Classic Albums: Breaking Atoms

This is the one and only LP from the now defunct Main Source. "Who?" You might ask. Exactly.

So, Main Source were a hip hip group with two DJ's hailing from Toronto (not exactly the most gangsta of hoods) and the one and only Large Professor. "Who?" You might ask. Again, bear with me.

This album, released in the good old days of 1991, is just outstanding music from start to finish. It also covers a wide range of topics, something that sorely lacks from Hip Hop music in this day and age - Bitches, money and gun crime is okay for a few songs, a few albums even, but enough is enough. From the opening bizarre piano loop of "Snake Eyes", a song comparing life to a dice game, you know this is going to be different. From there we delve into Large Professor's failed love life ("Looking at the Front Door"), Police Brutality ("Just a Friendly Game of Baseball") and the misuse of a certain word ("Peace Is Not the Word To Play"). The final song, "Watch Roger Do His Thing" is a tale of a friend from the hood (whose name escapes me...) who goes out, gets a job, works hard at said job, and makes something for himself and his family. Gasp! That's right folks, a positive message from a rap record. Who'd have thought it possible.

All of the wild and varied subject matter aside, the only reason rap gets our attention in the first place is to answer the question "will drunk girls potentially grind with me if heard in a bar?". The answer is an resounding yes. This album boasts some of the funkiest beats the old school has to offer (again from Large Professor - in fact I'm not really sure what the DJ's really do in this group at all. Might explain why they are no longer a group, eh?) and from start to finish I find myself nodding along like the middle class whitey I truly am. Play this loud in your car, and birdies will come a-flocking. So I'm told anyway.

As far as great albums that absolutely no-one has heard of go, this one might take the gold medal. In short, listen to this album now. No-one else has.

Main Source - Snake Eyes

JB.

P.S - this album also features the first performance, ever, from a young fella called Nas (now a rap megastar). Who, despite being about 14 when this was recorded, managed some pretty high levels of offensiveness, declaring himself himself a "police murderer" and claiming "when I was 12 I went to hell for snuffin' Jesus". Haha. Marvelous isn't it? These young black chappies and their unruly ways. Hurrah!