HHW talks with the Hip-Hop vets Pete Rock and Camp Lo as they come together to take you 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s.

HHW: How did y’all come together?
Suede: We were working on this mixtape and we was working on this song with Styles P and Pete Rock just so happened to be in the area. He came upstairs to give us a shout and he heard the joint and we asked him could he jump on it and he did just that. He put a mercury space hole in it. The joint is called “On Smash.” It’s featured on the mixtape the part one, 80 Blocks… joint that we just dropped. Then after that we knew from that moment it was time to come together and put something down… [Pete Rock] is from the Bronx so it’s all the way Uptown and I think the title, “Hip Hop Musician” that he’s given himself fits him so perfect because that’s what he is. But this 80 Blocks… thing is new for both of us and that’s what’s really happening.

How does the new project sound?
Pete Rock: The album sounds great. The beats are dope. The subject matter is basically fun, bringing the rap and the hip hop back to having fun. When I started out doing it, a hobby turned into an actual career. We just keep that in mind on what it was before we became who we were and that’s the way it came out to be the way it is. Everything sounds beautiful from the subject matter on down to the music. It’s definitely cinematic. It’s gonna be something that’s, you know, the style of Camp Lo and Pete Rock mixed up. But it kinda goes together when you mix it up if that makes sense?

What are the recording sessions like?
Pete Rock: The sessions are great, we having fun. We at my house, they been here since last night. We been knockin’ down joints ever since and we here now still here in the house. We been working really hard and hopefully it pays off.

Suede: The way we in there gunnin’ right now…we got in there yesterday around the twilight hours or is that dusk? I’m not sure but we got in there and you know the Merlot, the fanta leaf…

Pete Rock: Exactly!

Suede: It’s just been erupting for like the last 15 hours straight. It’s incredible to work with people that you admire, you look up to and it’s an awesome feeling. I can’t wait for the people to really get a gander at what’s going on…yo this 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s this is a new movement right here as inspired by a documentary made in the Bronx around the time that hip-hop was basically just starting to emerge. So our whole concept behind it is to bring back that raw energy right there in the most Uptown, Bx’d way we could possibly do that.

Pete Rock: New York Baby!

Suede: To keep it all the way creative all the way original. The first mixtape, “Part 1” it was some blends, some classic P-R instrumentals with some classic Camp Lo acapellas meshed together along with some original freestyles on there too. But it was really just to crack the seal on it. Whereas this “Part 2” we giving you straight original music on it. This man [Pete Rock] is in here conducting a symphony and we’re the instruments providing the direction for it and it’s incredible.

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