For fans who may have been itching for Pete Rock to produce an entire album for one rapper, your wish has been granted. It has finally arrived in the form of Smoke DZA and Pete Rock collaborative album called Don't Smoke Rock.
In an interview on Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club, DZA said that the album is an audio throwback to the way Harlem, New York used to be. He cited artists such as McGruff, Cam'ron (who is featured on the project), Mase, and more as inspirations for the 12-track album. The album also features appearances from new folks and vets like Jadakiss, Styles P, Big K.R.I.T., Mac Miller, BJ The Chicago Kid, Dom Kennedy and more. For the most part, Smoke DZA rose to the occasion of being given the chance to spit over one of the most legendary producer's beats for an entire album, especially on tracks like "Last Name," "I Ain't Scared," and "Dusk 2 Dusk."
On tracks where DZA may be taking it easy with his delivery, Pete Rock picks up the slack with immaculate production, which balances out the duo's chemistry wonderfully. Aside from delivering a solid variety of instrumentals for the self-proclaimed "Kushed Gawd" to rhyme over, Pete Rock even sprinkled some of those classic song-ending instrumentals to serve as a punctuation mark to DZA's quips about the life of a Harlem native. Truth be told, DZA should have turned some of those interlude instrumentals into full songs.
Stream the project below and cop it on iTunes here, and always remember, smoke green not rock.
