HIP HOP PRODUCER PETE ROCK RELEASES FIRST ALBUM IN FOUR YEARS
“NY’s Finest” LP drops in February 2008
Pete Rock - NY’s Finest EPK:
New York, NY - Hip-hop producer/DJ/MC Pete Rock is set to release his first album in four years. Titled NY’s Finest, the album will be released in February 2008 in a joint venture between Soul Survivor Records and NY based indie label Nature Sounds.
The record features a roster of cult hip hop artists that includes Wu-Tang’s Raekwon and Masta Killa, Dipset’s Jim Jones, Papoose, D-Block and Redman amongst others. The first single “We Roll” features Jim Jones and Max B. The track shipped to radio in mid-October and it’s already getting spins at mix-shows throughout the Northeast. Other tracks currently available are “914″ featuring Styles P and Sheek Louch, “The PJ’s” featuring Raekwon and Masta Killa and “Til I Retire” featuring Pete Rock himself.
Born in the Bronx, NY by Jamaican parents, a teenage Pete Rock first hit the scene in the late 80’s when he joined legendary DJ/producer Marley Marl on NY station WBLS’ show “In Control With Marley Marl.” The popularity of the radio show soon led Pete Rock to experiment with production. In 1991, he was joined by up-and-coming rapper CL Smooth and released the debut EP, All Souled Out. In 1992, the duo dropped Mecca And The Soul Brother, one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums of all time. Pete and CL eventually released The Main Ingredient in 1994. Although the album was very well received by critics and fans alike, the project marked the last effort for the duo.
Since then, Pete Rock has lent his production skills to some of the greatest MC’s. He crafted and remixed hits for Nas, Biggie, Jeru The Damaja, and, more recently, Jim Jones, Talib Kweli’s Ear Drum, Redman’s Red’s Gone Wild and Ghostface, for whom he produced tracks for Fishscale, one of music critics’ favorite hip hop albums of 2006.
Pete Rock is considered by most to be one of the greatest hip-hop producers. Following the split with CL Smooth, Pete has released a number of solo projects. In 1998, Loud Records released Soul Survivor; that was followed in 2001 by a collection of instrumental tracks aptly titled PeteStrumentals. In 2004, he released Soul Survivor II on his own imprint Soul Brother Recordings.
Nature Sounds is quickly becoming the indie home for classic hip-hop. During the last couple of years the label has released critically acclaimed projects by artists that include MF DOOM, Wu-Tang’s Masta Killa (Made In Brooklyn), and most recently, Mobb Deep’s Havoc (The Kush).
