I had the honor of interviewing one of my hip-hop heroes recently for Complex, the one and only Large Professor. We chopped it up for over three hours a few weeks ago at a studio in the back of Fat Beats Headquarters in Brooklyn, talking about the stories behind all his classic records. Today, Part One of the feature hit the web, highlighting his work between 1990-1995 with Main Source, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Beastie Boys, Mobb Deep, Gang Starr, and many more. Check the intro, and then click the link to the feature to read….

Large Professor’s discography ain’t no joke. The innovative and intelligent Flushing, Queens–bred producer/MC, who started his career as Main Source’s front man and a ghost producer for Eric B. & Rakim, has amassed a catalog of timeless, sample-based classics, collaborating with a lengthy list of legendary artists from his borough and beyond. As we celebrate Nas week, it seemed only right to get with Large Pro, the producer who introduced Nasty Nas to the game.

Let’s take a sec to think back. There are his Main Source hits (“Looking at the Front Door,” “Fakin’ The Funk,”), his work with Nas on Illmatic (“Halftime,” “One Time 4 Your Mind,” “It Ain’t Hard To Tell,”) and Stillmatic (“You Da Man,” “Rewind”), not to mention his unforgettable appearance with A Tribe Called Quest on Midnight Marauders’ “Keep It Rollin’.”

Add on solo joints like “The Mad Scientist,” poisonous production for Kool G Rap and Big L, and hard-hitting remixes for Beastie Boys, Common, Mobb Deep, and Gang Starr, plus guest spots with Lord Finesse and The Beatnuts, and you’ve got a hip-hop resume jam-packed with rawness.

With his fourth solo album, Professor @ Large, dropping June 26th, we met up with Large Pro at Fat Beats Headquarters in Brooklyn to break down the stories behind his classic records. In Part One, Extra P gives us the extra details about Big Daddy Kane’s deadpan reaction to him showing up late for a session, hanging out with Q-Tip during the making of The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders (he also shares which of the two albums is his favorite), and creating “Live at the Barbeque,” tracks for Illmatic, and the unreleased gem “Understanding” with Nas.

LP also speaks on MCA’s passing, shares his earliest Beastie Boys memory, and tells us how proud his father was when he heard Main Source songs playing during Boyz n the Hood and White Men Can’t Jump. Plus so much more—check the method.

Large Professor Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records (Part 1)

I’m gonna use this feature as an excuse to post a classic Main Source video, one that we spoke about in the feature, “Just Hangin’ Out,” off Breaking Atoms. This was Hype Williams first video….

Special thanks to Large Pro and to my dude Gustavo for making this feature happen. Check the shot of me and Extra P below at Fat Beats Headquarters….

*BONUS*

As mentioned in my Large Pro intro, this feature is part of “Nas Week” at Complex, celebrating his new cover for the magazine. Check it out below, it’s dope. And also, click the link to read the cover story/interview with Nas…

Nas: Return of the Don (2012 Cover Story)

I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing arguably the nicest young new rapper coming out of NYC last week, Joey Bada$$. I’ve been posting his stuff for a minute now on Westcheddar and on Complex, and finally, it was time to do a feature on him so people can see what he’s all about. Check my intro below, and a link to the interview:

As the line between hip-hop and pop music continues to blur with the coming of each new generation, purists with underground loyalty keep searching for the next rapper to surface with an allegiance to the realness. Enter Joey Bada$$, a talented, high-school age MC from Flatbush, Brooklyn with serious mic skills, a mature ear, and throwback sensibility.

Joey’s buzz began when the rough, rugged and raw video for “Survival Tactics,” his collaboration with fellow Pro.Era representative Capital STEEZ, shook the internet earlier this year. Directed by Creative Control (who made their mark in the industry with Kanye West’s “Through The Wire” video), the video sparked a wildfire of Joey Bada$$ excitement. His wordplay and flow were impressive, and more importantly, his presence suggested the potential for greatness.

Since “Survival Tactics” dropped, Joey Bada$$, who is managed by The Smoker’s Club general Jonny Shipes (who also manages Big K.R.I.T. and Smoke DZA), has been making major moves. He’s appeared on two different MTV programs, been covered by the New York Times, contributed a verse to Mac Miller’s Macadelic mixtape, and recently opened up for Mac at Roseland Ballroom in NYC.

With his highly anticipated mixtape 1999 due in the next few weeks, we invited Joey up to the Plex to chop it up about his BK upbringing, his sudden come-up, being critiqued by Odd Future on MTV, why he’s not feeling Weezy and Kanye’s new music, and how he feels about being compared to the greats. Get familiar.