PETE ROCK, TEK & STEELE TALK "MONUMENTAL" COLLABORATIONS

After a rollicking 2010 in which iconic label not only celebrated it’s 15th anniversary, but continued critical success with releases by Skyzoo & Illmind, Kidz In The Hall, General Steele and others, the company that DruHa built maintains it’s focus on pushing quality projects independently. Phoaroahe Monch’s highly anticipated, W.A.R. debuted at #54 on the Billboard charts and it’s upcoming Random Axe (featuring Sean Price, Guilty Simpson and Black Milk) is set for it’s mid-June release. Last week in Manhattan’s Ace Hotel, Duck Down hosted a listening party for it’s latest anticipated release: Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun’s, Monumental.

Monumental is fourteen tracks in length and entirely produced by Pete Rock. “This has been a dream for me for a long time,” Rock said describing how he teamed with Tek & Steele. “Me and Druha, we always had a relationship with each other and one day I spit at him and told him I wanted to get Tek & Steele and do an album. When push came to shove, we made it happen.”

In a sense, Monumental is a collaboration within a collaboration. Pete Rock and Smif-N-Wessun united to present the album, but also enlisted the talents of Styles P, Sean Price, Raekwon, Memphis Bleek, Bun B, Freeway, Buckshot, Black Rob and a host of others to round out it’s sound. “Everything that was created on this Monumental album was created with Tek, Steele and Pete Rock,” Steele told The Well Versed.

“After we designed the blueprint so to speak, we sat back and thought, ‘Who would be dope on this track right here?‘ Not to reach out for who was poppin’, who would sell our album. We didn’t say that. We said, ‘Who can we get on this track that would make sense that when we play it for the people who we know already fuck with us, [they] will be like, ‘OK. I’m with that.’”

Monumental is Smif-N-Wessun’s fifth album and the first since 2007’s Smif-N-Wessun: The Album. Along with this Duck Down Music collaboration, Pete Rock also released 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s with Golden Era duo, Camp Lo this year and is rumored to be working with DJ Premier on Pete Rock Vs. DJ Premier (release date TBD).

Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun’s, Monumental will be available in stores and online on June 28.

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Duck Down Records to Celebrate 15th Anniversary At BHF10

Brooklyn Bodega, producers of the 6th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival (BHF), announced that this year’s main day will feature Duck Down Records’ fifteenth anniversary celebration with special performances by Buckshot, Evil D and Smif-N-Wessun.

Founded in 1995, Duck Down Records — home to Hip Hop collective Boot Camp Clik — has become a true Brooklyn institution. Brooklyn Bodega is proud to celebrate this milestone by a locally owned independent record label that has sold over 3,000,000 albums to date in an era where most labels struggle to break even. From Black Moon’s (Evil D and Buckshot ) “Enta Da Stage” to Smif-N-Wessun’s classic “Dah Shinin” to Sean Price’s “Monkey Barz” — Duck Down has been the definition of consistency in an industry rife with exhilarating highs and devastating lows.

“I am proud to say Duck Down has been involved with us since the Festival’s beginning at the Brooklyn Brewery Yard in Williamsburg. This label has supported our mission of delivering positive Hip-Hop music to the masses since Buckshot rocked with Little Brother in 2005, Sean Price took the stage in 2007 and Smif-N-Wessun rocked the Festival last year. Congratulations to Dru, Noah, Buck and the whole Duck Down Family on 15 years. I look forward to seeing the whole team tear it down this year as they always do.” — Wes Jackson, Executive Director, The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival

“Each Summer we look forward to the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. It is a perfect event for families of all ages, where the Brooklyn community comes together on the DUMBO waterfront to enjoy live music, good food and cold drinks. For Duck Down, we’ve always felt like family to the Brooklyn Bodega team and are excited to once again have some of our most notorious groups from our roster perform on the main stage. It’s especially fitting this year, as we celebrate our fifteen year anniversary, that the groups who launched Duck Down are representing the label at this event.” – Noah Friedman, Marketing Director, Duck Down Records

On Saturday, Black Moon & Smif-N-Wessun — with DJ Evil Dee of Da Beatminerz controlling the set — will perform a combination of their classic material and newer releases, including Buckshot’s work with 9th Wonder, and Smif-N-Wessun’s latest projects. Brooklyn Bodega Family will also get to hear an exclusive track from Smif-N-Wessun’s highly anticipated album with legendary producer, Pete Rock.

As one of the most important independent Hip-Hop labels, the Duck Down family shares Brooklyn Bodega’s mission to support local talent and businesses. Come out and rock with the best!



READ THE-QUOTABLE'S EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2009 BHF HERE.