Pete Rock


He revolutionized rap production through groundbreaking studio wizardry. He made remixes matter more than the original songs. He established ad-libs as a standard recording asset. He introduced dramatic, forceful horns to rap’s sonic discussion. Pete Rock has notched these achievements during his impeccable recording, producing and remixing career, one of the most distinguished in rap history and one that includes collaborations with Nas, Common, Mary J. Blige, Ghostface Killa, Busta Rhymes, Public Enemy and Run-DMC, among many others. Showing that he remains sharp as ever, the Mount Vernon, New York rapper-producer returns with NY’s Finest, his best moment as an artist. “I called it that because I feel like that’s me,” Pete Rock explains. “I’m one of New York’s finest producers.” Pete Rock backs his words up with “We Roll,” a powerful boast-session with Jim Jones and Max B riding shotgun. Styles P and Sheek Louch unite on the hood-hyping “914,” an ode to Pete Rock and the LOX’s home area. Pete Rock then slows things down on “PJs,” a tag-team effort from the Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon and Masta Killa. The pair deliver their signature brand of slanguistics, giving Masta Killa (one of the most slept-on Clan members) a major platform on which to shine. “Masta Killa, there’s something about him as a person that I like,” Pete Rock reveals. “His aura, his movements. You can just see it in his eyes the type of dude that he is. I feel the connection. I see the streetness in him.” Pete Rock’s family’s native streets are located in Jamaica and he gives a nod to his heritage .. For War.” The reggae-styled track also features Chip-Fu from the Fu-Schnikens and Renee from Zhane and is sure to catch people off guard. “Renee sang on the hook and I rhyme in Patois,” Pete Rock says. “My family all comes from Jamaica. It’s pretty surprising to hear me rhyme in Patois, so people are like, ‘Is that Pete Rock?’ They’re bugging off that. You can’t help but to like it.” Elsewhere, Pete Rock teams with Little Brother for the autobiographical “Bring Ya’ll Back” and works with DJ Green Lantern on the anti-hater mandate “Don’t Be Mad.” Pete rocks the mic on “Till I Retire” and partners with Royal Flush on the hardcore “Questions.” Redman blazes through “Best Believe,” Papoose shines on the soulful yet hardcore “Comprehend” and R&B singer Rell croons on the piano-accented, dancefloor ready “That’s What I’m Talking About.” With the sonic diversity evident on NY’s Finest, it may seem as though music flows through Pete Rock’s veins. Maybe it does, as his father was an avid record collector and DJ. Thus, as he was growing up in Mount Vernon, New York, Pete Rock gravitated toward music. He picked up his father’s ear for catchy basslines and memorable drum patterns, as well his father’s penchant for record collecting -- a passion to this day. But what made Pete Rock different from many other kids growing up in hip-hop culture’s formative years was that he didn’t want to just make music or be like his idols. He wanted to stand on his own, to become an idol to others because of his contributions to the music and culture. Pete Rock got his first major exposure via Marley Marl’s late 1980s radio show, where he was a DJ. An equally big break came when Eddie F, the DJ for Pete Rock’s cousin Heavy D, gave Pete Rock his first drum machine and showed him some basic techniques. “In the ‘80s, all I was was a spectator, sitting back and learning,” he says. “I used to go with my cousin Heavy D to his studio sessions, go to Marley Marl’s house or Howie Tee’s house. I was the quiet, humble cat that just sat back and watched and learned.” While many of his schoolmates were living the lives of typical teenagers, Pete Rock made music his life. His best friends became the SP1200 drum machine and its manual. “I studied that manual inside and out,” he says today with a laugh. “I did not come outside for a long time -- for a couple of years, man. I was 14-years-old with this drum machine in my room. I had two turntables, a mixer and a tape deck. Before I got that machine, I was making beats with the tape deck. I would overdub and keep pausing and pausing for the parts of the record I liked, until I learned how to sample.” Once Pete Rock learned how to use the equipment as his disposal, he set out to make his mark on the music industry. “People respect leaders, so I wanted to figure out how I could be a leader in hip-hop music,” he says. “The ‘80s was a big time of learning for me. When the ‘90s came I stood up like a king and ruled. I think that I was the actual leader. I brought something new to the table that no one was doing, absolutely no one.” That production technique was a method of beatmaking known as filtering, a tool that made Pete Rock’s recordings with former partner in rhyme C.L. Smooth -- 1991’s All Souled Out EP, 1992’s landmark Mecca and the Soul Brother and 1994’s The Main Ingredient -- so sonically staggering. Pete Rock pioneered a way of filtering out sounds from original recording that he could use to build his own beats. It made his sounds -- especially his blaring horns -- stand out. “Once I get the bassline and the bottom beat, everything else comes easily,” he says. “I was one of the first producers to do that.” While working in the early 1990s with C.L. Smooth, Pete Rock also emerged as the premier remixer in the urban music industry, handling reworkings for Mary J. Blige and House of Pain. But it was his horn-driven work on Public Enemy’s “Shut Em Down” that made him a remix phenomenon. “That was the remix that got me the respect and that got people’s attention,” Pete Rock says. “People wanted to know who did it, who I was. It made Chuck D’s voice sound even more serious than it already was.” Since then, Pete Rock has released a string of highly regarded solo albums, including 1998’s Soul Survivor and 2004’s Soul Survivor II, and produced songs for Ghostface, Talib Kweli and others. Now, with NY’s Finest, Pete Rock reclaims his title as a music master. “I wanted to big myself up,” Pete Rock says, “because if you don’t do it, nobody else will.” Truthfully, though, Pete Rock’s music does the talking for him.

SOURCE: http://www.myspace.com/peterock


DOWNLOADS


DISCOGRAPHY

VIDEOS
















Facebook

Best guide to hip hop, soul, reggae concerts & events in San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles & New York City + music, videos, radio and more

Subscribe to E-Blast

WIN TICKETS

Thievery Corporation
Saturday, Sept 6 @ Fox Theater, Oakland

Raphael Saadiq
Monday, Sept 8 @ Davies Symphony Hall, SF

Yung Lean
Saturday, Oct 11 @ Fox Theater, Oakland

Connect

Members

Photos

  • Add Photos
  • View All

Latest Activity

Editor's Pick posted discussions
11 hours ago
Donte Harrison is attending Editor's Pick's event
Thumbnail

Raphael Saadiq at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA

September 8, 2025 from 7pm to 11pm
ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS. WINNER WILL BE DRAWN RANDOMLY AND ANNOUNCED 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT.  MONDAY, SEP 8 An Evening With Raphael Saadiq No Bandwidth! One Man! One Night! Three Decades of…See More
11 hours ago
Donte Harrison is attending Editor's Pick's event
Thumbnail

Thievery Corporation (WIN TICKETS) at Fox Theater, Oakland

September 6, 2025 from 7pm to 11pm
ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS. WINNER WILL BE DRAWN RANDOMLY AND ANNOUNCED 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT. SATURDAY, SEPT 6 North American Tour 2025 Thievery CorporationFox Theater Oakland, CA Doors: 7:00pm | Show: 8:00pm…See More
11 hours ago
Donte Harrison is attending Editor's Pick's event
Thumbnail

Native Tongues Appreciation Night Featuring Prince Paul & Friends at Public Works, San Francisco

August 31, 2025 at 6pm to September 1, 2025 at 12am
ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS. WINNER WILL BE DRAWN RANDOMLY AND ANNOUNCED 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT. SUNDAY, AUG 31 Native Tongues Appreciation Night Featuring Prince Paul Dante Ross Rasta Root Shortkut  Platurn @ Public Works, 161 Erie St, San Francisco 6pm -…See More
11 hours ago
An event by Editor's Pick was featured
Thumbnail

Native Tongues Appreciation Night Featuring Prince Paul & Friends at Public Works, San Francisco

August 31, 2025 at 6pm to September 1, 2025 at 12am
ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS. WINNER WILL BE DRAWN RANDOMLY AND ANNOUNCED 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT. SUNDAY, AUG 31 Native Tongues Appreciation Night Featuring Prince Paul Dante Ross Rasta Root Shortkut  Platurn @ Public Works, 161 Erie St, San Francisco 6pm -…See More
Monday
Editor's Pick updated an event
Thumbnail

Crucial Reggae Sundays: Free reggae music in Golden Gate Park at Golden Gate Park Bandshell:

August 31, 2025 at 4:30pm to November 23, 2025 at 7:30pm
Crucial Reggae Sundays: free, family-friendly reggae music in Golden Gate Park hosted by Irie Dole, Guidance, and DJ Sep and featuring special guests every week 4:20 pm to 7:30 pm at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell / Music Concourse: 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118 www.instagram.com/crucialreggaesundayssf/…See More
Monday
Editor's Pick updated an event
Thumbnail

THROWBACK featuring DJ Audio1 at Hello Stranger Bar, Oakland

July 23, 2025 at 9pm to July 24, 2025 at 1:45am
WEDNESDAY JULY 23 THROWBACK (2nd & 4th Wednesdays) All Throwbacks: Hip Hop, Soul/Funk, Reggae +more!Featuring DJ Audio1at Hello Stranger Bar, 1724 Broadway, Oakland. Doors 8pm. DJ Set starts at 9pm. No…See More
Monday
Editor's Pick posted discussions
Monday
TEAM BIGGA RANKIN posted a discussion

DANCEHALL ICON DON YUTE TEAMS UP WITH REGGAE LEGEND HALF PINT ON NEW SINGLE "BEAUTIFUL GIRLS"

Golden Child Music Group proudly announces the release of “Beautiful Girls”, the latest single from international dancehall star Don Yute, featuring the unmistakable vocals of reggae legend Half Pint. This historic collaboration blends the timeless charm of classic reggae with the modern edge of contemporary dancehall to deliver a summer anthem that’s both nostalgic and fresh.Don…See More
Monday
realmuzik posted a discussion

Star2 drops new EP ‘Lonely Summer Nightz” ft. Luh Kel, Ler Mu Dex and more

Pioneering Thai refugee artist Star2 has just released his highly anticipated EP titled “Lonely Summer Nightz”. This project spotlights the resilience and creativity of the Ka-ren refugee community, and features a powerful lineup of collaborators, blending voices and stories from across the globe.Star2 himself was born in Mae La refugee camp in Thailand and is on a…See More
Monday
Editor's Pick updated an event
Thumbnail

GROOVE LOUNGE with Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist (4th Fridays) at The Miranda, Oakland

September 26, 2025 at 9:30pm to June 26, 2026 at 1:45am
FRIDAY, SEPT 26Groove LoungeSoul / R&B / Hip Hop / Afrobeat / HouseFeaturing:Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist (True Skool)@ The Miranda, 1739 Broadway, OaklandNo cover | 9pm-1:30am | 21+REN THE VINYL ARCHAEOLOGISTAs a Bay Area resident hailing from New York, Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist (aka Renoir) made his mark as the founder of True Skool (est. '99). Originally a party…See More
Monday
Tampa Mystic posted a blog post

Ms. Kash Delivers a Savage “I’m Good” Performance, Debut Album On The Way

Oakland’s own Ms. Kash has been turning up the heat all summer, but her recent performance of “I’m Good” was nothing short of a mic-drop moment. The fiery single, produced by Rappy On The Beat, has…See More
Sunday

© 2025   Created by Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service