Fade
The Beat Strangler
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Pete. Rock. Saying those two words together instantly makes any Hip Hop fan sit up and pay attention, seeing how he is one of the best Hip Hop producers ever. His biggest claim to fame was the single, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" and how he flipped the horn sample to be the most recognized in Hip Hop.
If you don't immediately know what song that is when those horns first hit, you're not a true Hip Hop fan, period.
Pete Rock has worked with tons of artists in his career, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down. This is his retrospective.
It All Starts With The DJ
At first, Pete (I feel like I can call him that since I've been listening to his music for years), hit the turntables at an early age and even hooked up with Marley Marl to be the DJ on his "In Control With Marley Marl" radio show. Even as a DJ, Pete showed early on that he had the skills to be in the Hip Hop game, and he ended up taking it further by getting behind the mixing board and producing music.
When getting together with CL Smooth who was behind the mic, they released their first EP, "All Souled Out" back in 1991. But it wasn't until the following year when they came out with "Mecca And The Soul Brother", one of the most classic Hip Hop albums ever. Of course, the biggest thing about that album was "They Reminisce…", which easily stood out as THE single that everyone had to have.
To this day, what is really memorable about all of this, is the level of production that Pete was able to do in the early 90's. Just think - he was DJ'ing on a radio show with Marley Marl in 1987, then only a few short years later he's producing classic Hip Hop music. Producers today may think that's easy since it took him a few years, but don't forget - he didn't have all the production gear and software that we can all use today. There was no such thing as Reason, Pro Tools, or Maschine.
So with that in mind, to have that level of production is really dope.
His Production Game Grew To A Whole New Level
As he got better with his productions, Pete was called upon by almost every artist at the time, both in Hip Hop and R&B. And not only were his services in such high demand, it was his remixes that really stood out, to the point where Pete can be heard numerous times on his remix tracks saying, "Another Pete Rock Remix".
Some of the best productions that he ever did weren't his original songs, rather, it was his remixes. There's just something about the way he can take an existing song and flip it in a way that everyone knows it's a Pete Rock remix - he just has a gift for that, I guess.
One of the best projects that he ever worked on was the INI "Center Of Attention" album. Hailed by Hip Hop purists as one of the best works ever, that album actually never saw the light of day until 2003. The album was first done in 1995 with the hit single "Fakin' Jax", which was a huge success (it was the first 12" I played on my brand new set of Technics 1200s!). Apparently, the label at the time decided to screw around with the project and not actually release the album, resulting in tons of bootlegging of the album until it was finally released in 2003 on the BBE label.
It's too bad that happened because when "Fakin' Jax" first dropped, that was a 12" I picked up right away. The beat was simple and smooth, perfect for some laid-back rhyming on top of it. If the album had of been released at that time, who knows what would have come from that. They could have continued on and made more dope songs, but instead, label bullshit got in the way.
Since then, Pete has put out his own albums from the collaborative effort of "Soul Survivor", "NY's Finest", to the all-instrumental "Petestrumentals".
The production on his latest releases are typical Pete Rock. Even though years have gone by since he first did "All Souled Out", his beats have changed a bit, but not by much. The instant you hear a Pete Rock produced track, you know. You just know that he produced it, that's how good he is.
The Drums, It's All About The Drums
A lot of Hip Hop producers over the years have tried to imitate Pete's style, as they're heavily influenced by his production. Back in the day, Pete relied heavily on the SP1200 and S950 to make beats, but then he switched over to the MPC, but his music is still dope, which is a good thing because some producers move to new gear and their sound changes. Not Pete.
The biggest thing besides his signature use of horns, is the drums. Even his brother Grap Luva knows that Pete's got drums for days and he's even taken a step back a few times to let Pete do his thing and change up the drums on a track, which, of course, was dope. When it comes to Hip Hop production, drums are so important, yet some producers tend to neglect them today in favor of other instruments, like synths.
But with Pete Rock, drums are essential. It's not just the drum sounds used, but how he uses them and flips them around. There's a certain way he makes his drums that Hip Hop producers would love to emulate. Sorry folks, do your own thing. You can't touch Pete Rock's drums!
Some Of The Best Of Pete Rock
There are tons of songs to choose from if you want to hear the best of Pete Rock, but I have chosen a few to get you started. Enjoy!
Pete Rock & C. L. Smooth - "They Reminisce Over You"
Pete Rock - "A Little Soul"
Pete Rock On The MPC
Some Links Where You Can Learn More About Pete Rock
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