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— CH. 1 · HARLEM ROOTS AND QUEENS RISE —

Large Professor

~2 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
6 sections

  • William Paul Mitchell was born in Harlem on the 21st of March 1972. He grew up in Flushing, Queens, where he attended IS 237 and John Bowne High School. His early music production began with two turntables and a Casio SK-1 sampler. He used pause-tape cassettes to record his initial beats before learning from mentor Paul C. Paul C taught him how to operate an E-mu SP-1200 machine. Large Professor developed unique sampling techniques during this period. He would catch sounds from the hi-hat instead of the standard kick drum. Sometimes he flipped the third hi-hat to create new rhythms. These methods distinguished his work from other producers of that era.

  • Large Professor joined the group Main Source in 1989 alongside K-Cut and Sir Scratch. The trio recorded one album called Breaking Atoms which released in 1991. The project included hits like Just Hangin Out and Looking at the Front Door. Nas made his first public appearance on the track Live at the Barbeque. Akinyele and Joe Fatal also appeared on the record. Large Professor now considers Looking at the Front Door one of his most emotional works. He stated that it was written by an eighteen-year-old kid with a pure heart. Business differences caused the group to quietly part ways after their success. They recorded Fakin the Funk for the White Men Can't Jump soundtrack in 1992. Large Professor eventually signed with Geffen Records following the split.

  • In 1994, Large Professor produced three songs on Nas's Illmatic album. The tracks were Halftime, One Time 4 Your Mind, and It Ain't Hard to Tell. This tied him with DJ Premier for producing the most songs on the project. Busta Rhymes revealed that the Halftime beat was originally intended for him. Large Professor liked the beat but did not use it himself. He later regretted passing on the track after hearing its final version. He described the drums as gritty and muffled to match park jam tapes from his youth. Nas wanted to give him executive producer credit due to his instrumental role. Large Professor refused the title despite his significant contribution to the album.

  • During the 1990s, Large Professor produced tracks for many legendary artists. He worked with Pete Rock & CL Smooth throughout this period. His production credits include work for Busta Rhymes, Masta Ace, and Tragedy Khadafi. Big Daddy Kane and Mobb Deep also received beats from him. A Tribe Called Quest featured Keep It Rollin on their Midnight Marauders album. This track helped him reach a new level of credibility as a solo artist. In 1993 he produced Akinyele's entire Vagina Diner album. The project saw modest commercial success upon its initial release.

  • The Source magazine criticized the song I Luh Huh for its controversial lyrics. Akinyele defended the song in a response article published in the next issue.

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1972 births20th-century African-American musicians20th-century American male rappers20th-century American rappers21st-century African-American musicians21st-century American male musicians21st-century American male rappers21st-century American rappersAfrican-American male rappersAfrican-American record producersAmerican hip-hop DJsAmerican hip-hop record producersEast Coast hip-hop musiciansFive percentersGeffen Records artistsMatador Records artistsMusicians from New York (state)People from HarlemRappers from ManhattanRappers from Queens, New YorkRecord producers from New York (state)

Common questions

When and where was William Paul Mitchell born?

William Paul Mitchell was born in Harlem on the 21st of March 1972. He grew up in Flushing, Queens, where he attended IS 237 and John Bowne High School.

What equipment did Large Professor use to start his music production career?

Large Professor began producing music with two turntables and a Casio SK-1 sampler. He used pause-tape cassettes to record initial beats before learning from mentor Paul C how to operate an E-mu SP-1200 machine.

Which album did Large Professor produce for Nas in 1994?

In 1994, Large Professor produced three songs on Nas's Illmatic album including Halftime, One Time 4 Your Mind, and It Ain't Hard to Tell. This tied him with DJ Premier for producing the most songs on the project.

Who were the members of the group Main Source formed by Large Professor?

Large Professor joined the group Main Source in 1989 alongside K-Cut and Sir Scratch. The trio recorded one album called Breaking Atoms which released in 1991.

Why did Large Professor refuse executive producer credit for the Illmatic album?

Nas wanted to give him executive producer credit due to his instrumental role but Large Professor refused the title despite his significant contribution to the album. He described the drums as gritty and muffled to match park jam tapes from his youth.

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