Red Bull Music Academy Presents Pete Rock | Listen & Love

Soul Brother Prod., NYC

Born in the Bronx and growing up in Mount Vernon, New York, Pete Rock first stepped onto the scene as a DJ on Marley Marl’s legendary radio show in the late 80s. Soon after, Eddie F, then DJ for Pete Rock’s cousin Heavy D, gave Pete his first drum machine and taught him some basic skills. Soon after, Pete had created his own innovative beatmaking technique and instantly recognizable trademark sound. From his debut EP ‘All Souled Out’ with rapper C.L. Smooth in 1991, to the duo’s landmark albums ‘Mecca And The Soul Brother’ and ‘The Main Ingredient’, Pete’s unique method of sampling original recordings, chopping, filtering, and then layering them made his beats stand out from the flood of SP-1200 explorations of that time, and earned him the name Soul Brother No. 1. Besides his group work, Pete Rock started producing for artists like Nas and Run DMC, as well as getting into remixing work for the likes of Notorious B.I.G. and Public Enemy, whose ‘Shut Em Down’ he transformed into a horn-driven hip hop monster. After parting ways with C.L. Smooth in 1995, Pete Rock went on to release several solo albums, and collaborated with rap luminaries like Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, Slum Village, J Dilla, The LOX, Smif-N-Wessun, and more recently, the pairing of superstars Jay-Z and Kanye West… the list is endless. Time to reminisce with the one and only Chocolate Boy Wonder!

Playlist
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Straighten It Out – Elektra
Public Enemy – Shut Em Down (Pe-Te Rock Mixx) – Def Jam Recordings
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) – Elektra
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Can’t Front On Me – Elektra
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – One In A Million – Epic
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Death Becomes You – Jive
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Escape – Elektra
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Worldwide – Elektra
Nas – The World Is Yours – Columbia
Large Professor & Pete Rock – The Rap World – Big Beat/Atlantic
InI – Fakin Jax – Elektra
Pete Rock – Da Two Feat. C.L. Smooth – Loud Records
Pete Rock – Mind Blowin’ – Loud Records
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Searching (Remix) – Elektra
Pete Rock – For The People – BBE
Pete Rock – The PJ’s Feat. Raekwon & Masta Killa – Nature Sounds
Kanye West – The Joy Feat. Pete Rock, Jay Z, Charlie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield & Kid Cudi – G.O.O.D. Music
Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun – That’s Hard ft Sean Price & Styles P – Duck Down