The following is the first of what will hopefully be a series of collaborative posts with the one and only Dan Love of From Da Bricks fame. In addition to his insightful and thought-provoking writing, Dan’s taste in hip hop mirrors mine to an almost frightening degree, so the idea of partnering up for a drop seemed as natural as breathing. Our love for all things Soul Brother has resulted in a tag team-like discussion of Pete Rock’s greatest remixes, the five of which Dan nominated and I agreed with wholeheartedly. This is something we hope to continue in the future, so be on the lookout for more official entries in our unofficial ‘Pete Rock Appreciation Society (P.R.A.S.).’ (And thanks to Dan for hosting the audio for this round.)

From Da Bricks: Whittling down my favourite Pete Rock remix productions to a mere five is a near impossible task that has caused me much turmoil over the last couple of weeks, but as I wipe the final drop of sweat from my brow, these are the constant flames that have risen from the ashes of my fortnight’s procrastination. Time for some analysis.

The first thing to note is that all five of my selections fall into a two-year timeframe, rather expectedly in between the two Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth albums. Of course, this wasn’t just a great era for our boy Pete Rock, but for hip hop music in general, so there are few surprises here, but it is indicative of the fact that this period would probably be generally regarded as the vintage years for Mount Vernon’s finest (something that Flood has already drawn attention to with his Pete Rock instrumental mix). I could roll out a list of superlatives as long as my arm here, but these are all perfect examples of his characteristic production style of the era: uptempo vibe, boomin’ drums, screeching horn tracks and a big slab of soul all working together to create warm, sumptuous and, somewhat paradoxically, gritty packages that all fans of the genre have come to worship over the last decade and a half.

Floodwatchmusic: I’d say the genesis of Pete Rock’s entire style occurred sometime around ’91 or ‘92, which rapidly came to fruition on the All Souled Out EP (1991) and the Mecca and The Soul Brother (1992) record. Soon everyone from PM Dawn to Biggie was requesting the remix treatment from him. What amazes me now, in retrospect, is how intact and advanced his production style was when he entered the game; there is a level of inherent musicality in each of his tracks that would seem to come from years of crate digging and woodshedding with the SP-1200. Rarely does one hear a Pete Rock production or remix from this era that could classify as “transitional,” or even “experimental.” There is a confident intent of purpose to his early work that is is often lacking in the output of most young producers, to say nothing of his originality and innovations.

FDB: The second thing that strikes me about these selections is that in all five cases, the songs in their original incarnations are all slammin’, and this should lead us to a fuller appreciation of Pete Rock’s remixing abilities. It is significantly simpler to take a wack song and make it better than to take an already great song and make it greater, so the fact that these are all bangin’ in the first place simply serves to highlight his production prowess. These are anthems made into even bigger anthems, and I think you would be hard pressed to find another beatmaker in the game who has managed that feat with such consistent finesse.

Das EFX – “Jussumen” (1992)

FWM: I find it hard to consider any Das EFX platter a ‘classic,’ even their debut. While Dre and Skoob revolutionized hip hop lyricism in terms of delivery and wordplay, more often than not they lacked a distinctive musical counterpart to complement their unique approaches to the mic. My chief complaint with Dead Serious (1992) is the uninspiring but serviceable production, a stock assembly of James Brown loops and Skull Snaps drums that lacks any sort of personality. Enter Pete Rock, whose remix of “Jussumen” (originally appearing as a B-side on the “Mic Checka” 12”) should’ve been the blueprint for the remainder of the album’s tracks. Pete was going apeshit with those Mountain drums back then and one can detect their presence here, buried into the fabric of the track. It’s noisier and a lot more textural than I would expect from him at the time, but it works beautifully for the duo. Favorite moment: at 0:58, when the music drops out as Dre begins his verse with a “yiggidy yes.”

“Jussumen (Pete Rock Remix)” – Das Efx 4:45 (Mic Checka 12”, EastWest 1992)

House of Pain – “Jump Around” (1992)

FDB: This remix falls much in the same vein as the “Hip Hop Hooray” remix, in that in both cases Pete Rock takes a crossover smash and makes it better. However, it shares more sonically with his work on “Shut ‘Em Down”, released in the same year and featuring similar musical elements in its composition. The opening eight bars are crafted beautifully, the warm and playful bassline providing a backdrop for the gradually building drum track that drops hard into the first verse. The upbeat tempo of the song and horns that echo in and out of the mix propel the groove forwards throughout the verse sections and the additional horns at the chorus make this song feel glorious. Whereas the ‘Shut ‘Em Down’ remix has a slightly darker quality, the ‘Jump Around’ remix is a straight up party banger whose sole purpose seems to be to get you on your feet with your hands raised skywards. It works.

“Jump Around (Pete Rock Remix)” – House of Pain 3:57 (Jump Around 12”, XL 1992)

Public Enemy – “Shut ‘Em Down” (1992)

FWM: This remix gives me chills to this day. Not to slight the Bomb Squad (who executive produced), but this reinterpretation is so much better than the original that it eclipses it entirely. What I love most about the production here is its dense, circular claustrophobia, a nebulous mass of sound that’s almost suffocating. Again, Pete uses those crushing Mountain drums as a foundation for a continuous sax line that weaves in and out of this mix, a filtered ascending bassline, and a strange vocal sample that makes an occasional appearance on the downbeat. The sheer power of this track, combined with Chuck D’s booming vocal, could move an army at full volume. And to top it off, the Soul Brother #1 spits a playful eight bars in the middle of the chaos – just because he can.

“Shut ‘Em Down (Pete Rock Remix)” – Public Enemy 4:41 (Shut ‘Em Down 12″, Def Jam 1991)

Naughty by Nature – “Hip Hop Hooray” (1993)

FDB: To my mind, Naughty by Nature should be considered the blueprint for the perfect hip hop crossover group, as they managed to successfully craft cuts that had a broad appeal whilst maintaining the gritty aesthetic favoured by true hip hop enthusiasts. “Hip Hop Hooray” could perhaps be considered the pinnacle of their achievement, its uplifting, anthemic nature certifying it as classic material. In light of this, The Chocolate Boy Wonder’s accomplishment with his reinterpretation of the song is nothing short of astonishing, as I feel it trumps even the original’s bounce and sense of grandeur. The delayed horns are of course an essential feature to this particular beat, but perhaps of greater interest for me when considering Rock’s wider discography is the use of a piano sample in this instance, an instrument that he pretty much left alone on Mecca and The Soul Brother and which only featured spasmodically on The Main Ingredient (1994). The incorporation of Rakim’s line from “Microphone Fiend” rounds the cut off perfectly, as do Pete Rock’s signature remix adlibs that let you know who’s in charge of the boards just in case you hadn’t guessed it already.

“Hip Hop Hooray (Pete Rock Remix)” – Naughty by Nature 4:30 (It’s On 12”, Tommy Boy 1993)

Jeru the Damaja – “Can’t Stop the Prophet” (1994)

FWM: I hadn’t come across this remix until recently, and after years of internalizing Premier’s original, it admittedly took some warming up to. What eventually sold me was, of all things, the snare that Pete uses here, and the way he decorates the drum track with additional hits to increase the boom-bap factor. A strong jazz flavor (which always complemented Jeru’s delivery well) is prominent as well, as Pete utilizes a descending vibraphone progression for melodic content, and in two octaves for additional variety. The minute and a half of scratching and cutting that closes the track is the sweetest kind of aural candy to these ears.

“You Can’t Stop the Prophet (Pete Rock Remix)” – Jeru the Damaja 5:03 (You Can’t Stop the Prophet 12”, Payday/ffrr 1994)