Hip Hop Underground Soul Classics (feat. INI and Deda)

iTunes Review

The music industry is fraught with many pitfalls, and hip-hop in particular has a long legacy of great albums that ended up permanently shelved, only coming to light in the form or bootlegs and duped promo copies. That's the case here, with legendary producer Pete Rock having not one but two projects originally recorded in his mid-‘90s heyday, finally seeing an official release via England's BBE label in 2003. Both records, INI's Center of Attention and Deda's The Original Baby Pa are outstanding, perfect examples of why the Soul Brother remains one of rap's most beloved beatsmiths. Dusty drums, filtered jazz loops, and swift cuts abound, paired with smooth wordplay that may be somewhat unspectacular on its own, but sounds fantastic in conjunction with the music. Twenty-nine tracks total, no corny skits or forced R&B concessions, just raw New York raps and some of Pete's nicest production ever. Standouts include the single "Fakin' Jax," plus "Blah Uno," "Square One," and "Can't Wait."