Pete Rock “Best Believe (feat. Redman & LD)” NY’s Finest Nature Sounds 2008

I’m a devout follower of All Things Soul Brother as much as the next member of the Pete Rock Appreciation Society (just ask Dan Love), but half a dozen listens into the producer’s latest NY’s Finest (2008) and I still can’t lift the weight of disappointment off my shoulders. The issue lies not with his masterful manipulation of sounds and beats, which is always a wonder to behold, but rather with the C-list lineup of lyricists that, with a few meager exceptions, I really couldn’t give a rat’s about. Add to that a number of questionable detours into styles that clearly aren’t Pete’s foray as well as an overall lack of cohesiveness that the Soul Survivor installments were able to overcome, and what’s left is a haphazard mess of a record with little worth salvaging. Two of the tracks I genuinely never want to hear again: the ill-advised reggae tripe of “Ready Fe War,” and the sole guest production, Green Lantern’s “Don’t Be Mad,” which bears the distinction of having the most stupefyingly moronic hook I’ve heard in years. Even an appearance from Newark’s golden-agers Lords of the Underground can’t keep “The Best Secret” from deflating and falling flat. Tellingly, the record’s two (arguably) strongest selections dropped over a year ago on the “914″/”The PJ’s” 12″, the latter of which features stellar verses from Raekwon and Masta Killa. The rest, it seems, is just padding.

Still, this is Pete Rock we’re talking about, so the production rarely falters, each track radiating with the same warm, soulful bounce that’s characterized his work for nearly twenty years. It’s a detectable feel that’s difficult to place a finger on but is undeniably there, like the slick, velvety groove that makes up for the retarded garbling of Jim Jones and Max B on “We Roll” or the midnight paranoia that overshadows the dulling gun talk from Royal Flush on “Questions.” The always-entertaining Redman and weed carrier LD drop in to contribute to one of the few highlights on “Best Believe,” a mid-tempo cut laced with some juicy scratching and plenty of pimp swagger. Pete’s mic skills, which are more dominant on NY’s Finest than on past solo jaunts, remain tolerable and occasionally cringing, adhering to the usual “respect the game/longevity” content we’ve grown to expect from him. And while a somewhat clumsy 16 from Pete is certainly preferable to, say, a verse from Papoose, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the days when Puba regularly ghostwrote for the guy. My prediction is that I’ll likely shelve this disc by next week until the double-LP vinyl of NY’s Finest instrumentals is (hopefully) released, at which point I can enjoy the record free of all the verbal clutter.

“Best Believe” – Pete Rock feat. Redman & LD 4:38 (NY’s Finest, Nature Sounds 2008)

Floodwatch: The inclusion of a Pete Rock-produced cut on some of the more prominent hip hop releases in the ‘90s was often the highlight of the record, and usually tended to trigger a response something along the lines of, “Why couldn’t the entire album be like this?” Following the split with partner CL Smooth in the middle of the decade, Rock made some questionable moves in regard to where to focus his talent – strikingly mediocre solo artists (Deda), passive MCs with no presence whatsoever (InI), and talentless thugs (YG’z) – then would contribute only a track or two to more reputable artists’ records. It’s clearly not my place to judge the man’s artistic intentions back then, but with this sort of pattern, frustration was inevitable among many listeners and fans. So in the same spirit of that rumored full-length Primo/Nas collaboration that heads still dream about, From Da Bricks‘ Dan Love and I will indulge ourselves in a spell of wishful thinking in this installment of the P.R.A.S. (Pete Rock Appreciation Society), presenting ten MCs whose careers could have been drastically changed by an album manned entirely by the Chocolate Boy Wonder, with the year of preference for the release date.

Dan Love: My problem in approaching this particular task is that I’m so manically obsessed with all things Soul Brother that picking just five dream match-ups is almost impossible. Like Premier, Pete Rock has the uncanny ability to make even the weakest of MCs sound good, but I’m attempting to reign myself in here and select those that I genuinely feel could have carried the weight of a full-length collaboration at some stage in their career. The process hasn’t been easy, and the sense of rousing excitement as collaborations started to take shape in my mind was rapidly cut short by the sinking realization that these ideas will forever dwell in the realms of fantasy. Man, I wonder why I put myself through these things sometimes…

AZ Year: 1995

FW: As the only MC to guest on Illmatic (1994), Brooklyn’s AZ had a considerable amount of weight on his shoulders to deliver a solid first album. Doe or Die (1995) certainly didn’t disappoint (it has aged remarkably well over the years), but it was hardly surprising that Rock produced arguably the two best tracks on the record: the gorgeous, laid-back “Gimme Yours” and AZ’s statement of intent “Rather Unique.” With respect to L.E.S., Buckwild, and DR Period, who all contributed fine productions to the album, AZ’s distinctly high-pitched flow and Mafioso fantasies were given an extra breath of life by the colors in Rock’s stumbling drums and keys. Had Rock taken him under his wing and helmed the entirety of Doe or Die – well, the possibilities would certainly be worth pondering for years.

“Rather Unique” – AZ 4:49 (Doe or Die, EMI 1995)

Das EFX Year: 1993

DL: Although there is never going to be any doubting the lyrical impact that Drayz & Skoob had on the hip hop scene at the beginning of the ‘90s, I think it’s questionable to state that they ever managed to put together a truly classic album (see Flood’s assessment of the topic in our previous Pete Rock collaboration post). With Dead Serious (1992), the onus was clearly on the Brooklyn duo’s lyrical prowess, and as such the beats were perhaps somewhat of an afterthought, basic yet effective platforms to display a new and exciting way of approaching the mic.

However, my suggestion for a little Pete Rock intervention doesn’t come at this stage, but rather a year or so later in replacement of their Straight Up Sewaside (1993) LP. Given that their lyrical originality had now been subsumed by a plethora of other artists who had ‘borrowed’ from their style, the crew needed some production of true quality to set themselves apart, and yet the beats to be found on their sophomore effort fall distinctly into the realms of mediocrity for me. The “Jussumen” remix proves how fantastic the pair sound over a denser and more organic sound, and had it been the blueprint for the always-difficult follow-up album, who knows what the results could have been. Don’t forget to take into account that Pete was firing on all cylinders in ‘92/’93, churning out remixes that still stand up as some of the greatest ever committed to wax, and the combination of his work during this period with the playful lyrical gymnastics of Drayz and Skoob could have been awe-inspiring.

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

Freddie Foxxx Year: 1998

DL: Plagued by label strife with his sophomore release Crazy Like A Foxxx, Freddie Foxxx missed out on the opportunity for a full-length mid-90s drop, forcing him to maintain his rep through guest verses on other’s work. This is a real shame, as this particular period of time in the genre’s development would have offered up the perfect backdrops for his ferocious and unforgiving style of rhyme. Glimpses of what this collaboration could have promised can be found on the Industry Shakedown (2000) LP under the Bumpy Knuckles guise, where Rock contributed no less than three beats, each of which easily held its own amongst an all-star production line-up that included Premier, Diamond and Alchemist. “Bumpy Knuckles Baby” is my preferred cut of the three, with tightly tuned snares and jangling keys providing a well-judged combination of grit and melody that suits Foxxx to a tea. For Freddie’s sake I would have liked to have placed this a little earlier in the decade, but in terms of a collaboration with Pete Rock, 1998 would seem to be the perfect moment for these two giants to work together, with The Chocolate Boy Wonder already incorporating a harder-edged angle to his smoother, soul-entrenched aesthetic of the early ‘90s (think “Tru Master” or “Tha Game” from the Soul Survivor [1998] LP). The vision here is of a street album full of Foxxx’s inimitable swagger counterbalanced by Pete Rock’s more soulful production tendencies: sounds good doesn’t it?

“Bumpy Knuckles Baby” – Freddie Foxxx 4:03 (Industry Shakedown, KJAC 2000)

Inspectah Deck Year: 1998

FW: Here’s how it should have played out ten years ago: coming off the success of Wu-Tang Forever (1997) – on which he contributed the finest verses of his career, reigning supreme on every track he blessed – the Rebel INS grows impatient with RZA’s new keyboard-based approach to beatmaking and Bobby Digital (1998) distractions. Dissatisfied with the scattershot RZA tracks and the fruits of the Wu-satellite producers that would comprise Uncontrolled Substance (1999), Deck offers Pete Rock the opportunity to produce the record in the same template as “Trouble Man,” his lone contribution to the album. While Wu diehards are sent into an uproar over the absence of the Wu abbot, the resulting full-length is nonetheless a smashing success, as Deck’s signature metaphors and endless alliteration are a perfect match for Rock’s rhythmic soundscapes. On “Trouble Man,” note how the Soul Brother offers a fresh perspective on Isaac Hayes’ “Joy” riff, slicing it up into syncopated microfragments, then layering the chalky piano from Curtis Mayfield’s “Give Me Your Love” atop for the chorus, which also appropriates Sade’s “Paradise.”

“Trouble Man” – Inspectah Deck 5:05 (Uncontrolled Substance, Loud 1999)

Jeru the Damaja Year: 1997

DL: Whatever situation caused the rift between Primo and one of Brooklyn’s finest ever MCs, there’s no doubt that Jeru’s career suffered without the weight of a top level producer behind him. Although Heroz4Hire (1999) was a decent enough record with some standouts, imagine how much better it could have been with a master behind the boards. Envisage the scene: with Premier cutting ties with Jeru, in steps The Chocolate Boy Wonder to pick up the pieces and fill the void to swiftly push out a third album to follow Wrath of the Math (1996). Not only could it have been one of the greatest three album runs by any single artist in the genre, I’m confident that the results would have been truly slammin’ in their own right.

Having never worked together on an album, the only evidence we have for this particular scenario’s success is the remix of “You Can’t Stop The Prophet” that Rock blessed Jeru with earlier in his career. Despite the difficultly of removing yourself from Primo’s original mix, there’s no denying the coherence of Rock’s production and Jeru’s vocals, and a whole album where the two worked in close conjunction would have been truly captivating.

“You Can’t Stop The Prophet (Pete Rock Remix)” – Jeru the Damaja 5:03 (You Can’t Stop the Prophet 12″, Payday 1995)

K-Solo Year: 1994

FW: Despite a gimmickry penchant for spelling out his rhymes, K-Solo was one of the early ‘90s’ most underrated MCs and a bit of an anomaly in EPMD’s Hit Squad. His rapid-fire cadence and seemingly infinite arsenal of battle rhymes contrasted sharply with the rugged blunt haze of Redman and the faddish wordplay of Das EFX. When the crew dispersed in early ’93 following the split between Erick and Parrish, K-Solo headed out West to affiliate himself with Dre’s Death Row Records, working behind the scenes and nurturing artists like Canibus. My change to the course of history? Solo would have remained in New York and hooked up with Pete Rock (who provided the MC with the beat for his last single “Letterman”) and turned out a universally-acclaimed classic third record, making K-Solo a household name. The harder-edged productions on The Main Ingredient (1994) (“Worldwide,” “I Get Physical”) and Rock’s remix work at the time would have been an ideal foil for Solo’s devastating verbal attacks.

“Letterman” – K-Solo 3:20 (Time’s Up, Atlantic 1992)

O.C. Year: 2000

DL: With one classic album under his belt and a sophomore effort that neatly averted the dreaded slump, Omar Credle seemed like he might just be one of the most consistent players in the mid to late ‘90s rap game. Unfortunately, the spark was gone by 2001’s Bon Appetit, and despite a highly credible production roster the album is one best forgotten.

Instead, let’s get Pete on the boards. In the run-up to 2000 Mount Vernon’s finest would have been putting together beats for the yet to drop instrumental tour de force Petestrumentals (2001), a release that categorically proved that he still had skills in abundance come the turn of the millennium. Paired up with O.C.’s consistent lyrical finesse, the results could have been jaw-dropping. The fantastic ‘Respect Mine’ from Soul Survivor gives us a flavour of how the combination may have sounded, with Rock forging an infectious, hypnotic beat that is perfectly balanced by O.C.’s tone and cadence. The thought of this one gives me goosebumps…

“Respect Mine” – Pete Rock ft. O.C. 4:06 (Soul Survivor, Loud 1998)

Rakim Year: 1994

FW: His skills on a microphone are indisputable. He has contributed more quotable lyrics and verses to the hip hop vernacular than arguably any other MC. His singles, billed with partner Eric B., are timeless. Yet what many overlook is the fact that the god Rakim never dropped a solid, front-to-back full-length banger in an era (’88 – ’92) when it seemed like a classic was hitting the streets every month. Taking a note from the jazzier, Soul-inflected productions on Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992), Rakim could have connected with Rock to oversee the musical fodder for his next project after splitting with Eric B. Think of the possibilities: Ra’s breathy, dry baritone would sound heavenly over one of Rock’s sleigh bell- and horn-laced concoctions, with tempos rarely dipping below the 110 bpm range – except for the two “for the ladies” tracks, of course, in the vein of “Lots of Lovin’” or “Mahogany.” The two wouldn’t cross paths until Rakim’s ‘comeback’ record of sorts, the generally well-received The 18th Letter (1997), of which Rock contributed two outstanding cuts among legends like Premier and Clark Kent. Ah, one can only dream.

“When I’m Flowin’” – Rakim 5:04 (The 18th Letter, Universal 1997)

Sadat X Year: 1996

FW: Sadat X’s spotty solo career has been troubled by a myriad of issues, chief among them the fact that, Diamond and Buckwild excluded, the Bronx MC has rarely come across a producer who is capable of complementing his irregularly-pitched flow and unique delivery. Naturally, Pete Rock is a third exception, and for proof look no further than “Escape from New York” on Sadat’s first solo venture Wild Cowboys (1996). The elegant piano and vibraphone loop is contrasted by a slamming drum pattern, with Sadat (and guest Deda) sounding more than thrilled to wreck shop over it. Imagine an entire album like this, with the MC and various guests – Puba would have to appear on a track or three to trade lines – committing this kind of gold to analog tape, with Rock spitting an occasional sixteen here and there and making an appearance on every chorus. The record would have a refreshingly laid-back, Sunday-afternoon-in-the-cipher-type vibe that would have been a diamond in the rough among the Bad Boy-bullshit that was polluting the airwaves in ’96.

“Escape from New York” – Sadat X feat. Deda 4:09 (Wild Cowboys, Loud 1996)

Sticky Fingaz Year: 1997

DL: Of all five selections that I offer to you here, this is my wildcard. Although the thought of an entire album with the Onyx frontman and our boy Pete Rock is perhaps stretching the concept a little too far, there’s definitely something in this collaboration that could have worked well. The pair have crossed paths on a very limited number of occasions, but in the two instances that I know of there is a surprising coherence between the gruff delivery of everybody’s favourite kleptomaniac and Rock’s signature production style. This white label remix of “Shout” clearly demonstrates this, with Rock’s more laid back overhaul of the original keeping the overtly hardcore nature of Sticky and company in check. “Strange Fruit,” taken from the Soul Survivor LP, also provides a flash of what could have been and indicates the variation that could have been offered up by an album together, the beat’s darker, more sinister vibe working well with Sticky’s snarling sixteen bars. Granted, a full album together would have needed some interesting guest spots to avoid a sense of plodding monotony, but it’s interesting to ponder what could have been had Rock slipped out of his funk jacket for a minute and gotten seriously grimy.

“Shout (Pete Rock Remix)” – Onyx 3:47 (White Label, 199?)

“Strange Fruit” – Pete Rock ft. Tragedy Khadafi, Cappadonna & Sticky Fingaz 4:42 (Soul Survivor, Loud 1998)

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)

My recent dissection of the beat for Pete Rock’s “In the House” triggered some sort of hunger for All Things Soul Brother, and over the past week I’ve been digging through my vinyl and listening to as many Pete Rock instrumentals that I’ve been able get my hands on. Then I thought, “What if I were to compile an hour-long mix of nothing but Pete Rock beats?” My kneejerk reaction was to immediately discard the idea, reckoning that few people would want to listen to an hour’s worth of instrumentals by a single artist. In the end, I decided to construct the mix anyway for myself, and upload it to the site if anyone else was interested in it. So there’s that. Onto the mix itself.

In addition to adhering to the single-artist ‘theme,’ I set a further restriction: all tracks had to (roughly) be recorded from 1992 to 1994. Not only do I feel that this was Pete Rock’s finest era, but for my purposes here, it gives the mix some uniformity and a coherent musicality that an across-the-board mix would lack. So I selected about 30 or so instrumentals, jotted down some notes, cued up the turntables and checked the levels on my mixer, and went to work. In the end, the mix was nowhere near an hour in length (likely the fault of an insistent bladder) and a handful of cuts fell by the wayside, but I tried to let each track ‘breathe’ for at least a full minute before cueing up the next one. The tempos slowly ascend from 86 bpm to around 100 bpm by the end of the mix. Some of the transitions aren’t as smooth as I’d like them to be, but overall I’m satisfied with it. As always, all tracks are culled from vinyl sources. Enjoy.

”Soul Brother Blends ’92 – ‘94” – Pete Rock 42:23 (April 2007)

Tracklist:

I Got Love
The World Is Yours (Nas)
In the Flesh
Shut ‘Em Down (Public Enemy)
Lots of Lovin’
Searching
Sun Won’t Come Out
Flow On (New Symphony) (Remix) (Lords of the Underground)
I Get Physical
Return of the Mecca
Carmel City
Take You There
In the House
If It Ain’t Rough
Worldwide
For Pete’s Sake
Tell Me
Straighten It Out
Check It Out
On and On
Pass the Mic (Remix) (Da Youngstas)
It’s Like That
Jump Around (Remix) (House of Pain)
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)

Today marks the inception of a new feature to the site titled (in true autopsy-speak) “Beat Dissections,” in which I’ll break down and discuss the various musical components of a particular hip hop track. In addition to shifting focus from the emcee to the producer, this will also give me a chance to share more glorious instrumentals with the reader, a treat often denied to those without the requisite vinyl and a turntable.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth “In the House” The Main Ingredient Elektra 1994

The duo of Pete Rock and CL Smooth released two remarkably solid LPs during the second Golden Age of hip hop, each helping to define the era in no small measure: the undisputed classic Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992) and its equally magnificent and frequently overlooked follow-up The Main Ingredient (1994). The tired adage of “they don’t make hip hop like this anymore” applies tenfold to these two ’sister’ records, which mirror the other in several distinct aspects. Both nearly reach the 80-minute mark, yet are nearly devoid of pointless skits or filler. Each keeps the guest spots to a minimum, instead making CL Smooth’s philosophical musings the center of attention. The two records share plenty of brief instrumental interludes, a Pete Rock signature touch. And both subsist on lush, mid-tempo head-nodders for their entire durations; there are no hyperkinetic club bangers or dated new jack ballads to be found. In other words, to this writer’s ears, they represent the purest, most distilled substance of hip hop, and will likely never be replicated again.

I suppose if I had to choose between one or the other, however, I’d most likely lean toward The Main Ingredient. While Mecca is much more direct and contains the stronger singles (the timeless “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”, the trunk-rattling “Straighten It Out”), I prefer Ingredient for its subtlety, the way the tracks slowly nestle their way inside the head after a dozen listens or so. More importantly, though, is that it displays Pete Rock’s talents in arguably their finest hour, which resulted in a high demand for his work shortly afterward. The man’s skill with the SP-1200 is legendary among DJs and producers, influencing countless others who followed him, but here Rock takes the relatively simple concept of looped samples over drum breaks and makes the Sistine Chapel out of it. The basslines are chunky and warm the soul, the snares resonate with a tight crispness, his trademark horns are chilling; there is simply no musical element that is out of place.

For an example, we can look no further than the opening cut, “In the House,” which firmly establishes the lazy, summer-afternoon vibe of the record right off the bat. The musical bulk of the track appropriates the Fender Rhodes piano from Cannonball Adderley’s interpretation of George Duke’s “Capricorn” (from 1972’s Music You All), which, when written out, looks something like this:

The other dominating presence in the track is the drum pattern, a classic boom-bap arrangement with an abundance of bass drum hits that settles into a tempo of around 94 beats per minute. The hi-hats adhere to steady eighth notes while the snare is pitched slightly lower than usual. The vocal hook should be glaringly obvious to anyone familiar with early-’90s hip hop, an extraction from the slew of shout-outs that comprises the coda of “Verses from the Abstract” (off A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory [1991]) with Q-Tip playfully repeating, “Pete Rock is in the house, CL is in the house.” (The original hook from that track can also be heard in the mix, which features a young and buttery-voiced Vinia Mojica.) A bed of delayed saxophones provides a gorgeous brassy color during the hook, and sound pitch-shifted from an unknown source. For a touch more variety, Rock also uses a vocal snippet from the same cut with Q-Tip saying, “Check it out, and give me my spec,” which he uses to bracket the song. The dusty, thumping drums alone could carry the track, but when blended with these other elements, “In the House” seems tantalizingly brief at four and a half minutes. A fine way to introduce the record, to be sure.

“In the House (Instrumental)” – Pete Rock 4:32 (The Main Ingredient, Elektra 1994)