Pete Rock

Pete Rock
Rock performing at Rahzel and Friends, Brooklyn Bowl, 2016
Background information
Birth name	Peter O. Phillips[1]
Also known as	Soul Brother #1[2] The Chocolate Boy Wonder[3]
Born	(1970-06-21) June 21, 1970 (age 53) The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Genres	East Coast hip hop alternative hip hop experimental hip hop jazz rap turntablism
Occupation(s)	Music producer DJ rapper
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Babygrande Elektra Loud Rapster/BBE Nature Sounds Mello Tru Soul

Peter O. Phillips^[1] (born June 21, 1970),^[4] better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American music producer, DJ and rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time,^[5] and is often mentioned alongside DJ Premier, RZA, and Q-Tip as one of the mainstays of 1990s East Coast hip hop production. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Early on in his career, he was also famed for his remix work.

After the duo went their separate ways, Rock continued with a solo career that has garnered him worldwide respect, though little in the way of mainstream success.^[6] Along with groups such as Stetsasonic, Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest and The Roots, Rock played a major role in the merging of elements from jazz into hip hop music (also known as jazz rap). Pete Rock is also the older brother and younger cousin, respectively, of rappers Grap Luva and Heavy D.^[7][8]