Large Professor - Professor @ Large (CD)

A legendary producer/emcee from Queens, Large Professor is a golden-era icon who continues to make exceptional hip-hop after more than 20 years in the game. He got his start in the late '80s, working with luminaries like Paul C, Rakim, Kool G Rap, and his own group, Main Source. He also discovered Nas and contributed several tracks to Illmatic, and has spent the last two decades working with everyone from A Tribe Called Quest and Slick Rick to Joell Ortiz and Torae. Professor @ Large is his sixth solo album (following 2009's excellent but slept-on The LP), giving us a great mix of soulful, neck-bending beats and intelligent yet funky wordplay. The star-studded guest list includes Queens compatriots like Cormega and Tragedy ("Focused Up"), forgotten favorites Mic Geronimo and Grand Daddy IU ("Mack Do Illz"), and fellow O.G. Busta Rhymes ("Straight from the Golden"), plus young bucks Action Bronson, Roc Marciano, and Saigon ("M.A.R.S.") As expected, this is top-notch boom-bap as only Large Pro can do it.