Retropolitan

Few producers have steered hip-hop quite like Pete Rock, whose presence on countless Golden Age classics ensured his canonization. But the New York native hasn’t rested on his laurels in the 2010s, working with Smif-N-Wessun and Smoke DZA on one-off album projects that expand upon his legacy. Teaming with Brooklyn MC Skyzoo, he unveils freshly programmed boom bap and even reaches into his vault of untouched gems to give the lyricist some heat to flow over. “Glorious” lays out the duo’s righteous agenda, with its soul-saturated beat and loquacious bars flecked with social-justice consciousness. Styles P makes an appearance on “Carry the Tradition,” while Rock himself grabs the mic on “Truck Jewels” to remind that he still has plenty of 16s left to spit.

"Heavy is the crown, but love the way fit on," Skyzoo spits on the chorus of "Carry the Tradition," making bearing that weight sound less li...