Pete Rock - Cosmic Slop (Petestrumentals 2)

Mello Music Group has in a very short time established themselves as the hitmakers of the day for independent conscious Hip Hop.  Much of this has to do with the label founders and their philosophy of paying a living regular wage to their artists instead of soon-to-be-blown advances (which must be repaid against earnings).  Using this philosophy of remuneration they have managed to dominate a string of spring releases from Drew Dave's Synthbased to Red Pill's Look What The World Did To Us. Signing the indomitable Open Mike Eagle to a two record deal beginning with the most intelligent Hip Hop release of 2014 Dark Comedy.  Meanwhile, former Little Brother progenitor, Rapper Big Pooh released Words Paint Pictures echoing the conscious midwest sound of his brethren including legendary albums such as Elzhi's (Black Milk produced The Preface from 2008).

But finding a home for one of the Big Four of sample based producers like Pete Rock for his Petestrumentals 2 (due June 23) was a true coup d'etat.  Petestrumentals 2 is actually the third installment of Pete's Beat Generation series which he updated to respond in kind to Jay Dee's (aka J Dilla's) landmark Welcome to Detroit album. 

Black Milk - Demo Beats 2012

Black Milk, a producer/rapper as well as drummer/percussionist, who appears on the cover of his landmark album Popular Demand with an MPC tucked under his arm, plays the 'instrument' live and in the studio better than most any human being (Pete Rock's up there too).  Which is part of what makes Demo Beats 2012- a recently dropped teaser of his current output so fascinating.  This future-forward material veers out into some new bracing territory (sounding at times unabashedly similar to even Dilla's Donuts with it's style of constant revolutions of sound) that suggests a much broader sonic palette and production environment.  Where his last full length release Album Of The Year was definitive for how he captured the live sounds of instrumentalists Daru Jones (drums), AB (keys) and bassist Tim Shellabarger (not as much for his personal lyrics of the crushing year he had marked by loss) here we see a man tossing off, literally, a series of tossed off beats (one of 400 produced in the last year he'd rather hold onto for now) that echoes at points his deep crates neo-soul lineage while pointing to something else entirely.

MPC Minute featuring DJ Premier & Pete Rock

How funky can you get in 10.3 seconds?

Premier and Peter Rock talk in geekish detail about their introduction to (by now fairly) arcane music production centers like Pete's affinity for the MPC 2000 and the MPC 2000 xl whereas Premier hasn't moved past his affection for his Akai MPC 62.  When Premier was asked is there anyone whose done things with the MPC that you really didn't think could be done he responds:

"Lord Finesse the 4000 he got that thing where it actually stands up and talks and walks around the house and makes coffee"

Recorded live with Akai MPC 4000 with acapella from vinyl

Pete Rock on the MPC

Pete Rock is one of the true masters of Hip Hop production, with a particular gift for often stirring and soulful instrumentals.  He has of coursed produced for countless icons and invariably puts his indelible stamp on the work by bringing out the best in the artist.  Here he talks about how he constructs beats on the MPC (Midi Production Center), the advantages and drawbacks of automated time-stretching features versus his manual preference, how he sources and then chops the samples that appeal to him.  He ends triumphantly building up with a rock solid bass line a Pat Benatar classic.  A true master at work.

In the studio with 9th Wonder (Part 1)

9th Wonder who's now considered a go to super producer in Hip Hop, lifetime member of Little Brother (named after the Little Brother ARP synthesizer), waxes eleqoent here about the challenges and titans of sample based music: Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Just Blaze and particularly emphasizing Blueprint. 



He reflects on his own father's musical education which taught him arrangement, the manual challenges of physically chopping up samples, how a great producer never really has a 'throw away' beat, knowing the production history of 70's records 'what to chop and what not to chop', as well as how it takes a true musical sense- actual ability to play piano or other instruments- to reconstruct samples in a melodious way.  "It's just hard."



Random Axe added to Rock The Bells

Random Axe (Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Sean Price) has been added to this years Rock The Bells tour with headliners including Nas (with special guests Pete Rock, AZ & DJ Premier) Black Star (Mos Def & Talib Kwali), Mobb Deep, Cypress Hill, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, the GZA, Immortal Technique, Slaughterhouse and Ms. Lauryn Hill.  Rock The Bells 11 will be hosted by The RZA, Murs 3:16 and Supernatural.