NY's Finest

NY's Finest
Studio album by Pete Rock
Released	February 26, 2008
Genre	Hip Hop
Label	Nature Sounds
Producer	Pete Rock, DJ Green Lantern
Pete Rock chronology
Underground Classics (2006) NY's Finest (2008) Monumental (2011)

NY's Finest is a studio album by hip hop producer and emcee Pete Rock. The album was Rock's first studio album since 2004's Soul Survivor II, and was released on February 26, 2008 through the Nature Sounds record label.^[1] The album's cover art was created by Fuse Green and inspired by the cover of James Brown's Hell. The instrumental version of the album was released on May 13, 2008 and includes two additional songs not available on the ordinary release; "It's So G" (which appeared with lyrics by Roc Marciano on the deluxe edition) and "When I Need It" (which later was released with lyrics by Pete Rock on the NBA Live 10 soundtrack).

Collaborations

NY's Finest, as the name suggests, features many of New York City's most respected and successful rap artists. As with previous Pete Rock albums, the album features an array of guest artists, and prior to its completion, Rock expressed interest in collaborating with rappers such as Papoose, Redman, D-Block, Jim Jones, Raekwon & Masta Killa. The album also sees Rock rapping on 7 songs. In December 2007, an EPK was released featuring Rock and other musicians talking about the album and in the studio.^[2] The album was to also feature Detroit hip hop act Slum Village, in a song called "Gangsta Boogie", but was taken off the album, probably to keep with theme of the title (it should be noted, however, that the North Carolina group Little Brother appears on the song "Bring Y'all Back").

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
The A.V. Club	(B+)[4]
Billboard	(favorable)[5]
The Guardian	[6]
Pitchfork Media	(6.8/10)[7]
PopMatters	(6/10)[8]
RapReviews	(8/10)[9]
Spin	[10]
U-WIRE	(favorable)[11]
Village Voice	(favorable)[12]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 193 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 3,900 copies in its first week.^[13]

The first single is "914", featuring LOX members Styles P and Sheek Louch, backed with B-side "The PJs", featuring Wu-Tang Clan members Raekwon and Masta Killa. A third track, "Gangsta Boogie" featuring Slum Village, was also leaked onto the internet but will be a iTunes exclusive only.

Track listing

All tracks produced by Pete Rock unless noted otherwise.^[14]

1. "Pete Intro"
2. "We Roll"
   • Featuring Jim Jones & Max B
   • Samples: "You Don't Have To Change" by Kool & The Gang
3. "Till I Retire"
4. "914"
   • Featuring Sheek Louch & Styles P
5. "Questions"
   • Featuring Royal Flush
   • Samples: "Exercise Run" by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson
6. "Best Believe"
   • Featuring Redman & LD
7. "Ready Fe War"
   • Featuring Chip Fu & Renee Neufville (Formerly of Zhane)
8. "Don't Be Mad"
   • Produced by DJ Green Lantern
9. "Bring Y'all Back"
   • Featuring Little Brother
10. "The Best Secret"
    • Featuring Lords of the Underground
11. "That's What I Am Talking About"
    • Featuring Rell
12. "The PJ's"
    • Featuring Raekwon & Masta Killa
13. "Made Man"
    • Featuring Tarrey Torae
    • Samples: "Take The Time To Tell Her" by Jerry Butler
14. "Let's Go"
    • Featuring Doo Wop
    • Samples: I'm Not In Love by 10cc
15. "Comprehend"
    • Featuring Papoose
16. "Gangsta Boogie"
    • Featuring Slum Village (iTunes Bonus)
    • Samples: "They Long To Be Close To You" by Isaac Hayes
17. "It's So G"
    • Featuring Roc Marciano (Deluxe Edition Bonus)

Album singles

Single information
"We Roll" Released: 2008 B-side:Til' I Retire

Album chart positions

Year	Album	Chart positions
		Billboard 200	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums	Top Independent Albums
2008	NY's Finest	193[15]	42[16]	-

References

1. ^ Nature Sounds :: Releases :: Natural Selection
2. ^ YouTube - Pete Rock - NY's Finest EPK
3. ^ Allmusic review
4. ^ The A.V. Club review
5. ^ Billboard review
6. ^ The Guardian review
7. ^ Pitchfork Media review
8. ^ PopMatters review
9. ^ RapReviews review
10. ^ Spin review
11. ^ U-WIRE review
12. ^ Village Voice review
13. ^ Aliya Ewing (March 5, 2008).hip hop album sales week ending-3-2-08 :: Sales
14. ^ Soul Brothers - Pete Rock / DJ Semtex / Pete Rosenberg « Old To The New - Ryan Proctor’s Beats, Rhymes & Hip-Hop Nostalgia
15. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=167805&model.vnuAlbumId=1058854
16. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=167805&model.vnuAlbumId=1058854

External links

• Interview discussing the album
• “Til I Retire…” - Pete Rock’s NY’s Finest Album Review