“He isn’t trying to save the world/just Hiphop.” Ask any Hiphop fan where they were the first time they heard the celestial horns from “T.R.O.Y.” floating out of their speakers and your sure too get an immediate and very detailed response.  Yet, when it comes to Pete Rock, “that’s just the top layer”as his veritable slew of goose-bump inducing classics (created with and without on-again, off-again, on-again partner CL Smooth) not only helped shape, but defined the golden age of hip-hop.   And though it’s been six-years since Pete Rock released his solo-debut, Soul Survivor, and a full-decade since he parted ways with C.L. Smooth, even in today’s fast food landscape where timeless music has taken a backseat to commerce, a prolonged absence cannot tame anticipation, or expectations for the next entr?on Pete Rock’s menu—Soul Survivor II. 

     Unlike its predecessor, which was littered with high-profile guest appearances, Soul Survivor II is a hodge-podge grouping where both the established and subterranean communities commingle.  And while Pete certainly warrants inclusion on any list that includes this genre’s pantheon of great producers.   Like so many of our favorite true-school beatsmiths, his ability to cohesively bridge the past to the present has been somewhat handicap by more stringent sampling laws (which his recent stellar contributions from the debuts of InI and Deda did not hint at as they were recorded in 1994).  And that disadvantage begins to show itself on Soul Survivor II, as collaborations with Pharaohe Monch (“Just Do It”) and Talib Kweli & CL Smooth (“Fly Til I Die”) fail to generate the expected results due to Pete’s sleepy production.  Yet, Pete alone does not shoulder all of the blame; Jay Dee contributes to the blandness with his rudimentary bust “Niggaz Know” and as Pete’s horns yearn to breathe on “Da Villa”, Dilla’s former group-mates, Slum Village, fails to give them life. 

     Though Pete and Skillz connect for that “VA swing and Mt. Vernon knock” on the braggadocious “One MC One DJ”, Pete’s usual panache for taking the old and transforming it into an entirely new inspiring composition is not evident here; as when Pete is not lifting (“Zonin”) from DJ Premier in the traditional sense on Leela James’ “No Tears”, the piano riffs he supplies Krumb Snatcha with on “Beef” sounds like a typical Gang Starr foundation track minus Primo’s scratched chorus.

     But Pete does deliver his usual assortment of treats, as Little Brother helps bring back Soul Brother #1 on “Give It To Ya”. Recorded before LB became the little underground group that could, you can literally hear the excitement of being in the studio with an idol in their voices and Phonte caps it off by waxing on the “Main Ingredients” any dope emcee needs for success— “pussy and poetry two things that’s good for u.” Likewise, Pete flaunts a more aggressive style of production on “Head Rush” implementing fluctuating tempo variations that RZA & GZA/Genius  use to play duck season on those who think longevity is in Wu-Tang’s rearview mirror and the sinister Dead Prez assisted “Warzone”. While the revolution may not be televised, M-1 and Stic.man promise to make it fun, as they advise us to “dance to the government lies in the club” over Pete’s harsh snare kicks.

    But what Soul Survivor II will be remembered for is being the official “Pete Rock and CL Smooth” reunion jump-off (keep your fingers crossed).  Similar to Stockton and Malone on the pick and roll, the duo rekindles their undeniable chemistry immediately; “Love Thing” harkens back to their Main Ingredient days, as CL spills love raps as only he and LL can and equates their reunion in Phil Mickelson terms “this run is for the Green jacket.” However, “Appreciate” is more crucial, as Pete attaches a celebatory and very addictive vocal hook for CL’s sentimental waxing “Me and Pete in the lab/that’s what they want/pushing that real Hiphop up to the front.” After hearing them back together, it’s hard not to agree that CL is “the best to ever do it over a PR track.”  

     Yet, this reunion is not enough to keep Soul Survivor II from being a disappointment.  As when you think Pete Rock, you envision being taking to a magical place by the layers upon layers of sound that Pete deftly keeps filtering thru your ears; a facet that Pete for the most part is unable to channel here.  But that alone cannot taint Pete’s already solidified legacy.  While most emcees and producers come into the game knowing that their shelf-life is limited, “the chocolate boy wonder” has become the true heads standby and we can take refuge in the fact that there is always one of Pete’s classics resting nearby to ensure we forever “Reminisce”.