Words: esSDee
O.K., by the time the year is out we will probably have been blessed with that long awaited Detox album from the messiah of beats DR. Dre but, for now, has there ever been an album in recent years that has wet the ear buds like Pete Rock’s ‘NY’s Finest?
I pre-ordered this back in 1852 on Amazon on that forgotten format called vinyl. By the time my beard had got to my feet it still hadn’t arrived, so I ordered from the ever-reliable Fat City in Manchester. It was sat staring at me for 3 days before I could get it on the handy trax, but boy was it worth the wait!
The guy is old skool and does nothing without his MPC, this is how I hear it poppin’ from NY’s Finest.
PETE INTRO: it is what it is!
WE ROLL feat. JIM JONES and MAX: a soulful flow that keeps the head nodding in a deep bass beat you expect from Rock, class start to the LP
TILL I RETIRE: shiiiit, if you put this on the ipod in your grannies front room she’d be wondering why you’re stood in the middle of the floor bouncin’ an imaginary huge basketball, this is as good as it gets full stop!
914 featuring STYLES P and SHEEK LOUCH: yeah, so you’ve heard the sample before but boy this is a banger, shit hot spitting from both Styles and Sheek.
QEUSTIONS featuring ROYAL FLUSH: one of the 4 tracks that are under 90 BPM, and with that, the kind of track that you can just about concentrate enough to make a cup of tea!
BEST BELIEVE featuring REDMAN and LD: yes, yes, yes. Back with a vengeance is the man Red, always feel he’s better in the underground and you can tell with this that he’s inspired by working alongside Pete Rock; LD is good on this too.
READY FE WAR featuring CHIP FU and RENEE NEUFVILLE: well, if I’m honest, when I hear them Jamrock style horns it makes me think of Sean Paul but 30 seconds in and I’m away with this, the hook is catchy as hell.
DON’T BE MAD: we’ve got Green Lantern on the production and there’s all sorts goin’ on under and over this beat as well as Pete callin’ himself ‘the fu**in’ poster boy for the MPC’
BRING YALL BACK featuring LITTLE BROTHER: a change in style, manly due to the vocal talents of Little Brother and the hook from Pete is reminiscent of a Rakim track that (stone me!) I can’t remember the name of, the production reminds me of the Rawkus years, and that’s all a good thing.
THE BEST SECRET featuring THE LORDS OF THE UNDERGROUND: did I ever think I’d get the pleasure of hearing a Lords comeback track? No. I got a feeling we’re gonna hear a lot more from here on in! Ill, ill, ill.
THAT’S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT featuring RELL: O.k. O.k., so every hip-hop album from the states seems to want to include some soulful track to show there softer side and although I’m not really into the R&B side of things this has a Common feel to it and the hook reminds me of them skits from Snoops first album. Check out them snare claps too, how high!!!
THE PJ’s featuring RAEKWON and MASTA KILLA: first things first, Raekwon and Masta Killer just been here makes you wanna rush that needle on and skip a few. It’s like a mini film sketch from the police cars all way through to the last beat. Please Rae, let’s have Links volume 2. A real hip-hop lullaby, click click.
MADE MAN featuring TARREY TORAE: another familiar sample re-worked by the man Rock, follow that low lying bass line too, lyrically not at the top but the beat kicks ass.
LET’S GO featuring DOO WOP: chopped beats, and a real dirty feel to this, Doo doin’ the do on the MIC.
COMPREHEND featuring PAPOOSE: this makes you want the album to carry on, Papoose rips it a little like Big L, the beat, well, it takes you back to old Wu ish! Put the needle back to the beginning and soak it up all over again brothers and sisters.
Now you got the low-down go buy it because hip-hop is no longer dead on the other side of the pond, o.k. Dilla kicked it, and, Milk is kickin’ it, but Pete Rock has slammed it with this long player, somebody else pushin’ buttons has never been as much fun, hate no more, hip-hop is back………..
Buy the LP and keep vinyl alive…
esSDizzie!
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