Pete Rock: Real Survivor

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http://www.nycnn.com/node/140

Pete Rock: Real Survivor

Submitted by patrick on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 - 9:57am

Hip Hop Interview

Pete Rock has been one of the most recognized and acclaimed hip hop producers in our time. Remaining relevant throughout the years he has merged old school style with the knowledge gained through experience and smarts to keep his ear the streets to keep bringing bangers with consistency. Though a fallout with long time collaborator C.L. Smooth had some critics and fans alike wondering, he’s here to set the record straight and fill you in on his future plans. This interview is a must read for all hip hop heads young and old.

Word is there is going to be a new Pete Rock album in March of 2006, what can you tell us about that?

Aw man, It's gonna be everything that everybody is expecting, if you're tired of that other crappy ass hip hop music, this is what you wanna purchase when it comes out. The best of all New York.

Any collaborations? What can we expect?

I'm keeping it as a secret because there's gonna be some good surprises.

If you could produce a whole album for any artist or groups, who would they be?

I would have to say Ghostface (Killah), I would have to say Nas, I would have to say Mobb Deep and The Lox, most definitely, The Lox is like my favorite rap group. Working with Styles P and Jadakiss is something I'm trying to accomplish. I think with the way hip-hop is going today, why I want to work with these people and make sure that hip-hop is the greatest. I feel like they've been short changed on the music. They're very talented artist, all the people I mentioned and I feel like they don't have the right type of music sometime.

What do you think about the idea of doing an album with you, Nas and Large Professor on the mic and yourself, Premier and Large Professor on the beats?

Umm... Not to disrespect anyone else but my thing is, I have my own ideas and if I'm going to work with an artist like Nas I'm gonna work with him, period. Just me and him. I can't say though because I haven't spoken to Nas in years. He has other people calling me to get in touch with me but he won't call me himself. We're all grown men here, I'm close to my mid- 30's. Whatever happened in the past, I don't know what happened, why we fell out or why we haven’t spoken in years about working with each other but whatever happened, I'm willing to put that behind me. I'm a big enough man to say I can confront Nas and ask him and talk to him to find out what the problem is and keep doing music. Positive things. With Nas and the way I produce, I tend to make a lot of stuff that seems like he could use. I think we have a wonderful chemistry, I haven't funked with him in years but we could make a smash album or a hit record right now. It's a lot of ego coming into play in this music game, I deal with the truth and whatever the reason we haven’t worked together, I'm willing to put it behind me.

How would someone go about buying beats from you and what kind of cost would they be looking at?

Go through management. If I know you personally for instance, The Lox, we kinda grew up in the same area, but for those type of things I would definitely come to the table.

Do you got flat rates or is a fluctuation type deal depending on the artists?

I got flat rates, but it depends on what kinda deal we're making though.

How do you feel about the SP1200? Do you still use it at all?

I use it still along with the MPC, I never stopped using it, I got a lot of new SP beats for the new album. I got a lot of stuff for an album in Japan and I'm also working with my brother.

What do you think of DJs who are going digital using CDs or MP3?

I'm a vinyl guy. Call me old-school or whatever but I collect vinyl I'm a DJ, vinyl is always gonna be right next to me. It's cool, the digital world, a lot more clearer and cleaning, but it's nothing like cutting vinyl, touching that vinyl and burning it.

Have you ever made any beats you thought were to good to sell?

Of course, but not too good to sell, just to good to give to some one who would **** it up. I would never give a beat like that to a whack person, I wouldn't want an artist to **** up the beat. I only give dope ass beats to artists I know can handle it.

Have you ever regretted selling a beat to any artists? Anything you weren't happy with regarding the finished product?

Not really, I like to hear my music regardless of who is on it, there are mixes I've done that I regretted that I wish I could have done better. Like there were people out there who kinda took over trying to mix a Pete Rock beat and couldn't do and made my **** sound thin and funked up.

Anything in particular?

Yea, there's a lot actually. A lot of the Ed O.G. stuff wasn't mixed properly, there were one or two records on there that weren't mixed properly that I wish I could have done.

If you can redo any of your beats which would they be?

Reminisce, Shut Em' Down, The Creator, Soul Brother Number 1

What do you look for in an artist you want to work with?

I look for delivery, I look for character, I look for confidence and so forth.

Late 80's and Early 90's Hip-Hop music is the cornerstone of the genre, how do you feel with great artists like yourself get looked over by the average hip hop fan for a 2pac or a Biggie or the Neptunes?

I don't get upset of nothing, I mean I've worked with Biggie, I knew Pac very well, we hung out a couple of times. When a younger person doesn't know their rap history I just tell em to check it. It was cats like me that paved the road to make other producers better. I was the guy that put out beats that made other producers say "Oh, ****. I better get on my ****ing job"

Why do you think it is difficult for older groups and artists to resurrect themselves for the younger audience?

I don't know, maybe they're not keeping their ear tuned to the street, maybe they don't feel they should do what the younger cats are doing. But my thing is, reinventing yourself is the best thing you could do for yourself, stay on your toes, even in today's music be relevant. That's very important. I'm very happy to say that I'm working with one of my favorite rappers, Ghostface (Killah). That's something, one of my goals I've accomplished. We got a great working relationship

The summer of last year, on Allhiphop.com they kinda played with your words and got CL Smooth into getting kinda grimey on you, what do you think of his comments?

To me, that is so funny and it's so stupid, so immature for a grown man to speak like that of another grown man when none of the stuff is true in the first place. There's a lot of immaturity there you can see and listen. A lot of people that know me know that I'.m not that type of person and I'm not the type to have poor work ethic. I put out four projects after I left CL Smooth, he's put out nothing, so it's a joke to me. He hasn't put anything out without me. Not one single thing. My whole thing is like "When you wanna do something or it's time for you to do something you always came to me about it but you never been a man and stood on your own two feet and did your own thing" You understand what I'm saying? My whole thing is, the immaturity is never going to change, so I have to move on, that's my old life and it's all about my new life right now. I have a new artist that I'm working on and I'm working with a bunch of new artists on the outside. 50 Cent, Mobb Deep, Tony Yayo, Jim Jones, Papoose. I'm working with all these cats, all the negativity is bull****.

Are you guys in a position where you could work together or maintain the friendship?

Never! Never ever again and you can quote me on this. That's never gonna happen again, that's like I told you, it's my old life. I don't with nothing bad on the man, I hope the best for him but I've moved on and that's that.

There were rumors a while back about you having drug problems, something most artists have to deal with it one point or another in their career, how do you deal with these kind of accusations?

Naw, that's some old bull****, never had a drug problem in my life. Only problem I had was music, that's my drug, I get high off that. Never do I let anything interfere with what I do in music.

If you had to rate yourself as an emcee and as a producer, out of 10, which would be the highest, what wouldyou give yourself?

10 in the beat making and 8 in the rhyming. It's all a part of what I do, I make beats and I make rhymes in my head. It's like a part of what I do, Pete Rock.

[JumpinJack AJ]

Thanx for that. It pains me 2 know that there is no more Pete Rock + CL Smooth. I waz just listening 2 the trax they did on Soul Survior II just last week. And a few weeks ago, i got their 2003 Greatest Hits album.

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Yeah I thought that there was gonna be another Pete Rock and CL Smooth album coming soon, anyways I can't wait to check out Pete Rock's album next month, hopefully he produces for Will again someday, he should do more work with his cousin Heavy D again too...

Edited February 3, 2006 by bigted

[JumpinJack AJ]

2 correct Pete Rock's statement tho'....CL has done a few things on his own. When he did that Mary J. Blige "Reminisce" remix...it waz HUGE. I also have a Hip-Hop/Rap compilation mixtape from about 1999 where he did a song with a few other emcees. Unfortunatly the song isn't that good.

I hope CL Smooth still has a passion 4 Hip-Hop cuz he is one of the best emcees of all time. And i support whatever Pete Rock dose, but none of his stuff outside of Pete Rock + CL Smooth has been dope as the good old days.

[bigted]

i don't know why pete rock would consider producing for G-Unit, say it ain't so??!!! :stickpoke: