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Common and Pete Rock are keeping Hip-Hop's OG sound alive on the first single from their upcoming joint album.
The seasoned MC and producer delivered their new song "Wise Up" via Concord Music Group on Wednesday, May 22. Common uses his verses to remind fans old and new about his deep roots in Hip-Hop while referencing other legends in the game like Scarface and J Dilla. Pete Rock's boom-bap style instrumental also features a loop of a dope bar from MC Shan's 1986 classic "The Bridge." The duo also dropped the official music video, in which they bring the record to life in the birthplace of Hip-Hop, New York City.
The song is the first offering from Common and Pete Rock's upcoming joint album The Auditorium Vol. 1. Both iconic artists have worked together plenty of times over the years, but this will be their first official joint project together. Common and Pete announced the project back in November and they've been teasing it ever since.
“'Wise Up' represents the coming together of a New York Producer and a Chicago MC doing the hip hop we love," Common said in a statement. "It feels like the spirit of where we come from , the boom bap , the basement , but it also feels forward and new. We wanted this to be the first joint because this record captures a new sound and is a new light but speaks directly to our hip hop family."
“Working with Common was a breath of fresh air," Pete Rock said. "We both connected to a higher power, which helped us tap into our greatest level of creativity. We constructed an amazing project! Common has an incredible soul, so it was easy to connect with someone who is on the same page as me.”
Common and Pete Rock's joint album is expected to drop sometime this year, but an exact release date has not been confirmed. In the meantime, watch the video for "Wise Up" below.