Quick Pic
By far one of the gnarliest things I have ever seen on a cover. I don’t think any one could match it, even these days.
Big Brother issue 2.
E-Clipse
I still wear cargo pants. Tan, Black or Camo, I don’t care. They are kinda like a toned down tracksuit pant, with some dope items of flare added to the side. They feel so good–they were even better when I used to smoke–perfect even. I wonder if and when they will come around full circle. Your thoughts? This clip is dedicated to the cargo pant era, which is still well happening for me, and many others. Kalis’s last two lines; get yours!
My Periphery
This is dedicated to Jake Mein and Alex Dyer. They will know why.
Guest Fine Tuning with Josh Swinard
Every rapper talks that stay-true-to-the-hood I’ll-never-sell-out crap, but only one has truly stuck to this. He is Large Professor! Also known as LP, XTRA P, XP or Large Pro. William Paul Mitchell from Queens NY is one of the founding members, and basically the head honcho, of the group Main Source. He is one of realest of MCs and one of the illest beatmakers in the hip-hop world. He’s produced for a bunch of the best like Inspectah Deck, Cormega, Slick Rick, Boot Camp Clik, Mic Geronimo, Mobb Deep, Nas, Kool G Rap and more. He has even worked with typically self-produced artists like Diamond D and A Tribe Called Quest. This dude is my number one (equal with a few others). He’s super humble and does what he has always done, regardless of how everyone else changes. He never sugar coated his tracks to get radio play like a whole lot of other hip-hop dudes end up doing. And definitely doesn’t worry ’bout what the next man’s up to. He defines “keeping it real”. Here’s a few LP quotes; “It’s not like I’m gonna make music any certain way because I think that I can make millions of dollars. I make it according to the roots of hip-hop culture”. Which is exactly how I see it and choose to make my music that way, skate that way and live my whole life. Paying homage and honouring the hip-hop culture. In ’96 Large Professor’s debut solo album: ‘The LP’ got denied by his label, they thought it was too raw and came in sounding like something from ’92. “I was just too hard for radio. Too gutter.” He concedes. “Puff and them was comin’ out and my beats didn’t sound all jingly. But that’s the way that I liked it.” Ridiculously fat tracks and amazingly real rhymes is it. Everything about this video is doper than anything I’ve ever seen before in a music video. I’m so glad this single off ‘The LP’ got a video produced for it, although the record label didn’t back it. I’ll watch it a million times and more. For real! You can’t try and diss the mad scientist.
Large Professor The LP
Stomping Grounds
Put your hand up if you haven’t owned a pair of these in your lifetime thus far. I’m sure that your hand is most probably not raised. The adidas shell toe is a timeless classic. An absolute must have for any sneaker heads collection. I will get shot for what I am about to say, I could never skate in them. I wish I could have, they were pretty much the epitome of dope, but every time I put ‘em on I just didn’t get that right feeling in them when I was on my board. I tried so very hard too. It was absolutely shattering. All I wanted to do was rock my plain white tee, light blue jeans and white with navy shelltoes down at the VIC. The ones that they have now feel different. I know because I have a pair. I have skated to the shop a couple times in them and they feel so very skateable. I really don’t know what I was doin wrong. The Gazelles and the Campus were also fine B.I.T.D. Maybe it was the toe cap? Anyhow, hats off to adidas for this shoe, one of the most timeless of timeless classics.
Adidas Shell-toe
