundin as fresh today as when they first graced the hip-hop world in 1991.
It is not only the boards here Large P shines though, he is ILL on the mic. He doesnt spit anything gorundbreaking or revolotionary, but his MC skills are an equal match to his production talent. 'Just a Friendly Game of Baseball' is a perfect example of this, where he uses baseball as a metaphor for police brutality. Like i said, nothing too complex or mind-numbing about his lyrics- just straight up dopeness.
Of course this album contains 'Live at the Barbeque' feat. Akinyele, Fatal & of course the debut rap on wax for Nasty Nas. As is expected Nas's verse is ill as fuck, but even this track, 1 of my fav posse cuts ever, doesnt hold the torch as the best song here. It is embedded in an album of classics, all in their own right.
If you thought Large Professer was a poor mans Premo or Pete Rock look no further than this. Of course he went on to contribute timeless classic beats to Illmatic, but in my opinion, this is where he shown most.
From beginning to end, straight up hip-hop dopeness.
10/10
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