Main Source

Main Source was a Canadian-American East Coast hip hop group based in New York City/Toronto,<ref name="allmusic"/> composed of Toronto-born DJs and producers, K-Cut and Sir Scratch, as well as the New York City natives, DJ J.O.D and record producer Large Professor. Later, another Queens MC, Mikey D (Michael Deering), replaced Large Professor.<ref name="allmusic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

Main Source was founded in 1989.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The group's first album, Breaking Atoms, released in July 1991,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> featured tracks such as "Looking at the Front Door", "Just a Friendly Game of Baseball", and "Watch Roger Do His Thing", as well as the first on-record appearance of Nas on "Live at the Barbeque," which also featured Joe Fatal and Akinyele. Because of business differences, the group broke up before its second album, tentatively titled The Science could be released. However, Sir Scratch and K-Cut released a second album under the Main Source name titled Fuck What You Think,<ref name="LarkinDM">Template:Cite book</ref> with new recruit Michael Deering aka Mikey D on vocals & featured another first on-record appearance for The Dog Pack which would later become the Yonkers rap group The LOX on "Set It Off"; however, the album was shelved due to inner conflicts between Wild Pitch Records and group management.,<ref name="LarkinDM"/> The singer Madonna sampled the bassline from "What You Need" on Fuck What You Think in her song "Human Nature," which appeared on her 1994 album, Bedtime Stories.

Prior to Main Source, Mikey D was also one third of the Laurelton, Queens-based hip hop group Mikey D & The L.A. Posse. The group also consisted of DJ Johnnie Quest and engineer/producer Paul C (who was also the mentor of Large Professor). In 1988, Mikey D was also the winner of the New Music Seminar battle for world supremacy.

Large Professor went on to be an instrumental producer for hip hop stars such as Eric B. & Rakim, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Nas, and Diamond D. He references his falling-out with Sir Scratch and K-Cut on A Tribe Called Quest's third album Midnight Marauders. On the track "Keep It Rollin'" he says, "I'm Uptown chillin', takin in this Grandmaster Vic blend/from the projects, the PJ's, fuck them two DJ's; Self mission."

K-Cut also produced for a wide range of hip hop artists including Big Pun, Maestro Fresh-Wes, Fu-Schnickens, Queen Latifah, and even NBA star Shaquille O'Neal. He also mentored another Toronto-based producer named Watts.<ref name=hiphopcanada>Template:Cite news</ref>

On December 22, 2002, at a concert in Toronto, the original members of Main Source performed together for the first time in nearly 10 years.<ref name="now">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Breaking Atoms was named as one of two jury vote winners, alongside Buffy Sainte-Marie's It's My Way!, of the Polaris Heritage Prize at the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.<ref>"2020 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize Winners Named". FYI Music News, November 16, 2020.</ref>

Discography

Studio albums

• Breaking Atoms (1991)
• Fuck What You Think (1994)<ref name="LarkinDM"/>
• The Science (2023) (Album recorded between 1991 and 1994)

Singles

• "Think" (1989)
• "Looking at the Front Door" (1990)
• "Watch Roger Do His Thing" (1990)
• "Just Hangin' Out" (1991)
• "Peace Is Not the Word to Play" (1991)
• "Fakin' the Funk" (1992)
• "What You Need" (1993)

Guest appearances

• The Brand New Heavies - "Bonafide Funk" from Heavy Rhyme Experience, Vol. 1 (1992)

Charts

Year	Song	US Rap<ref>[1] Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>	Album
1990	"Looking at the Front Door"	1	Breaking Atoms
1991	"Just Hangin' Out"	11	Breaking Atoms
1992	"Fakin' the Funk"	1	White Men Can't Rap
1994	"What You Need"	48	Fuck What You Think

External links

• Main Source at MySpace
• {{#if:Main Source|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs}}}}