Pete Rock - Lost and Found

The Ace Producer, DJ and Mixer Presents a Full Program of Classics from the Archives of Rap and Hip Hop. Album Details

Lovin it!

I remember when I purchased the single "Fakin Jax", I couldnt wait till the album came out and to my disbelief they werent releasing it I was crushed! This was in the 90's. When I saw it on Amazon as a release of the whole album, I jumped on it. Classic material, best believe people. Its actually a double CD with InI and Deeda's album. December 14, 2007

What you missed between 1994 and 1998 (and best believe you MISSED it!)

During the early 90s, Pete Rock established himself as, in my opinion, the greatest producer in hip hop during his three-album partnership with fellow Mount Vernon, NY rapper C.L. Smooth. Their three albums, 1991's All Souled Out EP, 1992's seminal Mecca and the Soul Brother, and 1994's classic The Main Ingredient were all marked by truly astounding production. Pete's beats are true works of art, as much as any classical composition or jazz solo. His beats are meticulously produced, deeply layered masterpieces of rich, dense instrumentals and gorgeous elements. His soulful bass and synths, his signature horn loops, and his talented DJ elements have been often imitated, but never duplicated. His music is so incredible, it really has the ability to set a mood or convey emotion. Pete and C.L. were a match made in heaven, as C.L.'s literate, heartfelt verses always provided a perfect complement for the music, be it through love songs, conscious statements, or clever punchlines.

Anyway, after the duo split in early '95, Pete already had a few artists in the stable, and he hoped they could fill C.L.'s huge shoes. "Lost & Found" is a two disc set of Pete Rock productions recorded in 1995. But more specifically, they are actually two shelved albums. Disc 1 is InI's "Center of Attention," and Disc 2 is Deda's "The Original Baby Pa." Due to label disputes, both of these albums remained unreleased until Pete regained the rights to the masters and released them independently in 2003 through the English label Barely Breakin' Even.

InI is a trio consisting of Pete's brother Grap Luva, Rob-O, and Rass. These guys made appearances on the Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth LPs, and they are a pretty unique trio. They are very artistic and experimental in nature. Their raspy, understated voices add to this quality, but they come across as very laidback. They are also known to bring some old-fashioned New York battle raps too, and they are a lot of fun to listen to. On "Center of Attention," Pete's production is different than anything else he ever put together in his career. Overall, I'd say it was a little bit simpler, usually not quite as dense as his thick, rich work with C.L. It takes more from soul than from jazz, and his favorite horn loops are for the most part absent. Instead he employs some funkier synths and electronic elements for a focused sound, it's hard to explain really well. Pete also sings a lot of hooks here. "Center of Attention" is all-around a really great and unique listen.

Amazon's tracklist is wrong and the snippets are incorrectly matched. After a short intro, "Center of Attention" begins with "No More Words," a simple and effective track musically and lyrically. "Step Up" is excellent, musically a little reminiscent of "Straighten It Out" and lyrically entertaining, just some talented MCs callin' others out. Pete drops a verse on "Think Twice," a fairly sparse track that's nice but not a highlight. "Square One" is a great example of this album's focused sound, the cool beat matches the laidback, low deliveries of InI. The happy, nostalgic "The Life I Live" precedes my favorite, "KrossRoads." This song is just cute. The simple, blippy beat provides a backdrop for the conversational raps kicked to a woman, they're quintissentially New York. The fairly forgettable "To Each His Own" comes next, followed by the single "Fakin' Jax." This beat is soulful and Pete's verse and hook combine great with Rob-O and Grap Luva's, this song is well-executed. A winding bassline in "What You Say" recalls a low-key jazz song, and "Props" is some joyful, upbeat jazzy funk. The nice title track and piano-laced "Grown Man Sport" provide good moments, and so does the C.L.-sampling "Mind Over Matter." The very memorable "Don't You Love It," which has Rob-O's best performance, and the absolutely gorgeous "Microphonist Wanderlust" close the disc strongly.

Deda is a very different MC from the others Pete has worked with. He's a gruff, rugged rapper who's definitely raw around the edges. I'm surprised the other reviewers slam him so hard, he's not as bad as they make him sound, and he has some redeeming qualities even if he's not much of a lyricist. Basically, he's a pretty average borough rapper who was lucky enough to befriend the greatest beatcraft in the business. And believe me, Pete more than makes up for any shortcomings on Deda's part. These beats are spectacular, among the best he's made. They are ripe with vocal loops, upbeat, funky basslines, horn samples, and instrumental breaks. The spotlight never comes off the beats, and that's why I find "The Original Baby Pa" enjoyable. This album's all about fun, and it's got Pete's unmistakable sound all over it. Pete's beats are awesomely head-nodding, and when Deda's flow is on they can make some great results.

"Everyman" kicks off the disc, a cut that vibes nicely. "Baby Pa" is funky, but unmistakably East Coast styled. The okay "How I'm Livin'" comes before the horn-laced, rugged yet funky "Blah Uno." "Can't Wait" has some understated keyboards, and "I Originate" is a DJ showcase. The collabo "Markd4Death" sounds more like an InI song, and Nasty Scene is highlighted by a good instrumental hook that also samples an AZ verse. "Nothing More" and "Press Rewind" showcase inventive instrumentals, the latter using sleighbells and sax blasts. "Rhyme Writer" is good fun, and "Too Close" is musically among the best, this sampling PMD for a hook. The last cut is "Understand?," a provocative, nice finish.

InI and Deda are going to get hated on because they're not C.L. Smooth. But basically, not really anybody is. These guys are mid-90s east coast MCs that are blessed with truly incredible production. Pete uses these albums as platforms for some experimental sounds. But the fact remains that Pete Rock does NOT make bad beats. His sound is always meticulously engineered to perfection, and that holds true. His music can make you feel good. I really recommend "Lost & Found," it's not as complete as some of his other projects but musically is equally as fulfilling. Also, at two albums for the price of one, you can't beat it. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth fans will find hours upon hours of enjoyment through these discs, and fans of the east coast sound that Pete helped pioneer will love them. If you like the InI disc, also check out Rob-O's recent solo release Rhyme Pro, and in addition to all of the Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth albums (the best ever!) I recommend Pete's solos like Soul Survivor. June 17, 2007

Pete Rock...He Is Legend

I've been a big fan of underground Producer Pet Rock's work since the early '90's (of Pete Rock and CL Smooth fame).When I heard a hip hop group called INI's "single" "FAKIN' JAX" on a local underground Hip hop radio program recently, I HAD to find out who did this song-INI was a short-lived hop hop group that included PETE ROCK as both a member an producer of the group's music. Well, having loved hearing the song I intensely sought them out over the web. Found out that the group no longer exists and that their original mid-90's set, "Center of Attention", is now very hard to find...a REAL collector's item. Unbeknownst to me until now, Pete Rock decides to re-release this disk, with another disk, Deda's "The Original Baby Pa" as this double CD. This double CD, released in 2003, has appeared with several names-"Center of Attention", "The Original Baby Pa" and "Lost and Found: Underground Hip hop Classics". Whatever the record companies wanna call it, this CD's production work by Pete Rock is simply stunning throughout!!! Some of his best production work is on this CD. INI's entire disk DOES NOT DISSAPPOINT-it is classic '90's hip hop to the highest degree. Deda's "The Original Baby Pa" 's set is almost as equally good (although the raps are not as good). Such a real shame these 2 disks almost never saw the light of day...if Pete Rock himself hadn't rescued them and found a british distibutor (BBE). If you are a TRUE HIP HOP fan,and you are not familiar with Pete Rock's work - this disk is ESSENTIAL for your collection.
March 10, 2007

Tru Hip Hop, and Underground Classee

Well I am a guy just exploring the underground music scene, I know the big guys in the underground, and looking deeper into the underground to find better, I admit I am only 16, but that doesn't make me ignorant about my music. I bought this album, basically because it said Pete Rock, and I love all his stuff. Alot of people really don't give credit to how flawless the beats are with the MCin. If you're like me, a person really into the beats and the flow, the rhythm, I believe you will like this album. It's the old school Hip Hop you love to love, and it's not really like the current state of Underground Hip Hop, which makes it a classic. Not just InI good, but the Deda cd is good also. I mean, I might not be a Hip Hop genious, but I know this is good for your moneys worth, I actually wanted to get an Artifacts album, didn't find it, and just bought this, which I am glad that I did. Pete Rock is the better, and BOTH OF THE CDs ARE GOOD, trust me. I guarentee it like the Mens Warehouse, Peace$ August 7, 2006

THE SOUL BROTHER'S FORGOTTEN MASTERPIECE

Firstly, this is a review for the original INI - Center of Attention (disc 1 on this album), not for "Lost & Found" as a whole.

As you may or may not know, due to label problems, Center of attention has been Pete Rock's most slept-on and "under the radar" MASTERPIECE to this day, as it was pushed back and feared by many that the project would never come together and just slip into the darkness for it to be merely dubbed another "unfortunate loss". Thank God!, 8 years later after it's intended release date (1995/1996), Soul Brother has taken charge and finally been able to bring, arguably, Pete Rock's most impressive work yet, to the unsuspecting Hip Hop fans. Coming equipped with brother Grap Luva, Rob-O & Ras G, Center of attention is seriously a testament to the soul brother's legend status in Hiphop and his clear supremacy over all but few producers. The fact that it was recorded in the mid 90's, explains the, unmistakable, trademarks of the; fantastic jazz breaks & horns that are so-clearly associated with Pete Rock's work, a trademark he would grow out of later in his career. Although despite this, make no mistakes about it, overall center of attention posesses a very different sound to both releases and has much more of a "laid back" vibe.
On COA, we see Pete drop a few more verses than he ever did on "Mecca & the soul brother (1992)" and "The Main Ingedient (1994)", which demonstartes his versatility as an artist and also his desire to show that he is much more than just a producer.

However, luckily pete is not required to do too much as brother Grap Luva, Rob-O & Ras-G are more than suitable to compliment pete rock's layered and jazzy beats. Agreeing with another reviewer, I believe that although these MC's will never reach anybodys list of favourite MC's, they are the PERFECT match flow-wise & sound-wise, plus the lyrics are far from wack. Very, Very smooth & laid back. I would even go as far to say they do a better job of complimenting the beats than CL Smooth, on this occasion.

The obvious well-known highlights of the album being the most recognised "Fakin Jax", which samples prodigy (mobb deep)on the hook & the title-track "Center of attention" with its replenishing(piano) melody with which all MC's drop some knowledge over. However, despite this, what some seem to forget about when recomending/promoting this work of art is that every single track (except for #15 which is a cd bonus)is equally as brilliant as the last, and offers it own individuality to the album. Most notably "Life I Live" which samples Biggie's authoratively delivered statement "Damn Right I like the life I Live!" over one of pete rock's best beats, which for me might be my favourite on the whole album. "Step Up" offers a very relaxing and beautfil sound to the album, of which Grap Luva & Rob-O justify to the fullest, total classic. Similarly "Think Twice" also being one of my favourites, sums up just why Center of attention is a total essential to all those fiends looking for some more real ish. Straight conscious & straight-talking material. "Sucka Mc's please think twice, you don't know what you're doing...think about that". That being only 5 of 15 Classic tracks, I hope you can understand & imagine just how hard-hitting and consistent this album truly is. I cannot even explain just how replenishing it is to hear music of this caliber back in the '03 for our minds to feed off.

One of Hiphop's most forgotten about & slept on classics along with others, InI's "Center Of Attention" is an album truly worth any price tag it comes with. Stop sleepin' and get this, you've been missing out. PEACE

Lyrics - 10/10
Beats - 10/10
Replay Value - 10/10
Originality - 10/10

If you found this helpful, check my other reviews June 23, 2006

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