Large Professor

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Large Professor


Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = William Paul Mitchell
Alias = Large Pro, Large P., Extra P
Born = birth date and age|1972|3|21|
Died =
Origin = New York City, United States
Instrument = Turntable, sampler
Genre = Hip Hop
Occupation = MC, producer, DJ, musician
Years_active = 1988–present
Label = Wild Pitch//EMI
Geffen/MCA Records
Matador Records
Associated_acts = Pete Rock
Nas
Main Source
Eric B. & Rakim
Akinyele

Large Professor also as Large Pro and Xtra P,(born William Paul Mitchell on March 21, 1972) in Harlem, New York [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=LARGE|PROFESSOR&sql=11:jjfixqt5ldae~T1 allmusic Large Professor Biography] ] , is a New York based hip hop record producer and emcee. He is also best known as a member of the influential underground hip hop group Main Source, and for discovering popular emcee Nas. [ [http://www.matadorrecords.com/large_professor/biography.html Matador Records | Large Professor Biography] ]

Biography

Early life and career

Mitchell moved in his early childhood to Flushing Queens, were he was raised. His production career started early in his adolescence. As a young teenager, he would make pause tapes, in which he would pause a beat and blend it in with other sequences. Eventually, he mananged to own a Casio SK-1 sampling keyboard that allowed him to make his beats in the comfort of his own home. He became a protégé of the late Paul C, a record producer and musician, with whom he credits for teaching him virtually everything he knows about record production as well as the associated technology used for making hip-hop music. Paul C was doing production work with Eric B. & Rakim and Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, and then at age 17, Large was given the opportunity to program beats for Eric B. & Rakim's album, "Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em" (1990), while still attending high school. While working with Eric B. & Rakim, he discovered Nas. Nas got a management deal with Serchlite Publishing (headed by MC Serch from former group 3rd Bass) and Large produced three tracks on Nas's debut album, "Illmatic" (1994), after he was signed by Columbia Records. His work with Eric B. & Rakim album eventually led him to work on Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's "" (1990).

Career with Main Source

In 1989, he joined the group Main Source, which was also comprised of K-Cut and Sir Scratch from Toronto. Main Source recorded one album with Large called "Breaking Atoms", which was released in 1991. It included hits such as "Just Hangin' Out", "Looking at the Front Door," and Nas makes his first public appearance on a track called "Live at the Barbeque", along with Akinyele and Joe Fatal. In 1992, its success allowed it to record"Fakin' the Funk", a track on the "White Men Can't Jump" motion-picture soundtrack. Because of business differences, Large and Main Source quietly parted ways and Large went on to sign with Geffen/MCA Records. During and after his tenure with Main Source, he worked with Pete Rock & CL Smooth, and he produced a number of tracks for Nas, Busta Rhymes, Masta Ace, The X-Ecutioners, Tragedy Khadafi, Big Daddy Kane, Mobb Deep, and others during the 1990s.

olo career

In 1996, he released two singles for Geffen/MCA Records, "Ijuswannachill" and "The Mad Scientist", for which videos were produced for both tracks. He was to have his highly anticipated solo album "The LP" released around the same time, but it was never released because of label politics. Geffen and Large Professor eventually parted ways, and he signed with Matador Records, which generally specialized in marketing and promoting contemporary rock and alternative tracks as well as electronic music. Although his album for Matador, "1st Class" did not receive mainstream acceptance, it gained favorable reviews by fans and critics. The album included guest appearances by Nas, Busta Rhymes, and Q-Tip. The album also included the moderate street hit "Radioactive."

Large's publishing company is named Paul Sea Productions as an homage to his late mentor.

For many years, people thought that Large Professor directly taught DJ Premier how to use the Emu SP-1200 sampling drum machine, which Large used to help program many of his beats during the 1990s. However, according to Large Professor, he just showed DJ Premier to enhance what he already had. This is an excerpt from the November/December issue of Scratch Magazine:

Large Professor DJs at clubs, parties, and events worldwide and still engages in music production. He released an instrumental LP in 2006 called "Beatz Vol. 1". Its sequel, "Beats Vol. 2", was released in 2007.

His latest album, "Main Source", was released in 2008 and features production by him and others including Marco Polo and verses from Big Noyd, Styles P, Jeru the Damaja, AZ and Lil Dap.

Discography

Albums

* 1991: "Breaking Atoms" (with Main Source)
* 2002: "The LP"
* 2002: "1st Class"
* 2006: "Beatz Volume 1" (instrumentals)
* 2007: "Beatz Volume 2" (instrumentals)
* 2008: "Main Source"

Production

*1990: "" (Various songs on album by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo)
*1991: "Breaking Atoms" (Main Source)
*1993: "Vagina Diner" (Album by Akinyele)
*1993: "Hey Girl" (from the Apache album "Apache Ain't Shit")
*1993: "Keep It Rollin" (from the A Tribe Called Quest album "Midnight Marauders")
*1993: "Niggaz Never Learn" (from the Big Daddy Kane album "Looks Like a Job For…")
*1994: "Stress (Remix)" (from the Organized Konfusion 12" "Stress")
*1994: "One Time 4 Your Mind", "Halftime", "It Ain't Hard To Tell" (from the Nas album "Illmatic")
*1995: "Resurrection '95" Extra P Remix (from the Common (Sense) 12" "Resurrection")
*1995: "Resurrection '95" Large Professor Remix (from the Common (Sense) 12" "Resurrection")
*1996: "Extra Abstract Skillz" (from the Mad Skillz album "From Where???")
*2000: "The Heist" (from the Busta Rhymes album "Anarchy")
*2001: "You're Da Man", "Rewind" (from the Nas album "Stillmatic")
*2002: "The Come Up" (from the Cormega album The True Meaning)
*2002: "We Are the Future," "It's Us," and "Drug Music" (from the Non Phixion album "The Future Is Now")
*2004: "What They Want" (from The UN album "UN Or U Out")
*2006: "World Wide" (from the Boot Camp Clik album "The Last Stand")
*2006: "Right 2 Know" (From the Prince Po album "Prettyblack")
*2006: "I Be Thuggin'" b/w "Mack of the Year" (Grand Daddy IU Single)
*2007: "I'm Up Now" (from the Mic Geronimo album "Alive")
*2008: "L.E.O (Love Equals Omnipotence) - Spirtual Intelligence / All tracks produced by Large Professor.
*2008: "Conquer Mentally" Large Professor Remix (Presto album "State of the Art")
*2008: "The Hardest" (AZ album "Undeniable")
*2008: "Stages" (Reks album "Grey Hairs")

Vocal appearances

*1990: "Money In The Bank" (Kool G Rap & DJ Polo album "Wanted Dead or Alive")
*1993: "Keep It Rollin'" (A Tribe Called Quest album "Midnight Marauders")
*1994: "Stress (Remix)" (Organized Konfusion "" 12")
*2000: "The Last Shall Be First" (Cella Dwellas album "The True Meaning")
*2002: "XL" (The X-Ecutioners album "Built from Scratch")
*2002: "Hip Hop On Wax" (Rob Swift album "Sound Event")
*2002: "The Come Up" (Cormega album "The True Meaning")
*2004: "Sugar Ray and Hearns" (Cormega album "Legal Hustle")
*2006: "United" (MF Grimm album "American Hunger")
*2007: "The Radar" (Marco Polo album "Port Authority")
*2007: "The Purist" (Polyrhythm Addicts album "Break Glass")
*2008: "Conquer Mentally" (Presto album "State of the Art")

References

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/thelargeprofessor Large Professor's MySpace page]
* [http://www.matadorrecords.com/large_professor/biography.html Biography Sketch] at Matador Records website
* [http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=126&csid2=4&fid1=33968 Large Pro interview]
* [http://www.matadorrecords.com/large_professor Large Pro page at matador records]

Persondata
NAME= Professor Large
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Mitchell, William Paul
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Rapper, Record producer, Disc Jockey, musician
DATE OF BIRTH=March 21, 1972
PLACE OF BIRTH= New York City, United States
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=