On the new album you flipped a few well-known breaks. These days, is it a case of showcasing your chopping skills more than just looking for unknown breaks?
Me? I’m always the person that likes to find breakbeats that no one has, and make beats with ‘em and put ‘em out there. It’s like a high for us—that’s like a big high for me to go and dig for records all day—for hours, getting dirty and dusty and wearing mask and gloves, just to find these gems of music and make them into beats and put them back out. I just made ten beats today that I’m really feeling, like “Oh my god, these are hot!” I don’t know if I should give them away or save ‘em for the next project. When I did Mecca and the Soul Brother back in the days, I was very vibrant—my mind was keen and sharp with the way I wanted to lay it down, in a way where no one had ever done it before.
Do you have any friendly rivalries with other producers?
As far as competing against, in New York, I have to say Premo…and really, that’s it! I don’t really compete like that. I guess if you call making beats and just being consistent is “competeing,” then that’s what I’m doing. I’m competing with the old guys and the new guys, but there’s not many guys from my era producing right now. From the ’90s or whatever. There’s still people that can make beats—it’s just being consistant and puttin’ the music out, you know? Me? I put out an album once every year-and-a-half, two years. I just know when I get a good situation I’ll be able to rock out.
There was an interview that Kanye did in Scratch magazine where he was talking about “I’ll sample drums off a Pete Rock instrumental if they’re open.” That was kinda funny to me.
I believe it! I hear my snares out there, and I’m like “Wow, that’s fuckin’ crazy, man.” I feel like that’s lazy shit. You obviously don’t love it as much as I do, because for you to not go out there and find it on your own…you’ll find so much if you just take the time out to go dig, man. We do all the hard work so y’all can just snatch our records up and listen for open snares and kicks? That’s some wack shit. I respect cats that come with their own sound. Like Dilla was the master at that—having kicks and snares. I just recently learned that he always two-tracks his beats—he never gave-up any separate sounds, which is a great idea I think. He didn’t want to put his kicks and snares out there so people could steal ‘em.
You mentioned Dilla. His passing must have been…
Devastating.
So you knew him personally?
Yeah, man! I knew him for a good three or four years before I knew he was sick! I was blown back by that, man. I never knew he was sick—he always kinda hid it from me. His music will always be alive and well, and I will make sure to that. He was the greatest to ever do it, for the new cats. And for his mother to tell me that I was his favorite producer; I was like “Wow, that’s dope, man.” He really took it there. He kinda broadened me and opened my eyes again, and got me standing up straight on my toes, ‘cos that dude was really serious with it.
I know how influential James Brown is to you as well.
Oh, man! I was standing right next to his casket. I went to his funeral: just standing there, lookin’ at him for a good hour. It was crazy. He’s been an influence to everyone. He’s the reason for hip-hop music…period! That’s it! He was it! He created “Boom! Bap!” He created that! He made that.
You must be one of the most bootlegged guys out. How have you dealt with that?
The bootleg guys don’t have nothing else to do but jerk-off all day. So they jerk-off and try to make money off of people. That’s all they’re about. It’s like a bug that just won’t go away. You wanna kill it, but…
Do they still have record conventions in New York?
You mean at the hotels? Yeah, it was beautiful. I used to go in there and rack up! Big time. I’d see other producers as I’m leaving and they’re like “Damn! I might as well turn back around and go home!” [chuckles] I was walking out with huge amounts of records—huge amounts.
You were using a lot of Fender Rhodes around The Main Ingredient era. Do you still use a lot of live instruments on top of stuff?
I like the bass guitar. I always was fuckin’ around with that when I can. But I make all my basslines up myself. Everything that you ever heard wasn’t a loop—that was me. I’m humming it in my head and then I just play it out.
What would you like to be remembered by in a hundred years from now?
Remember the music that touched your soul, and remember the record “Reminisce,” and how it made you feel when you first heard it. That’s how I want people to remember me.
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