Don't Smoke Rock

Last updated
Don't Smoke Rock
Don't Smoke Rock.jpg
Studio album by
Smoke DZA & Pete Rock
ReleasedDecember 2, 2016
Recorded2016
Genre
Length49:33
Label Babygrande
Producer
Pete Rock chronology
PeteStrumentals 2
(2015)		Don't Smoke Rock
(2016)		 Lost Sessions
(2017)
Smoke DZA chronology
He Has Risen
(2016)		Don't Smoke Rock
(2016)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Don't Smoke Rock is the first collaborative studio album by rapper Smoke DZA and producer Pete Rock. It was released on December 2, 2016, by Babygrande Records, Sony Music and The Orchard. The album features guest appearances from Dave East, Rick Ross, Royce da 5'9", Cam'ron, NymLo, BJ the Chicago Kid, Jadakiss, Styles P, Wale, Big K.R.I.T., Dom Kennedy, theMIND and Mac Miller. [2]

Smoke DZA American rapper

Sean Pompey, better known by his stage name Smoke DZA, is an American hip hop recording artist.

Pete Rock American rapper

Peter O. Philips, better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth.

Babygrande Records is an independent record label based in New York City founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by The Orchard and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.

Contents

Critical reception

Bringing a taste of the Golden Age into 2016, Pete Rock and Smoke DZA remind listeners that solid production and thoughtful, socially relevant rhymes are timeless on their collaborative effort, Don't Smoke Rock. Employing his trademark sample style, the legendary Rock weaves jazz and soul snippets throughout each track, as DZA and a stacked roster of guests take turns with bars reminiscent of the '90s, a time when there was more to mainstream hip-hop than mumbling. The results are refreshing, nostalgic, and extremely satisfying for fans of that period. Released in the same year that saw the return of De La Soul, The LOX and A Tribe Called Quest, Don't Smoke Rock serves as another link between eras: paying respects to old-school hip-hop legacy with updated perspectives and production quality. In case their intent was unclear, DZA even introduces the LP reminiscing about a pre-gentrification "old Harlem" on "Intro" and later pining for the good old days on the creeping Cam'Ron & Nymlo track "Moving Weight, Pt. 1." Rock's samples range from dramatic strings ("Wild 100s"), haunting hypnotic loops (the monstrous Wale track "Show Off"), and booming horns (the Dave East joint "Limitless") to inspired comedic bits from Bernie Mac ("I Ain't Scared") and Chris Tucker ("Until Then"). Highlights are numerous. On "Black Superhero Car", DZA and Rick Ross trade verses over a throwback sample that sounds like early-era Pete Rock-disciple Kanye West. Royce Da 5'9" contributes to the plaintive, aptly titled piano-looper "Hold The Drums", and an all-star cast of BJ The Chicago Kid, Jadakiss, and Styles P descend upon "Milestone". The 13-track time machine does not relent or disappoint, making Don't Smoke Rock a standout for hip-hop fans in need of quality nourishment. [3]

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime. Jazz is seen by many as "America's classical music". Since the 1920s Jazz Age, jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression. It then emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African-American and European-American musical parentage with a performance orientation. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation. Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and in African-American music traditions including blues and ragtime, as well as European military band music. Intellectuals around the world have hailed jazz as "one of America's original art forms".

Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community in the United States in the 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues and jazz. Soul music became popular for dancing and listening in the United States, where record labels such as Motown, Atlantic and Stax were influential during the Civil Rights Movement. Soul also became popular around the world, directly influencing rock music and the music of Africa.

De La Soul American hip-hop group

De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres. The members are Posdnuos, Trugoy and Maseo. The three formed the group in high school and caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'". With its playful wordplay, innovative sampling, and witty skits, the band's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, has been called "a hip hop masterpiece."

Track listing

All tracks produced by Pete Rock [4]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro"
1:16
2."Limitless" (featuring Dave East)
4:23
3."Black Superhero Car" (featuring Rick Ross)
3:32
4."Hold the Drums" (featuring Royce da 5'9")
5:16
5."Moving Weight, Pt. 1" (featuring Cam'ron and NymLo)
5:07
6."Wild 100s"
  • Phillips
  • Pompey
3:38
7."Last Name"
  • Phillips
  • Pompey
3:52
8."1 of 1"
  • Phillips
  • Pompey
2:17
9."Milestone" (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid, Jadakiss and Styles P)

Bryan James Sledge, better known by his stage name BJ the Chicago Kid, is an American singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Sledge is best known for frequently collaborating with Top Dawg Entertainment recording artists Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay Rock. He has also worked with several other prominent rappers, such as Freddie Gibbs, Warren G, Big K.R.I.T., GLC and Kanye West among numerous others.

Styles P Hip hop vocalist

David Styles, better known by his stage name, Styles P or simply Styles, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of hip hop group the Lox, alongside his childhood friends Sheek Louch and Jadakiss. Along with the other members of the Lox, he is a founder of D-Block Records and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop collective. In addition to his group work, he has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo MC. In 2002, he released his debut solo album A Gangster and a Gentleman, which contained the hit single “Good Times”. The song peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and received massive nationwide airplay in 2002.

Jadakiss American rapper from New York

Jason Terrance Phillips, is an American rapper better known by his stage name Jadakiss. He is known for being one third of the New York hip hop group The Lox, as well as being a member of the Ruff Ryders collective and for his solo work. He is currently signed to both Def Jam Records and his own label, D-Block Records, which he founded with the other members of The Lox. Jadakiss has released four studio albums, with the most recent being Top 5 Dead or Alive on November 20, 2015.

4:19
10."Show Off" (featuring Wale)
4:05
11."Dusk 2 Dusk" (featuring Big K.R.I.T., Dom Kennedy and theMIND)
Dom Kennedy American rapper

Dominic Ross Hunn, better known by his stage name Dom Kennedy, is an American rapper from Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California. Since 2008, Kennedy has released 5 independent mixtapes, most notably his 2010 "critically acclaimed mixtape" From the Westside with Love. His first commercial studio album From the Westside with Love II was released on iTunes June 28, 2011. Despite it being his iTunes debut, FTWSWL2 received "a top 10 spot on Hip Hop/Rap albums chart during its release week" and was Kennedy's first album associated with The OpM Company, Kennedy's self-established record label. His song "My Type of Party" was ranked by Complex at #43 in the magazine's Best 50 Songs of 2012 list.

Big K.R.I.T. American rapper and record producer

Justin Scott, better known by his stage name Big K.R.I.T., is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he started his musical career in 2005. After signing with Def Jam Recordings, K.R.I.T. gained notable recognition following the release of his single, "Country Shit", which featured Ludacris and Bun B on the remix. In June 2012, he released his debut studio album, Live from the Underground, which debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 chart.

4:15
12."I Ain't Scared"
  • Phillips
  • Pompey
1:57
13."Until Then" (featuring Mac Miller)
5:29
Total length:49:33

Personnel

[5]

Chuck Wilson is a multimedia executive. He is currently the CEO of Triumph Media Holdings, a multimedia company. Wilson is also the founder of Babygrande Records. He has served as the executive producer on over 100 titles. In addition, Wilson was the Director of A&R at Priority Records as well as Director of Business Affairs at Black Entertainment Television (“BET”). He also conceived and co-wrote the 2004 film, Soul Plane.

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References

  1. ↑ "Don't Smoke Rock" AllMusic. Accessed on March 13, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Don't Smoke Rock by Smoke DZA & Pete Rock on Apple Music". Itunes.apple.com. 2016-12-02. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
  3. ↑ "Don't Smoke Rock - Pete Rock,Smoke DZA - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  4. ↑ "Smoke DZA, Pete Rock - Don't Smoke Rock". discogs.com. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "Don't Smoke Rock - Pete Rock,Smoke DZA - Credits - AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
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