Pete Rock

Pete Rock (b. Peter Phillips) is an American rapper, DJ, and producer. His first major exposure to the hip-hop audience was in the late 1980s with Marley Marl as a DJ on New York's WBLS radio show &qu

Pete Rock (b. Peter Phillips) is an American rapper, DJ, and producer. His first major exposure to the hip-hop audience was in the late 1980s with Marley Marl as a DJ on New York's WBLS radio show "In Control With Marley Marl". Propelled by the growth of his popularity, he began producing in the early 1990s. In 1991 he joined with his friend and partner CL Smooth to form the aptly named group Pete Rock and CL Smooth. That same year they released the EP All Souled Out. Two full length albums followed, 1992's Mecca & The Soul Brother, and 1994's The Main Ingredient. Both albums were released to wide critical acclaim, cementing their positions as classics in hip hop history.

To the dismay of many a fan, the duo split and went their separate ways in 1994, following the release of The Main Ingredient. In 1995, Pete Rock went back to work as a DJ working with Marley Marl on Hot 97's Future Flavas show. From there he was able to forge a relationship with Loud Records, allowing him to release his solo album Soul Survivor in the summer of 1998. After being dropped from the Loud imprint, Pete Rock signed with Rapster/BBE under his own label Soul Brother Recordings. He has since continued to release solo albums, including PeteStrumentals in 2001 and 2004's Soul Survivor II. The single It's A Love Thing served as a refreshing rejoining of Pete Rock and CL Smooth; it is an upbeat, soulful track reminiscent of their 1994 flavor.