Legend of note...
His first major exposure to the hip-hop audience was in 1987 with Marley Marl, as a DJ on New York's WBLS radio show "In Control With Marley Marl." The 17-year-old Phillips was recognized by the listening audience as the man "puttin' in work", as he would use double copies of each record to cut up every song he played, when most New York DJs would only use double copies on every third or fourth song. Propelled by the growth of his popularity, he began producing in the early 1990s. In 1991 he joined with CL Smooth to release the EP All Souled Out.
The following year saw Mecca and the Soul Brother, the first of two full-length albums, released to critical acclaim and hailed as a cla**ic by many. During this period, Pete Rock 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 remix singles for Jeru the Damaja ("You Can't Stop the Prophet"), Public Enemy ("Shut 'em Down"), and The Notorious B.I.G. ("Juicy" - the original of which was allegedly based on Rock's own demo). Pete and CL followed up Mecca in 1994 with The Main Ingredient. Like its predecessor, The Main Ingredient also received wide critical acclaim. However, soon after the album's release, the duo split and went their separate ways, with Rock focusing on production work for other artists.
In 1995, he formed the group INI, with Grap Luva, Rob-O, and I Love H.I.M. and released the cla**ic 12" "Fakin' Jax". The trio recorded an album, Center of Attention(originally named The Life I Live), which was heavily bootlegged and remained unreleased until 2003, when BBE Records picked it up for distribution. The release of this album was coupled with another previously unreleased mid-'90s Pete Rock-produced album, DeDa's The Original Baby Pa.
In 1996, he appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Wu-Tang Clan, Coolio, and Fat Joe, among others. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as a masterpiece by The Source magazine.
:Production:
Pete Rock builds his beats from samples, the majority of which are taken from obscure R&B, funk, and jazz records. Early on in his career he would also sample drum breaks such as Black Heat's "Zimba Ku" for Heavy D & The Boyz's "Letter To The Future". Pete Rock heavily used the E-mu SP-1200 as well as the AKAI [S950]later moving onto using the MPC—for his productions. Pete Rock tends to use the samples as palettes for his beats, chopping (cutting the sample into smaller parts), filtering (altering the frequencies of the sample), and layering several samples, often within the same song. While this technique was applied long before Rock (on De La Soul's Three Feet High and Rising or the work of The Bomb Squad for example), Rock's work is distinctive for the way in which he uses samples to achieve a hazy, droning effect. He is also noted for his resonant ba**lines, horn samples, and gritty sounding drums. His beats often sound as though they were being played from an old vinyl record; he samples many of his sounds straight off these records.
Another trait of his, more so in the earlier part of his career, is the way he uses horn samples to supplement his grooves. With perhaps the most famous example being "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" (on which he uses a horn sample from Tom Scott's "Today"), Rock has also used horns on several other productions such as "Straighten It Out", Public Enemy's "Shut 'Em Down", Rah Digga's "What They Call Me", and A.D.O.R.'s "Let It All Hang Out".
Along with Gang Starr, The Roots and A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock played a large role in the fusing of jazz and funk music into Hip hop. The aforementioned "Reminisce..." withstanding, Rock used many jazz samples on his album Mecca and The Soul Brother, such as Cannonball Adderley's "Country Preacher", for the song "Return of the Mecca", or "Capricorn" for the song "In the House" from The Main Ingredient. Pete Rock's heavy use of intro and outro beats has also been widely influential. To introduce feature songs, he often plays a short instrumental excerpt, completely different from the rest of the song. Aside from their role as transitions, these are widely regarded as a way of displaying his large collection and as a challenge to other hip-hop producers to identify the records that the breaks come from. Mecca & the Soul Brother and The Main Ingredient use intro/outro beats on nearly every track to great effect, and the tradition continues to the present on Rock's recent releases.
Solo Albums:
1998: Soul Survivor
2001: PeteStrumentals
2004: Soul Survivor II
2005: The Surviving Elements: From Soul Survivor II Sessions
2008: NY's Finest
2011: TBA
Collaboration Albums:
1991: All Souled Out (with C.L. Smooth)
1992: Mecca and the Soul Brother (with C.L. Smooth)
1994: The Main Ingredient (with C.L. Smooth)
1995: The Original Baby Pa (with Deda)
1995: Center of Attention (with InI)
2004: My Own Worst Enemy (With Edo G)
2011: "TBA" (with Tha Dogg Pound)
2011: "Pete Rock v.s. DJ Premier" (with DJ Premier)
2011: "Monumental" (with Smif-N-Wessun)
2011: "Tango & Cash" (with DJ Doo Wop)
2011: "TBA" (with Diamond D)
2011: "TBA" (with C.L. Smooth)
2011: "80 Blocks From Tiffany's" (with Camp Lo)
[edit] Compilations / DJ Work
1998: Pete's Treats
1999: Diggin' On Blue
2006: Underground Cla**ics
2009: Jay Stay Paid
Production credits:
A.D.O.R.
Enter The Center
Let It All Hang Out
The Penetration
Akhenaton
La Face B (Pete Rock Remix)
Akiko
Back Home (Pete Rock Remix)
Alexander O'Neal
In The Middle (featuring Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
All City
Priceless
Amel Larrieux
Get Up (featuring Mos Def) (Pete Rock remix)
AZ
Gimme Yours
Rather Unique
Gimme Yours (Pete Rock remix)
Baldhead Slick
Pimp (featuring Keason & Kreem.com)
Basic Black
She's Mine (featuring Pete Rock & New Jack Swing)
Big L
Holdin' It Down (featuring Miss Jones, A.G. & Stan Spit)
Holdin' It Down (unreleased version) (featuring Party Arty, A.G. & Pete Rock)
Put It On (Pete Rock Remix)
Who You Slidin' Wit? (featuring Stan Spit)
The Black Eyed Peas
They Don't Want Music (featuring James Brown) (Pete Rock remix)
Black Star
Respiration (Flying High mix) (featuring Black Thought)
Boot Camp Clik
1-2-3
Brand Nubian
Slow Down (remix) (featuring Pete Rock)
Brandy
I Wanna Be Down (Pete Rock remix)
Busta Rhymes
Shut 'Em Down 2002 (featuring Pete Rock)
Cappadonna
Slang Editorial (Remix)
Champ MC
Keep It On the Real (Pete Rock remix)
Charles Hamilton
Stay On Your Level
Chaundon
Geek Down
CL Smooth
Multi Barz Of Fury
Common
The Bitch in Yoo
Cormega
Never Personal (Pete Rock Remix)
Crown Lee
2 Many Stars (featuring Pete Rock)
Curse
Nimm's Leicht (featuring Pete Rock)
Da Beatminerz
Open (featuring Caron Wheeler and Pete Rock)
Produced by Mr. Walt
Open (featuring Caron Wheeler and Pete Rock) (Pete Rock remix)
Da Youngsta's
Iz U Wit Me? (Pete Rock remix)
Pa** Da Mic
Who's The Mic Wrecka? (featuring Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
Das Efx
Jussummen (Pete Rock remix)
Real Hip-Hop (Pete Rock remix)
Diamond D
Painz & Strife (featuring Pete Rock & Phife Dawg)
Produced by Diamond D
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Code Red
Somethin' Like Dis
DJ Kay Slay
Up In Harlem (featuring Juelz Santana, Hell Rell & JR Writer)
DJ Muro
Patch Up The Pieces (featuring Freddie Foxxx)
Dogg Pound
Fire
Doo Wop
Back Of Your Mind (featuring Da Ranjahz)
Do New Things (featuring Joell Ortiz)
Refuse 2 Lose
Doug E. Fresh
No
Earatik Statik
Tearz!
Ed O.G.
Jus Listen (featuring Pete Rock)
Shed a Tear (featuring Pete Rock)
Situations (featuring Pete Rock)
EPMD
Rampage (featuring LL Cool J) (Pete Rock Remix)
F.I.L.T.H.E.E.
Ayayay (Remix) (featuring Ice-T & Grandmaster Caz)
Father MC
Lisa Lisa (remix)
R&B Swinger
Freddie Foxxx
Bumpy Knuckles Baby
Industry Shakedown
The ChanceSellor
U Krazy
We Gon Win
Who Knows Why?
Mind Frame
Fintelligens
Kaiku
Funkmaster Flex
Prime Time (featuring Xzibit, Phil Da Agony, and Tha Alkaholiks)
Gang Starr
Militia (featuring Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx) (Pete Rock Remix)
Ghostface Killah
Be Easy (featuring Trife)
Be Easy (Remix) (featuring Ice Cube & Trife Da God)
Chunky
Dogs Of War (featuring Raekwon, Trife Da God, Cappadonna, and Sun God)
R.A.G.U. (featuring Raekwon)
Grand Agent and Pete Rock
This Is What They Meant
This Is What They Meant (remix)
Produced by Ge-ology
Grand Puba
Issues (Pete Rock remix)
Grap Luva
Beats & Rhymes
Collector's Item
Revenge (featuring Pete Rock)
Groove B Chill
Starting From Zero
There It Is
Haph of Da Ranjahz
Back Of Your Mind
Heather B
Dedicated (featuring Tammy Lucas & Pete Rock)
Heavy D & The Boyz
A Better Land
Big Tyme
Black Coffee
Produced by Easy Mo Bee and Pete Rock
Blue Funk
Cuz He's Always Around
Do Me, Do Me
Don't Curse (featuring Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, CL Smooth, and Q-Tip)
Got Me Waiting
It's A New Day
Is It Good To You? (The Straight Remix) (featuring Tammy Lucas)
Let It Flow
Let It Rain
Letter To The Future (featuring Johnny Gill)
Love Sexy
Mood For Love
Sex Wit' You
Hezekiah
Right On
House of Pain
Jump Around (Pete Rock Remix) (featuring Pete Rock)
Incognito
Roots (Pete Rock Remix)
INI
Fakin Jax (Pete Rock Remix)
Universal Dialect
Square One
Keep On
Inspectah Deck
Trouble Man
J Dilla
Remember (featuring Bilal)
J-Live
Kick It To The Beat (featuring Asheru & Probe.dms)
Jamal
Fades Em All (Pete Rock Remix)
Jemini the Gifted One
"No More Dating DJs"
Jeru The Damaja
Can't Stop The Prophet (Pete Rock Remix)
Jesse Powell
I Wasn't With It (Remix)
Jim Jones
G's Up (featuring Max B)
Up In Harlem
Johnny Cash
Folsom Prison Blues (Pete Rock Remix)
Johnny Gill
Rub You The Right Way (Remix) (featuring Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
K-Solo
Letterman
Letterman (Pete Rock Remix)
Kanye West
The Joy (featuring Jay-Z & Kid Cudi)
Keith Murray
Say Goodnite (co-produced with Erick Sermon)
Keyshia Cole
Got To Get My Heart Back
Kid 'N Play
Bill's At The Door
Next Question
Kozmonautz
Blindsided (featuring LMNO)
Kreators
Nightlife (featuring Nicki Richards & Cheryl Pepsii Riley)
KRS-One
Get Yourself Up (Pete Rock Remix)
Go South-Bronx (featuring Pete Rock)
Krumbsnatcha
Here We Go (featuring Guru)
Kurupt
Yessir
L.O.R.D. of Dojo Pros
Why?
Lady Gaga
Poker Face (Pete Rock Remix)
Large Professor and Pete Rock
The Rap World
Produced by Large Professor and Pete Rock
Leela James
Good Time (featuring Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
LMNO
Blindsided (featuring The Visionaries)
The Lost Boyz
Renee (Pete Rock Remix)
The Yearn (featuring Pete Rock)
Lords of the Underground
Flow On (featuring Kid Deleon & Sah-B) (Pete Rock Remix)
M.O.P.
Stick To Ya Gunz (Pete Rock Remix) (featuring Kool G Rap)
Here Comes The Realness (featuring Pete Rock)
Main Source
Vamos A Rapiar
Marley Marl and Pete Rock
This Life Forever
Produced by Marley Marl and Pete Rock
Mary J. Blige
Reminisce (Pete Rock & CL Smooth Remix)
Family Affair (Pete Rock Remix) (featuring CL Smooth)
Masta Killa
Older Gods Part 2
MC Lyte
Keep On Pushin' (featuring Bahamadia, Nonchalant & Yo-Yo)
Meccalicious
Hope The World Don't Stop
How You Feel
The Youth
Meccalicious
Method Man & Redman
A-YO (feat. Saukrates)
Mic Geronimo
Unstoppable
Michael Jackson
Butterflies (Pete Rock Remix)
Mona Lisa
You Said (Pete Rock Remix featuring C.L. Smooth)
Monica
Before You Walk Out My Life (Pete Rock Remix)
Mr. Cheeks
All I Know (featuring Babydoll, and Madman)
Keep it Movin
Turn It Up (featuring Wild Walt, and Madman)
Muneshine
Imagine That (featuring Dminor)
These Days (Remix) (featuring Emilio Rojas & D-Sisive)
Nas
It Ain't Hard to Tell (Pete Rock remix)
Favour For A Favour (featuring Scarface) (Pete Rock Remix)
Street Dreams (featuring R. Kelly) (Pete Rock Remix)
The World Is Yours
Analyze This (feat. Jay-Z & Lord Tariq) (unreleased)
Nature
Ultimate High (Pete Rock Remix) (featuring Nas)
Naughty By Nature
Hip-Hop Hooray (Pete Rock Remix)
Non Phixion
If You Got Love (Featuring Pete Rock)
Northern State
Time To Rhyme (featuring Pete Rock)
Notorious B.I.G.
Juicy
Juicy (Remix)
One Be Lo
Deceptacons (Pete Rock Remix)
Onyx
Shout (Pete Rock Remix)
Pa**i
Who Is This (featuring Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
PM Dawn
Looking Through Patient Eyes (Pete Rock Remix)
Phife Dawg
Lemme Find Out (featuring Pete Rock)
Melody Adonis
Pitch Black
Block To The Boardroom
Planet Asia
Full Course Meal
PMD
Buckwild
Prozack Turner
Wonderful Life
Psycho Realm
Stone Garden (Pete Rock Remix)
Public Enemy
Nighttrain (Pete Rock Remix)
Shut 'Em Down (Pete Rock Remix)
Pushim
Soldier (Pete Rock Remix)
Raekwon
Kids That's Rich
Sneakers
Sonny's Missing
Rah Digga
What They Call Me
Rahzel
All I Know
Rakim
Living For The City
The Saga Begins
When I'm Flowin'
Redman
Gimme One
How To Roll A Blunt
Whateva Man (Remix)
Rob-O
If I Die
Mention Me (featuring Meccalicious)
Murderville
Rhyme Tighter
So Many Rappers (featuring Pete Rock)
Stay Away (featuring De La Soul)
Top Notch Microphonist
War
Who Is He?
Superspectacular
Wonderlust
World Premier
Rock Marciano
Fall Back
Pimpin' Ain't Easy
Roughhouse Survivers
Rough House (Pete Rock Remix)
Run DMC
Down With The King (featuring Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
Down With The King (featuring Pete Rock & CL Smooth) (Ruffness mix)
In The House
Wreck Shop
Sadat X
Escape from New York (featuring Deda)
Turn It Up
Scha Dara Parr
Kanata Kara No Tegami (Pete Rock Remix)
Screwball
You Love To Hear These Stories (featuring MC Shan)
Scritti Politti
Tinseltown To The Boogiedown (featuring Mos Def and Lee Majors) (Pete Rock Remix)
Shabba Ranks
Just Reality
Shazzy
Pa** Anotha Bag
Skyzoo
Straighten It Out
Slick Rick
Get A Job
I'm Captive
World Renoun (featuring Pete Rock)
Gambling
Slum Village
Once Upon A Time (featuring Pete Rock)
Co-produced by Jay Dee (J Dilla)
Once Upon A Time (featuring Pete Rock) (Pete Rock Remix)
Soul Supreme
Queen (featuring Pete Rock, T-Max and AG)
Produced by Soul Supreme
Special Teamz
Boston 2 Bucktown (featuring Sean Price & Buckshot)
Spinderella
Burn 'Em (featuring Pete Rock, Medusa and Sugga B)
Sporty Thievz
Street Cinema 2 (Pete Rock Remix)
Steph Pockets
My Crew Deep (Pete Rock Remix)
Styles P
Gangster, Gangster (featuring Sheek Louch & Jadakiss)
Talib Kweli
Holy Moly
Stay Around
Brooklyn Story
Termanology
We Killing Ourselves
Hold That
Terrace Martin
Jazz, Soul & Hip-Hop (featuring Pete Rock)
Tha Dogg Pound
Fire
Yes'sir
Tommy Tee
World Renown (featuring Pete Rock, Mike Zoot, Large Professor and AG)
Tony Touch
Out Da Box (featuring Large Professor, Masta Ace, and Pete Rock)
A Tribe Called Quest
Jazz (We've Got) (Pete Rock version not used on Low End Theory Album)
1nce Again (Pete Rock Remix)
Troy Slugs
Get It 4 Real
The UN
Ain't No Thang (a.ka. How They Want It)
Avenue
Game Of Death
Long Time Coming
The Art (mixed by Pete Rock)
Vast Aire
Mecca And The Ox (featuring Vordul Mega)
YG'z
Ghetto Celeb
Street ***** (Pete Rock Remix)
Street *****
Sumthinī 4 Da Head
YZ
Do Or Die (Pete Rock Remix)
