Common, Pete Rock- Wise Up

Disclaimer: I absolutely DO NOT claim to have any knowledge of Hip Hop beyond my days as an early teen, listening to Pop Rap before progressing to Public Enemy.

Back in 1990, during a brief period living in the blazing heat of the KSA, I would visit a shop that sold bootleg tapes of the latest rap tapes and compilations.

I would listen to a mixture of De La Soul, Slick Rick, Silver Bullet and Rebel MC without ever really understanding the lyrics (they sounded cool and I’m more of a music person as opposed to songs).

Nevertheless, I am fond of the aesthetic of 90s Hip Hop and loads of 90s style rap videos have been popping up on my YouTube feed lately. Today I opened the app to see the name ‘Pete Rock’ pop up on my screen. This is a name I had definitely heard before, turns out:

Peter O. Phillips, better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American music producer, DJ and rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongside DJ Premier, RZA, and Q-Tip as one of the mainstays of 1990s East Coast hip hop production. Wikipedia

The thumbnail had a nice Oldskool aesthetic with Pete Rock & Common wearing Bucket hats so I hit play.

It took a matter of seconds and I was hooked. I always loved that production style, even if I didn’t understand it or possess any kind of deep knowledge about it. As a kid, I moved on to Breakbeat Hardcore and Jungle, even back then, I recognised the massive influence Hip Hop played in both of these genres.

In the process of writing this blog, I have listened to ‘Wise Up’ 10 times in a row on repeat. I may not be an aficionado but I know a banger when I hear one!

Buy/Stream ‘Wise Up’ https://found.ee/wiseup