Customer Reviews

Soul Survivor

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Four years since The Main Ingredient, Pete Rock dropped his first solo LP, the outstanding "Soul Survivor." Without partner CL Smooth, he is given space to work with his favorite artists and produce the kind of beats he wants to. He stays right on track, producing many peaceful, laid back, and beautiful beats with complex instrumental and drum patterns, along with a few harder, streetwise ones. Pete is not the greatest lyricist on the mic, but his guests hold their weight, for the most part delivering lyrics to fit the beats. Pete sings most of the hooks, and his chilled baritone voice is perfect for the job. With a guest roster that reads like a who's who of 90s hip hop, the collaborators provide fun performances, but Pete's beats are always in the spotlight. The album is best toward the end, where the slowest and deepest songs are found. "Soul Survivor" is a great album that should definitely not be slept on.

After his intro, he bursts in with the great "Tru Master", with the unlikely team of Inspectah Deck and Kurupt. The beat has horns, flutes, and bass, very well done, and the MCs reminisce over old times. On "Half Man Half Amazing", Method Man and Pete rock over a stringed production. "Respect Mine" has a great hook, head bobbing beat and good lyrics from OC. "Tha Game" is Pete's hardest track, with a tough instrumental and rappers Prodigy, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah delivering hard raps. On "#1 Soul Brother", Pete boasts of his DJ skills over a spinning xylophone. "Rock Steady" uses an altered Eric B beat for a catchy track with Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz. "Truly Yours" teams some of the greatest ever (Pete, Large Professor, and Kool G Rap) for a diss track with a great beat directed at various people, and the sax loop is the same as in Nas's "It Ain't Hard to Tell", but he gives it new life. My favorite here is "One Life to Live", with a surprising appearance by west coast vet MC Eiht. The phenomenal beat has muted horns and a peaceful drum pattern, and Eiht and Pete chronicle their careers. "Take Your Time" and "Mind Blowin'" are both beautiful, toned down tracks with creative production. "Soul Survivor" is Pete's best solo rap here, dropping philosophy and thought over a great instrumental. "Da Two" is Pete and CL's reunion, and the excellent song with great lyrics, hook, and beats brings back memories. The last three tracks are all very strong efforts with an impressive roster, including Noreaga, Big Pun, Common, Tragedy Khadafi, Heavy D, Sticky Fingaz, Cappadonna, and Beenie Man.

"Soul Survivor" is one of the more complete albums of the 90s and a great compilation of the best MCs combined with the best producer of all time. This is one of Pete's greatest releases ever, and he shows exactly why he should be remembered as the world's greatest DJ.

As his first "solo" album, Pete Rock delivers what he is known for, good lyrics, and great beats reminiscent of late 80's "Golden-Age" Hip-Hop. Out of the 16 songs on the album, there is only one solo (he has 3 songs where someone else does the chorus). Guests are plentiful and fill the album but still Pete Rock delivers lyrically on the tracks he is on (1 track he isn't on, and 2 he only does the hook). It has 7 or 8 good songs, 4 or 5 that I skip and the rest are ok. He produces all 16 songs as well. A must have album for fans of the old school hip-hop sound.

#2 - 9 (f/ inspectah deck & kurupt of the Dogg Pound)
#3 - 7.5 (f/ method man)
#4 - 7 (f/ O.C.)
#5 - 8.5 (f/ Raekwon & Ghostface of Wu-Tang Clan * Prodigy of Mobb Deep)
#6 - 8
#7 - 8 (f/ lord tariq & Peter Gunz)
#8 - 6 (f/ kool g rap & large professor)
#9 - 6 (f/ black thought of the Roots and Rob O)
#10 - 8.5 (f/ MC Eiht)
#11 - 9 (f/ loose ends on the hook)
#12 - 6.5 (f/ vinia mojica on the hook)
#13 - 8 (f/ miss jones on the hook)
#14 - 8.5 (f/ CL Smooth)
#15 - 8.5 (Big Pun, Noreaga, Common & Pete Rock does the hook)
#16 - 6 (Tragedy Khadafi, Sticky Fingaz of Onyx & Cappadonna of Wu-Tang -- Pete Rock does the hook)
#17 - 3.5 (Beenie Man f/ Heavy D)

check all my reviews

This album has been a difficult one for me. The reviewers didn't care for it esp. the stupid Source when it dropped back in 98. However, I didn't really like it when I first heard it relative to the first 3 albums with CL Smooth. However, now I really enjoy this album quite a bit.

At first, I missed the constant use of horn samples on the first album (full length) Mecca and then the switchover to the keyboard feel of the second masterwork The Main Ingredient. Soul Survivor continues in the tradition with a light (occasional hard edge) old school sound with keyboard. He doesn't employ horns as much as he used to but that's the evolution of his style. Each craft is well crafted with some obscure treasures and definitely I'm still trying to figure out samples on the tracks such as Respect Mine. The only track which seems rather out of place is Tha Game because it sounds quite foreign with a off kilter loop but I guess that harpsichords are fair game for production.

Anyways, the production kills virtually everything in sight. Primo is a genius but the use of the same drumbeats are getting rather boring. Pete Rock is smarter by changing up the drum beats occasionally and using a different edge for each track. He is willing to undergo risks but maintain that soul edge which makes Primo looks like a beat making factory (very competent one at least).

On the other hand, his lyrics are squarely in the old school. Pete Rock talks about money but it's not so much about showing off ice but about surviving in a harsh world where making money is America (which it is). The guest artists compliment Pete Rock Lyrics.

There are similarities with the other albums. For example, Mind Blowin is similar to Lots of Loving on Mecca and also All My Love on Main Ingredient with that light hearted samples and also the subject matter of love and romance and celebration of women. Indeed, you can't go wrong with Pete Rock production to describe the mood. We all wish that CL Smooth come back from his car sales job and his kids, but family is more important than rap in many ways.

All the same, Pete Rock got the game on lockdown and definitely 2 years later it makes us wish that sample clearances didn't exist and also that love is simpler and celebratory and that old school rap comes back with a odd funky edge. Chocolate boy wonder ought to have another album coming out soon in 2G you all hear?

Peace and I'm out.

PETE ROCK'S SOLO DEBUT IS SOMETHING THAT HIP-HOP NEEDED IN LIFE. IT'S NOT THE SAME OLD "ICE ON MY NECK AND WRIST, 600 BENZ PUSHING, MOET SPILLIN', HUGE BANK ACCOUNT HIP-HOP (YA'LL KNOW WHO YOU ARE). PETE USED THE TALENTED BUT UNDERATTED ARTIST OF HIP-HOP TODAY LIKE THE GHOSTFACE KILLAH, RAEKWON, CAPPADONNA, STICKY FINGAZ, BLACK THOUGHT OF THE ROOTS, AND COMMON SENSE TO REPRESENT ON A CLASSIC ALBUM. MY FAVORITE SONGS ON "SOUL SURVIVOR" ARE: TRU MASTER (F/ INSPECTAH DECK AND KURUPT), RESPECT MINE (F/ O.C.), THE GAME (F/ GHOSTFACE KILLAH, RAEKWON AND PRODIGY), VERBAL MURDER 2 (F/ BIG PUN, NOREAGA, AND COMMON SENSE), ONE LIFE TO LIFE (F/ MC EIHT), AND #1 SOUL BROTHER. THIS IS DEFINATELY NOT FOR THOSE WHO ONLY LET THEMSELVES BE BRAINWASHED BY MATERIAL MEDIOCRACY AND COMMERCIALISM. THIS IS FOR THOSE WHO FINALLY WANTED A DECENT ALBUM TO LISTEN TO IN THIS ADEQUATE HIP-HOP INDUSTRY. PETE ROCK HAS ANSWERED MY PRAYERS.

Classic, only word to describe this album. From begining to end. All the guest spots, all the beats. Everything was tight. Anyone who is feeling Kanye West needs to do thier homework, this man has been putting it down for years. Yo, I still think Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz shined on thier track. I believe they're the most talented one hit wonders ever to drop in hip hop. This album was just off the hook.

Poor Pete Rock. He and C.L. Smooth managed to go gold in 1992 with Mecca and the Soul Brother, but haven't managed to match that (moderate) level of success since. There are three tragic things about Pete Rock's career:

1. Right after Mecca in the Soul Brother in 1992, he could never again make such complex beats, because of increased legal and financial dangers of sampling.

2. Pete Rock hasn't managed to achieve the fame that he certainly deserves as one of hip-hop's great producers.

3. Pete has been trying and failing to gain a crossover audience, usually at the expense of the quality of his music, all because of the second tragedy.

For these reasons, Soul Survivor is a mixed bag of an album that comes through in the end as very, very good. On the one hand, Pete is as brilant producer as ever. Every beat on the album is at least above average, and many are superb. On the other hand, he's definitely no Super MC, and would probably do well to have someone ghost-write his lyrics. The semi-underground feel of the album is disturbed by several back-to-back failed R&B crossover attempts in the middle of the album.

Some of the hooks are corny, too, but the album still contains a lot of very good guest MCs (Method Man, Common, Sticky Fingaz, Kurupt, etc.), and even Pete Rock can't sound too bad over his incredible beats. Pete also raps more than before about the money that he (supposedly) has, but still manages to deliver some good messages (even if they're not delivered with super-lyricism), and as an added note, the album contains strangely little profanity. Not a classic, but very good, and that's more than can be said for most albums.

Pete Rock's solo debut is something that hip-hop needed in life. It's not the same old "ice on my neck and wrist, 600 Benz pushing, Moet spillin', huge bank account hip-hop (ya'll know who you are). Pete used the talented but underatted artist of hip-hop today like The Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Cappadonna, Sticky Fingaz, Black Thought of the Roots, and Common Sense to represent on a classic album. My favorite songs on "Soul Survivor" are: Tru Master (F/ Inspectah Deck and Kurupt), Respect Mine (F/ O.C.), The Game (F/ Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and Prodigyc), Verbal Murder 2 (F/ Big Pun, Noreaga, and Common Sense), One Life to Life (F/ Mc Eiht), and #1 Soul Brother. This is definately not for those who only let themselves be brainwashed by material mediocracy and commercialism. This is for those who finally wanted a decent album to listen to in this adequate hip-hop industry. Pete Rock has answered my prayers.

Pete Rock - Soul Survivor (Loud, 1998)

While we're STILL waiting on the on-again, off-again reunion of Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, let's talk about Pete's solo album. Soul Survivor is a well-produced album featuring the hottest beats of 1998 East Coast hip-hop (next to Gang Starr's Moment of Truth). You'll nod your head to "Strange Fruit" (f/ Cappadonna, Sticky Fingaz and Tragedy Khadefi) where Pete, who produces the whole album, brilliantly slices and dices the classic Billie Holiday tune of the same name while adding an ill backdrop. Also notable is the "Respect Mine" (f/ O.C.) where the chorus is based off a scratch from Wu-Tang's "C.R.E.A.M.". Just like any modern-day Gang Starr album, it's great to listen to this album and try to guess which song Pete sampled or what rap song a certain scratch came from. And speaking of samples, did anyone notice that in "Verbal Murder 2", Pete lifts background music from the "Brown Hornet" (Fat Albert) cartoon?

As far as Pete Rock rapping, well, he CAN'T rap, so that's why I had to take off a star from my rating. His weak rhymes slow things down often and his solo tracks (i.e., "#1 Soul Brother") are only worth checking for because of the beats. But he is funny in one particular track, "Truly Yours '98" (f/ Large Professor and Kool G Rap), where he disses a certain DJ from Roc-a-Fella Records: "This is dedicated to those mixtapes I hate/Exclusive s**t, it really holds no weight/Put your skills on the plate."

Fortunately, the guest stars, a Who's Who of East Coast hip-hop, make up for that, such as Method Man ("Half Man, Half Amazin'") and even C.L. Smooth ("Da Two", whose chorus is lifted from Run DMC's "Sucker MC's"). What's also great is how the album is organized: it starts off with hard-hitting tracks, then smoothes out from "One Life to Live" to "Soul Survivin'", and finally goes back to hard tracks after that. (By the way, does anyone know where Pete got the sample from at the very end of the album? Two guys are talking, one guy singing, "Ding-Dong the Red-Nose Reindeer..."?)

So while no one will be checking for Pete Rock to drop a hot verse anytime soon, they will check for him to drop another hot song, thanks to this album. -EJR

I have been a PR and CL fan for ever.From the masterpieces Mecca and the Soul Brother to The Main Ingredient.Both albums will take you to a place you will not want to return from.Depressing is their break up,but alas,PR drops this classic,Soul Suvivor and suddenly,you are whisked away to the land of incomparable beats,and chilling lyrics from some of the best rhyme spitters that ever graced this planet.Jazz,R&B and Hip Hop.This album has it all!Every track is a priceless gem.All of them stand out but none more so than Tru Master,the wickedly outstanding second track on the album. It seems to scream out to you that this adventure has just begun.From the amazing sample cuts during the hook to the refreshingly on point horn loop through out,Tru Master has it all.Haunting and chilling are just a few words I can find to describe the track "Strange Fruit".I got chills upon hearing the first 10 or so seconds as you can hear the distorted voice of Billie Holiday sampled from her original of the same name.As PR seems to smear her record backward behind Tragedy Khadafi`s opening "props",PR drops a commanding drum tap,the piano plays it`s macabre two note tune,and the Holiday vocal is played forward as she says "black bodies swingin'" referencing the lynching of blacks her song depicted.As the track progresses,you are drawn in and hypnotized by the instrumental and the lyrical delivery of PR,Cappadonna,Sticky Fingaz,and Tragedy.These are just two examples of what this musical wizard can create.Only a genius can do what PR does!#1 Soul Brother is a smooth showcase of PR`s lyrical and instrumental talents.This track is like a great movie that you watch over and over.Discovering something new each time.Have fun identifying the many perfectly timed and blended sample cuts used during the hook!"Da Two" w/ CL Smooth?All I can say is just like old times making you yurn for a reunion. Pete Rock and his creations are your cold glass of water in this desert of manufactured rap beats and rhymes.Underrated,and underappreciated,Pete Rock and CL Smooth are head and shoulders above the rest.In the hearts of true rap and Hip Hop connoisseurs,Pete Rock will remain the undisputed champion producer and DJ that has ever blessed the 1`s and 2`s.GET THIS ALBUM!GET MECCA AND THE SOUL BROTHER and THE MAIN INGREDIENT and see what REAL Rap is all about.I love DJ Primo but PR has the medal of honor hangin'from his neck,swingin`.He will remain #1!

IN AN AREA WHERE HIP-HOP HAS SUFFERED A SERIOUS LAPSE OF TALENT, PETE ROCK IS LIKE RIDING IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA IN THE FALL WITH THE SUN SETTING OVER THE HIGH RISES...STOP HATING B/C PETE ROCK AND CL SMOOTH ARE TWO INNOVATORS IN HIP HOP. HAVE BEEN SINCE "T.R.O.Y"...PETE HAS TAKEN IT TO ANOTHER DIMENSION WITH THIS CD...I LIKE IT AND ALL OF YOU SO-CALLED "HEADS" NEED TO REALIZE THAT BLINGING AND 20 INCH RIMMIN IS NOT TRUE HIP HOP.....