The unsung classic that helped define hip-hop’s golden age

The mid-’80s and early ’90s are often called the golden age of hip-hop, a period that produced genre-defining artists like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Public Enemy. But alongside those household names was another group quietly shaping the sound of East Coast rap: Main Source.

The trio’s debut album, Breaking Atoms, has grown into a cult classic in the years since its 1991 release for how remarkably assured it sounds, especially as an album created mostly by teenagers.

“Large Professor, when he masterminded this entire thing, he started recording when he was, like, 16,” World Cafe correspondent John Morrison says.

Their youth makes the album’s subject matter all the more striking. Breaking Atoms combines socially aware lyrics about police brutality with more personal stories about strained relationships, all buoyed by inventive, jazz-leaning samples.

While Main Source never achieved the commercial success of some of their peers, Breaking Atoms proved hugely influential. Large Professor’s signature production style — a flurry of crisp drums, layered samples and an emphasis on lyricism — helped lay the groundwork for the boom-bap sound that would dominate New York hip-hop in the years that followed. He would go on to play a key role in launching Nas‘ career, who makes his debut on the Breaking Atoms track “Live at the Barbeque.”

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Kimberly Junod.  Our digital producer is Miguel Perez. World Cafe‘s engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.