During the summer of ’91, the debut album by a group of new jacks known as Main Source--comprised of the Canadian DJ brothers Sir Scratch and K-Cut and Queens-based producer/rapper Large Professor (aka William Paul Mitchell)--started making waves in the underground. Breaking Atoms seemingly appeared out of nowhere on Stu Fine’s established indie imprint Wild Pitch (home to Chill Rob G., Lord Finesse and Gang Starr), quickly spinning off popular singles like “Looking at the Front Door,” “Just Hangin’ Out,” and “Just a Friendly Game of Baseball.” While Large Pro proved himself more than adept at handling both microphone and production duties on these tracks, it was the sole posse cut, “Live at the BBQ,” that arguably had the strongest and most lasting impact launching the careers of then-unknowns Nas and Akinyele.
Nas and The Large Professor
The aptly-titled joint had the feel of a live jam or block party borrowing an old-school drum loop from Bob James’ much-sampled "Nautilus" (1974) that was sped up. The sample-savvy Professor, who first displayed his production chops on Kool G. Rap’s debut, added an incredible, abstract intro from the soundtrack of Sweet Sweetback’s Baaadasssss Song (courtesy of Earth, Wind & Fire) and a guitar lick from Vicki Anderson’s “In the Land of Milk and Honey” (1971) to keep things moving, allowing the MCs to flow in rapid succession. Their freestyle bars were only punctuated by a 'hook' of Run D.M.C.’s memorable chant, “It’s like that y’all” from “Hollis Crew (Krush Groove 2)” off their self-titled debut.
A seventeen-year-old Nas, who had been introduced to Large Pro by Joe Fatal, kicked off the festivities with a scorching verse highlighting both his next-level lyrics and dexterous delivery:
Put on a bulletproof, nigga, I strike hard
And hangin' niggas like the Ku Klux Klan
Even this partial verse is enough to get a taste of the raw talent that put him on the radar of A&Rs throughout the industry. Faith Newman at Columbia Records was lucky enough to sign him after fellow Queens’ rapper MC Serch of 3rd Bass shopped the deal.
Akinyele
Though no slack either, rapper Joe Fatal aka Merciful's 14-bar verse is quickly eclipsed by Akinyele, who raps:
Some of them said (Said what?) that the Ak' should quit
But I don't sweat it, 'cause I'm too big for that small shit
'Cause I come strong, rather than come at all and not be ready
That's what separates me from the petty
And get torn the fuck up like confetti
It doesn't take Keenen Ivory Wayans to know that I'ma—
Get you, sucker, if you bite like a piranha
Ultimately, Ak didn't prove to have the staying power of Nas, but his 1993 debut Vagina Diner gave fans something to chew on.
Large Professor bats clean-up on this banger and the fact that he can even hang on such a lyrical slugfest speaks volumes about his own prowess on the mic. But in the big picture LP is most known for his rock-solid beat making skills.
A song that set-off the 90s golden era, “Live at the BBQ” remains a timeless classic that set a high bar for others to follow.
