by Andy KellmanExtremely significant for 1991s Breaking Atoms alone, Main Sources effect on hip-hop is nearly impossible to gauge, especially when considering Large Professor and K-Cuts contributions outside of the group. Consisting of MC/producer Large Professor (born Paul Mitchell) and twin DJs/producers K-Cut (born Kevin McKenzie) and Sir Scratch, the New York group came together in 1989 and debuted on Wild Pitch with Breaking Atoms — an undeniably classic album, regardless of its field — two years later. The groups production work, combined with Large Professors masterful wordplay (from the brilliant baseball analogies drawn throughout the police brutality-themed Just a Friendly Game of Baseball, to the disheartening romantic strife depicted in Looking at the Front Door), set a standard. While Gang Starrs DJ Premier is commonly heralded as a groundbreaking sampler and beatmaker, it was Large Professor and K-Cut who schooled him on how to master the SP1200. Not only that, but Breaking Atoms Live at the Barbeque helped establish the careers of both Akinyele and Nas.Large Professor left the group due to financial issues and began to concentrate on production work. K-Cut and Sir Scratch continued the group and installed MC Mikey D. for 1994s F*ck What You Think. Though it hardly holds a candle to Breaking Atoms (to be fair, it wouldve been tough to build on that record, even with Large Professors presence), the album was hardly an artistic failure, but it came and went without much notice. Without their greatest weapon, the groups second go-round wasnt given much of a chance. It didnt help that it took three years to reach fruition. Meanwhile, Large Professor was racking up production credits for Eric B. & Rakim, Akinyele, Mobb Deep, Nas, and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth. He didnt make his proper solo debut until 2002, with the disappointing 1st Class.