Pete Rock

It’s a potent mixture of tact and consistency that goes into making every Pete Rock release a much anticipated event amongst the beat hungry faithful, and one where you pretty much know what you’re getting before the first kick comes in. Rock’s latest opus, NY’s Finest, maintains the dusty groove grit, intricate mood-setting sonics and chunky bass/rhythm combos that have formed his signature over the years. The legendary beatsmith sets the record’s G.O.A.T. theme in motion early on the sinister "Till I Retire,” a marauding cut blown full of spacious, fluttery bleeps and menacing synth stabs hovering over a pulsing bottom end. Later, he blesses Redman with the thick bass tones, subtle strings, raw old school cuts and bright trademarked horn blasts of "Best Believe” before completely flipping the script with the deep and entirely genuine reggae groove of "Ready Fe War,” swapping patois chats with the recently resurgent Chip Fu. Through the swarm of guests gracing each track — from Papoose and Styles P to Little Brother and even Lords Of The Underground — Rock also puts in possibly his most prolific lyrical effort to date, dropping dominant verses on nearly every track for an effort that, while not necessarily the "finest,” keeps the producer squarely in the realm of fans’ expectations.