Soul Survivor 2
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Album Description
Pete Rock, producer extraordinaire, MC and Hip Hop royalty. At the dawning of the 1990s, Pete Rock manned the boards and his MC counterpart C.L. Smooth handled microphone duties on two of the most influential and timeless contributions to Hip-Hop ever released. 1992’s Mecca & The Soul Brother and 1994’s The Main Ingredient have gone on to shape and influence an entire generation of music listeners as well as producers such as The Neptunes, Kanye West, Just Blaze and 9th Wonder. Constantly producing and remixing music’s brightest stars (Nas, Public Enemy, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, Notorious B.I.G., Run DMC, Q-Tip, Mary J. Blige) and having released a classic solo album Soul Survivor (1998) and Instrumental excursion Petestrumentals (2001) Pete Rock returns With Soul Survivor 2. Acting as MC, and producer Pete Rock has assembled a cast of Hip Hop’s most talented artists to deliver more than just a sequel to Soul Survivor. Pete teamed up with Dead Prez to create "Warzone", a club and street anthem for 2004 reminiscent of the heyday of Public Enemy and NWA when the music had so much soul that you couldn’t help but dance to it, but at the same time it also presented a strong social message. Recently reunited, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth have crafted a summertime anthem titled "Love Thing", which brings to the forefront Justin Timberlake back-up singer Denosh. Other standout collaborations with Pete Rock on the album include the poignant Pharoahe Monch on "Just Do It", the soulful North Carolina group Little Brother on "Give It 2 Ya", and Slum Village’s certified head banger "Da Villa". The album also features collaborations with Talib Kweli, Kardinal Offishall, RZA, GZA, Postaboy, J-Dilla, Black Ice, Leela James, Skillz and Krumbsnatcha.
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Dope.Sunday, April 10, 2005
Great album with jazzy beats. I agree with some people that Postaboy shouldn't have appeared on this album. Dead Prez "Warzone" is sort of a party sound track but just listen to what they're saying and it was weird with "in the club" at the end of every bar. RZA and GZA "Head Rush" is a short but awesome track and nice beat. Pharoahe Monch, Kardinal Offishall and Black Ice did pretty well. Skillz and Talib Kweli both fit so well with Pete Rock, those were the standout tracks. Also Slum Village did great. J-Dilla and Pete Rock rapping okay on a nice beat. "It's A Love Thing" and "Appreciate" were great songs with CL Smooth reunited with Pete Rock. Little Brother and Leela James did well too. All in all, this is a pretty good album and Pete Rock did a good job on the beats fitting in well with the rappers. Really loving the beats, one of the best of 2004. Check out Madlib, another great jazz producer. Also check out 9th Wonder of Little Brother, he's great too.
Hip HopMonday, February 28, 2005
I wouldn't lie,bought this and was disappointed! You now wonder why I gave the album 4 stars! Like most listeners and fans of PR,we all had a closed mind,looking only for that 'signature style' so reminescent of PR.I stacked the Soul Survivor away,but was not convinced,gave it another chance and listened more to the tracks and discovered classic songs! Pete has a slightly different edge on this album so do not expect the usual.If you forget it is Pete who produced these tracks,you'd give the deserved 5 stars! I could not!Go back to the 'old' style though Pete!
3.5 - Six Years In the Making.... But Still Needs WorkThursday, February 17, 2005
Pete Rock returns in 04 with the long awaited sequel to Soul Survivor.... which was released waaay back in 98 on the now defunct Loud Records label. A good compilation, but with mixed results unfortunately. I wish I could chalk it up to the guest roster, but sadly, the reality is that many beats are just not on par overall with the original joint. Soul Survivor I is quite diverse, and Pete manages to meld genres with his choice of beats and artists. By comparison, Soul Survivor II is formulaic, and seems to be lacking Pete's signature on several tracks which are very lazy sounding and generic.
Surprisingly, some of the lesser known emcees like Postaboy and singer Leela James do better than the more mainstream (albeit underrated)performers like Skillz, Dead Prez and J-Dilla. Others represent though, like Kardinal, Gza Rza, Slum Village and Little Brother (the illest track second to "Appreciate").
The interludes are as ill as ever, but like on the original Soul Survivor, way too short.
For the record though, CL sounds like he never left the scene, and "Appreciate" definitely whets the listner's appetite for the promised PR and CL Smooth re-up (a great song to conclude the album with).
3 out of 3 people found the following review helpful:
As Solid As Compilations Get - 3.5 StarsTuesday, December 21, 2004
Compilations usually lack what an album by a solo artist or duo boasts: A cohesive theme. Thus, most compilations fail to achieve rave reviews, and Soul Survivor 2 is no exception. On the positive side, the LP is superior to its predecessor, Soul Survivor, and there are twelve solid tracks out of fifteen. A handful of epic cuts, such as Little Brother's "Give It To Ya," and both of the tracks composed by Pete Rock & CL Smooth ("Appreciate" and "It's A Love Thing") re-capture the classic aura of Pete Rock's early 90s production. However, blatantly mainstream tracks such as Posta Boy's generic "It's The Posta Boy" and Dead Prez's "Warzone," as well as the thuggish rants of Krumbsnatcha on "Beef," prevent Soul Survivor 2 from greatness. Cop this album if you are looking for original production and witty rhymes, not consistency.
COP IT !!!Thursday, October 21, 2004
I have been a fan of Pete Rock for quite a while, and I think this was a great album not at all different from what I'd expect from Pete Rock. As always his beats are on point, and his lyrics are also dope. Some of my fav songs are " Fly til I die ", " Head Rush ", and " Da Villa ". This album is worth the purchase.