Ask any artist and they’ll say simply being nominated for a Grammy Award is a prestigious honor not to be taken for granted. Pete Rock, who was up for a Best Rap Album trophy for his collaboration with Common The Auditorium Vol. 1 and Best Rap Performance for “When the Sun Shines Again” featuring Posdnuos, knows this all too well.
On Sunday (February 2), the award was handed out to Doechii for her work on Alligator Bites Never Heal, her major label mixtape debut (Capitol Records), at the 67th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Rock handled the loss well and took to Instagram to express his gratitude for being nominated in the same category as Eminem, Future x Metro Boomin, J Cole and, of course, Doechii.
“WE LOVE THE CULTURE!” he wrote. “WE GON KEEP IT PUSHIN S/O TO THE WINNERS TONIGHT @doechii & @kendricklamar on doing such a great job. Auditorium Vol.2 will be a fun challenge for me cuz its all about being better than you were yesterday! We got this king @common Dont even worry bout it. Salute to the @recordingacademy for the recognition.”
The accompanying graphic read: “Listen, 2 grammy noms is better than none. We represented the culture the proper way and got nominated twice. Only tells us the world is feeling Auditorium Vol. 1. Thank you to all who voted for us.”
Pete Rock, one of the most celebrated Hip-Hop producers in the genre’s history, isn’t letting his foot off the gas. As the title of The Auditorium implies, there’s another installment on the way. On Monday (February 3), Rock shared the cover art for and wrote, “Vol 2 will be interesting,” although he didn’t provide any further details.
Pete Rock first rose to prominence in the early 1990s as part of the duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Known for their classic album Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992), the duo is responsible for the single “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.),” which is widely regarded as one of the greatest Hip-Hop songs of all time.
Rock had a hand in pioneering jazz-infused Hip-Hop production, using soulful samples and smooth beats, and collaborated with legendary artists like Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy and JAY-Z. Solo projects include Soul Survivor (1998) and Petestrumentals (2001). His production style heavily influenced the sound of ’90s Hip-Hop and continues to shape modern beats. His signature technique of chopping and layering samples helped define the golden era of boom-bap Hip-Hop.