Roughly 15 years ago producer-extraordinaire Pete Rock (alongside fellow beatsmiths Large Professor and Diamond D) helped usher in hip-hop’s soul movement. Almost a decade before Kanye West and Just Blaze drew up the modern blueprint of that sound, Heavy D’s little cousin was sampling vintage soul and jazz records and transforming them into the songs that would comprise his own classic albums. Alongside fellow Mt. Vernon, New York native C.L. Smooth, the self-proclaimed Chocolate Boy Wonder released 1 EP (1991’s All Souled Out) and 2 LP’s (1992’s Mecca And The Soul Brother and 1994’s The Main Ingredient) of some of the finest hip-hop music to ever be committed to wax.

Unfortunately, shortly after The Main Ingredient was released internal squabbles between the duo led to the demise of their once holy union. And while the two did attempt to reconcile their differences at various points over the past dozen years, even recording together for both installments of Pete’s compilation-style Soul Survivor solo albums, "Da Two” never became one again.

Thankfully, over the past decade Pete Rock has continued to bless us with his often imitated but never duplicated brand of soul-hop, and in January will kick 2008 off right with his latest effort, NY’s Finest. Pete recently spoke exclusively to HipHopDX.com to give us some details on his new project, as well as some rare insight into his split with C.L. and the end of his working relationship with another MC who alongside Pete once created a classic collaboration.

HHDX: I understand that the title of your forthcoming fourth solo effort, NY’s Finest, isn’t in reference to the artists appearing on the album?
Pete Rock: Nah, not really. It’s talking about me basically being one of New York’s top hip-hop producers ever.

HHDX: And who are the MC’s blessing the beats from New York’s finest producer on this go-round?
Pete Rock: I got DoItAll and Mr. Funke from Lords of the Underground. I got Jim Jones and Max B. I got Little Brother on there. I got my man Royal Flush. I got Red Café. Slum Village is on there [“Gangsta Boogie”]. I did a joint with Redman [“Best Believe”]. I got Styles P and Sheek Louch from The Lox [“914”]. There’s a joint with Raekwon and Masta Killa on there [“The PJs”]. I got Papoose. I got Chip-Fu from the Fu-Schnickens. I got my man DJ Doo Wop on there – big shout out to him. Renee from Zhane is on there singing. And my man Rock Marcy from The U.N. is on there. And that’s pretty much it… Oh, and my man Rell from Roc-A-Fella is on there. Continued on page 2 »