So why is Main Source’s Breaking Atoms on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
Main Source’s sound lands in that sweet spot between A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr, alone making them worth checking out in my book. Indeed, they were one of those bridge-era groups that laid the groundwork for the golden age of hip hop.
Old school East Coast hip hop flavor, horn riffs, and soul samples for days, Main Source comprises the Large Professor, Sir Scratch, and K-Cut
Released in 1991, Breaking Atoms perfectly bridges late-’80s hip hop and the golden era of the ’90s – blending that East Coast flavor with sharp horn riffs and soulful samples
“Snake Eyes” is the kind of song that makes me think, “Why isn’t there more music out there like this?” Answer: because it’s hard to pull off as Main Source has done while making it look easy.
I love the line: Once a snake, you stay a snake. Tell ‘em, fellas.
“Large Professor,” presumably introducing us to that instructor who is both large and in charge, brings in a great groove on guitar, organ, and occasional tinkling piano.
“Vamos a Rapiar” has a classic early 1990s hip hop vibe, with outstanding piano riff and record scratches thrown down by Sir Scratch. Also, incredible.
They probably think that as long as they gettin’ paid
They can sleep in the shade, but they’ll fall like a cascade
While I drop skills over drum fills
Some stats & info about Main Source – Breaking Atoms
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rap, Hip Hop, Old School Hip Hop, East Coast Rap
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 5 out of 5 stars
- When was Breaking Atoms released? 1991
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #914 out of 1,000
Main Source’s Breaking Atoms on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Main Source’s Breaking Atoms that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
I see people rolling dice with lives, telling lies and cutting close like knives.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective take on what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.