Producer sample breakdown
Pete Rock Samples
Mount Vernon, NY -- Active 1991-present -- Born Peter Phillips
Pete Rock is one of the architects of the jazz-rap sound, best known for his work as one half of Pete Rock & CL Smooth. His production is characterized by warm horn samples, heavy bass, and an unparalleled ability to select soul and jazz loops that carry deep emotional resonance. His 1992 single 'They Reminisce Over You' is often called the greatest hip-hop song ever made.
Pete Rock favors jazz horn samples -- especially saxophone and trumpet -- over chopped drums. He builds around the melodic content of a sample rather than just its rhythmic component. His beats feel organic and warm, as if the original session musicians were still in the room.
Primary sample sources
Notable albums produced
- Pete Rock & CL Smooth -- Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992)
- Pete Rock & CL Smooth -- The Main Ingredient (1994)
- Pete Rock -- Soul Survivor (1998)
- Pete Rock -- PeteStrumentals (2001)
Sample breakdowns
They Reminisce Over You
Pete Rock & CL Smooth -- Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992)
What was sampled
Saxophone melody loop
T.R.O.Y.
Pete Rock & CL Smooth -- Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992)
What was sampled
Trumpet melody
Anger in the Nation
Pete Rock & CL Smooth -- Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992)
What was sampled
Saxophone and organ groove
Straighten It Out
Pete Rock & CL Smooth -- Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992)
What was sampled
Bass and drum pattern
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See Pete Rock samples in action
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