NY's Finest (Bonus Track Version)

It’s been quite some time since the inimitable New York producer Pete Rock revolutionized the sound of Hip-Hop with his soulfully impressionistic, sample based work with the rapper CL Smooth. The beats that graced Pete Rock’s masterful Mecca & The Soul Brother were painstakingly composed lessons in musical subtlety that stood in sharp contrast to the aggressive, drum machine heavy sounds of earlier Hip-Hop productions. It’s somewhat disappointing to note that in the last decade Pete Rock has become something of a musical conservative, refusing to adapt to contemporary styles and turning out a series of beautiful, if perhaps overly consistent productions in a style that is barely distinguishable from that of his earliest work. But that's not to say that Pete Rock’s most recent effort NY’s Finest is a creative failure. Indeed Pete Rock sounds sharper than ever on tracks like “Till I Retire” and the defiantly old school “Best Believe,” which features some jaw-dropping lyricism from Redman. This is New York rap at its stubbornly conservative best, and though some may have tired of Pete Rock’s winning formula, the intricate sample based work on display here proves that the master has not yet lost his touch.