Pete Rock

Pete Rock is synonymous with the hard-hitting hip-hop style known as boom bap, though as with fellow top-tier producer DJ Premier, the term does not reflect the rich musicality of his tracks. The beatmaker, DJ, and occasional rapper got his start by co-producing several tracks on Heavy D & the Boyz' Big Tyme (1989) and truly emerged in the early '90s beside C.L. Smooth, with whom he minted the classic album Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992). Before the end of the decade, Rock released Soul Survivor (1998), the first of many solo projects made with a revolving door of guest rap...