Pete Rock needs no introduction. His new album NY's Finest drops on Tuesday. While it might not be a classic on the level of a Soul Survivors or Mecca & The Soul Brother, it's a strong record with occasionally great moments. But buyer beware: Jim Jones yells “floooosssssiiiin'” no less than four times.
Q: You’ve stated that your intent for NY’s Finest was to modernize your classic sound while attempting to retain that ‘grimy boom-bap” music that you helped pioneer. How did you go about achieving this? Was it a matter of you implementing a new philosophy, buying new equipment, a combination of the two?
Q: How was the making of NY’s Finest, a different process in terms of picking guest rappers, as compared to say, Soul Survivors?
A: On those records I was signed to Loud, so I got to pick from Loud’s roster. And Loud had one of the hottest rap rosters in the late 90s. They had Wu, Mobb Deep, Pun, myself, the Cella Dwellas. They was a force to be reckoned with. Steve Rifkin had flipped the entire marketing of rap. He’d been a promotion guy and knew how to run a dope label. Then they went out of business. But I know that for the time they were in business, they certainly accumulated a lot of money for RCA.
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A: I’d like to work with Kanye, Cassidy, TI, Ludacris, 50, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, really anyone in G-Unit. I’d like to work with Memphis Bleek. Lil Wayne. There’s so many new artists that I’d like to work with.
Q: Have you ever met Lil Wayne or spoken to him about it?
A: Nah, but I’d like to get at him see what kind of beats he’s into rhyming over. I’ve met Birdman and Juvenile and Mannie Fresh though in the past. They real cool dudes.
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Dyyyyiiiiiiinnnnnnn!!!!
Q: Do you still live in
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Q: So how do you stay current without giving in to the pressure to simplify your sound?
Download:
MP3: Pete Rock ft. Jim Jones & Max B-“We Roll”
MP3: Pete Rock ft. Sheek Louch-“914”
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