You Oughta Know... Pete Rock!!!

You Know You Got Soul:
Profile of Pete Rock

Written by: Slangston Hughes



Whether you refer to him as the number one soul brother, chocolate boy wonder, soul survivor, Peter Phillips or simply by the moniker that most know him as, Pete Rock has been, still is, and will undoubtedly remain one of the most influential producers in Hip-Hop history. In the same way no emcee rhymed quite the same after Rakim, in the realm of production, no producer ever produced quite the same again after Pete Rock.



Heralded as one of the originators of that smooth early 90’s Hip-Hop style, layered with hard-hitting drum patterns and head-nodding grooves, fusing Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Funk in new and innovative ways that would forever change Hip-Hop and aid in keeping the soul and the legacy of the music he sampled alive, Pete Rock revolutionized the MPC (mini production center) 3000 beat machine like no one before or after him ever did.

His first major exposure to the Hop-Hip audience was in 1987 with Marley Marl as a DJ on New York's WBLS radio show "In Control with Marley Marl". At only 17, Phillips was recognized by the listening audience for his creative mixing style using double copies of each record to cut up every song he played, when most New York DJs would only use double copies on every 3rd or 4th song. Propelled by the growth of his popularity, he began producing in 1990 and teamed up with CL Smooth to release the EP All Souled Out followed by the classic album Mecca and the Soul Brother, propelled by one of the greatest Hip-Hop songs of all time “T.R.OY.” (they reminisce over you), which was dedicated to his friend Trouble T. Roy (of Heavy D. & The Boys) who had passed away. The song, with its tantalizing smooth bass line and signature horns, would become a theme song for Hip-Hop heads and 80’s babies alike wide and far who had lost a loved one.



Pete also began to produce songs for other acts, such as "Down With the King" for Run-DMC and "The World Is Yours" for Nas, as well as countless classic remixes, such as Public Enemy’s "Shut 'em Down", considered by some to be the best remix of all time.

To learn more about Pete, click the link below:
http://www.etmmagazine.info/freeyourmind/2009/10/articles/2009_10_profileoffav.html