Large Professor
A foundational New York hip-hop producer and rapper who helped shape the sound of the 1990s and launched Nas's career.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American rapper and producer·Birthday: March 21·Generation X
Biography
Emerging from Queens in the late 1980s, Large Professor, born William Paul Mitchell, became a central architect of East Coast hip-hop's golden age. As the main producer and MC for the group Main Source, he crafted the sound for their seminal 1991 album 'Breaking Atoms,' a record celebrated for its crisp, sample-heavy beats and social commentary. His basement studio in Queens became a crucible for talent; it was there he discovered a teenage Nas and produced the demo that landed the rapper his landmark debut, 'Illmatic.' As a solo artist and relentless collaborator, Large Professor's production work—characterized by intricate drum programming and soulful chops—has graced tracks for icons like Eric B. & Rakim, A Tribe Called Quest, and Busta Rhymes. Operating largely outside the mainstream spotlight, his influence is woven into the DNA of underground and conscious hip-hop.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Large was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Large Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Large's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Produced and rapped on Main Source's influential debut album 'Breaking Atoms' (1991).
- Discovered Nas and produced four tracks on his classic debut album 'Illmatic,' including 'Halftime.'
- Produced the classic Eric B. & Rakim single 'In the Ghetto' (1990) while still a teenager.
- Released a series of respected solo albums, including '1st Class' (2002) and 'Re:Living' (2015).
Did You Know?
He began making beats on a Casio SK-1 sampling keyboard as a teenager.
Large Professor was briefly a member of the production collective The Bomb Squad.
He made a cameo appearance in the 2002 film 'Brown Sugar.'
His stage name was inspired by his tall stature and professorial approach to music.
“I was just trying to make the hardest beats I could make, with the samples that I loved.”
