When I get tired of constantly listening to Kid Cudi’s new track or watching Wale’s new music video, I turn to my old school collection. In this collection I can dive into an oasis of sound that had the passionate voice of the 90’s wrapped inside innovative beats that were the first of their kind. It still amazes me at how innovate Hip Hop was back in the days before all the technology we have today had been incorporated into beat producing.

Music: Afu-Ra – Voodoo Child (DJ Premier Remix)
Music: Muneshine – Imagine That (prod. Pete Rock)

Two of the biggest names producing Hip Hop’s golden age were DJ Premier and Pete Rock. We all remember DJ Premier for his classic duo with Guru in the group called Gangstarr and his wide array of productions on many artists’ records. And we all remember Pete Rock from his timeless collaboration with C.L. Smooth, his solo albums, and his various productions for the likes of Talib Kweli and Raekwon. Which producer is regarded as the better of the two? I am going to try to find that answer today by comparing the creativity of both these legends on their best albums.

T.R.O.Y
Let’s start with Pete Rock. Considered one of the founders of jazz rap, Pete Rock came out in the 1990’s as one of the heavy hitters in the game with his unique collaboration with C.L. Smooth. Their best record was arguably Mecca and The Soul Brother. C.L. Smooth’s flow is definitely an earmark on this album, but what brings out his natural flow is Pete Rock’s perfect beat combination. If you listen closely, you’ll notice that Smooth’s voice never really changes as he raps, but his flow seems to fit every song. The answer to this question is the perfect beat. Pete rock is both able to construct a beat to set the mood of the song while setting up a steady support for Smooth’s flow. A perfect example of this is the unforgettable track, “T.R.O.Y. ( They Reminisce Over You). Pete Rock changes the tempo and variation of the beat while incorporating jazz influenced instruments such as the saxophone. This song clearly exemplifies Pete Rock’s mastery of the instrumental.  If you closely listen to the album, you will notice that Pete Rock’s beats are much more drum- based to set the rhythm for C.L. Smooth’s flow. Pete rock’s beats are ornamented with instruments from time to time throughout the song and the hook usually consists of an instrument based melody. I do not deny that Pete Rock’s beats are locked into this drum based style. A perfect example of this is the song “The PJ’s” where he created an almost completely instrument based track with a bass accompanying a light snare tune. The majority of his beats though, are predominately drum based.

Moment of Truth
Next let’s look at DJ Premier’s work when he produced Gang Starr’s album Moment of Truth. Guru, the other half of Gang Starr, has more rhythm in his flow making it compliment a beat. The songs on the album are therefore very instrument based and carry much more melody. The title song, “Moment of Truth”, is entirely directed by melody in the background. This differing style of beats leaves DJ Premier with many more options in terms of beats than Pete Rock. “Above the Clouds” featuring Inspectah Deck is another prime example of this. The instrumental is dominated by the strings instead of the drums which serve as sprinkles on the song. These options also allow DJ Premier to experiment with many styles of beats throughout the album. No beat sounds remotely similar to another. On Mecca and the Soul Brother, every beat sounds related through the heavy drums that dominate the beat. DJ Premier flexes his freedom and beautifully decorates the album with various beats that are better at fitting the mood of a given song. For example, the song “Royalty” utilizes a blend of strings to capture an older sounding beat that is brought to life by the single notes of a piano. The beat doesn’t conform to expectations and sound flamboyant. Instead it is very relaxing and subtle and lets Guru do the explaining which in itself is a feat since it is so easy for a beat to define a song instead of the lyricist. DJ Premier truly makes humble beats because while it sets the mood it also provides Guru the perfect stage to spit at the same time. Many songs nowadays are defined by their beats instead of their flow and the importance of lyrics is deteriorating in modern Hip Hop. Premier hasn’t forgotten the importance of the story and creates the most conducive environment for Guru to do so.

Verdict 
I wish I was older when Hip Hop was in its prime in the 1990’s because then I could witness the growth and development of these amazing producers. Pete Rock and DJ Premier definitely set a precedent that is very hard to achieve in the realm of producing. And although both are extremely talented, I would have to say DJ Premier has the edge over Pete Rock. He gains this edge with the utilization of more melody based beats which allow him to experiment with many different styles. Although drums are a core instrument in any song, it is hard to sound different on every track with a drum based beat. Premier has also perfected the humble beat which allows Guru to amaze us with his lyrics. I am not in any way saying Pete Rock doesn’t do this, I am simply saying Premier does it better for the simple reason that melodies can sound more subtle than drums which are very hard to ignore when they are the focus of the instrumental.

Words by: Shankar Logarajah
More info: DJ Premier // Pete Rock