Pete Rock Soul Survivor CD

Debut solo album, released in 1998. Features collaborations with, Method Man, Raekwon, Kool G. Rap, Black Thought, MC Eiht and Heavy D. Features the original 17 tracks. BMG.

Personnel includes: Pete Rock, Method Man, Noreaga, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna, Lord Tariq, Peter Gunz, Heavy D., Beenie Man, CL Smooth, Big Punisher, Inspectah Deck, Kurupt, Large Professor, Kool G. Rap, Black Thought, Rob O, OC, Prodigy, MC Eiht, Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene, Vinia Mojica, Ms. Jones, Common A.K.A. Willie Stargell, Tragedy Khadafi, Sticky Fingaz (rap vocals).
Engineers include: Jamey Straub, Ken Lewis, Prince Strickland.
With partner C.L. Smooth, Pete Rock made one hip-hop milestone, 1992's "They Reminisce over You (T.R.O.Y.)," before going his own way in the mid-'90s. On his debut solo album, Soul Survivor, Rock enlists pals Method Man, Raekwon, Kool G. Rap, Black Thought, MC Eiht, and Heavy D, among many others, to shape his ideas and ideals into a solid sound structure that's part post-Wu-Tang bombast, part old-skool classicism. And like its title implies, Soul Survivor is a funky fresh affair, one that ties '70s soul with slick '90s hip-hop. Rock tosses in R&B elements more readily than most of his contemporaries, and his smooth flow (as well as those of his guest rappers) slip around the grooves with a mellow grace. Biggest problem is its length: 74 minutes is too much time for Rock's otherwise slim approach, allowing some filler to creep into the project. ~ Michael Gallucci
After much anticipation, famed producer Pete Rock finally released his solo debut SOUL SURVIVOR. The man behind some of the '90s hottest samples Pete assembles a crew of MC's that reads like a who's who in hip-hop. "Tru Master," featuring Inspectah Deck and Kurupt, "Half Man Half Amazin'," where Method Man kicks a mad flow and "Respect Mine," where OC drops science, all pump with a ferocious energy.
Other notable guest spots come from Raekwon, Prodigy & Ghostface Killah ("The Game"), Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz ("Rock Steady") and Big Punisher, Noreaga and Common ("Verbal Murder 2"). Pete himself rips vocals on tracks here and there, especially in the choruses, but check for his laid back flow on "Soul Brother #1." Packed with non-stop flavor from track one, SOUL SURVIVOR shows that Rock can not only lace the beats, but put the finishing touches of brilliance on a solo project. Sure to get plenty of play in the jeeps, SOUL SURVIVOR will have a long life.

Muzik (12/98, p.69) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...there are so many guest stars on this album...that you almost forget whose project this blimmin' well is....the warm, almost archaic jazzy funk undertow that bears the indelible Pete Rock stamp is always there..."
Vibe (12/98, 1/99, p.197) - "...Pete has reassumed his position as track master by employing a more versatile approach to his production and some of the freshest MCs around..."
The Source (12/98, p.208) - 3.5 Mics (out of 5) - "...his production on SOUL SURVIVOR outpaces his MCin' by kilometers....Pete relies on his own mic-dabbling a lot less than he does on his true craft..."