It’s clear that critical acclaim still hasn’t satisfied a major cult of success. Worthy artists — even those who have influenced the course of mainstream music as it is today — still fly under the radar.

Take Pete Rock, for example. His breakthrough came in the early ‘90s and has spread ever since, but you won’t hear his track on Kube 93’s old school lunch hour, let alone see his music video on MTV. So what if he’s never won a Grammy? Everyone and their cousins’ brother know he is one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time.

Pete Rock carries this claim over to his newest album, NY’s Finest (released Feb. 26). Four years after his last album Soul Survivor II, Rock teamed up with several artists from his home state (with the exception of Little Brother) with the goal to prove that New York is still the place to be. Half anticipation and half reluctant, the journey begins.

“We Roll” bangs through confidently at the start of the album and Jim Jones surprisingly holds his own with Rock’s satisfying production. Dipset affiliate Max B doesn’t fare as well. His half-eyed delivery struggles to spark a connection, and we’re left with Rock to salvage the track.

The jumping off point of the album becomes “914,” a gritty collaboration with two-thirds of The Lox (Sheek Louch and Styles P). They both rip hard, and it’s evident that they’re highly motivated by the seething banger that Rock tactfully creates.

The lowest point of the album is delivered on the only track not produced by Pete Rock. DJ Green Lantern can take credit for this, but Rock contributes as well with a bland decadence through his lyrics that reminds us he spent most of his career behind turntables and a soundboard.

As Rock’s signature horns come in for “Bring Ya’ll Back,” you can’t help but feel a masterpiece slowly unfolding. Each verse goes to a Justus League member, where Joe Scudda kicks one of the nicest 16s on the album. The hook resembles a nostalgic longing for some honest hip-hop when they rap, “If the words didn’t rhyme would it still be rap? / If the needle didn’t grind, could a DJ scratch? / If you didn’t have no verses would you need my tracks? / Pete Rock and Little Brother gonna bring ya’ll back.” Don’t hold back; give this one a 5-star rating on your iPod.

On the Rell-assisted “That’s What I’m Talking About,” Rock pursues illicit women in the heat of the moment. Though the content of the lyrics are somewhat perishable, the soulful chimes in the hook blend perfectly with the command in Rells’ voice. This may be a stretch for some hip-hop listeners, but it definitely is one of the most musically sound records on the album.

Though it’s questionable if any of Pete Rock’s verses are worthy of his beats provided for NY’s Finest, his best lyrical performance comes on the piano-somber “Made Man.” Confronting the piracy of music, Rock compromises with understanding when he rhymes, “You bought a computer and now you connected / You burning CDs but you ain’t buy my records / I respect it but its gotta be respected just the same / Pete Rock the first in the hip-hop hall of fame.”

Wrapping up the album with “Comprehend,” Pete Rock takes a backseat to Papoose’s raw lyricism that has carried his mixtape career to new heights. Their chemistry mixes diabolically, and we’re left wanting a third verse.

Pete Rock may not woo his fans with rhyming skills, but NY’s Finest is a thoroughly solid album that bridges the gap between what is wanted from hip-hop and what we get. Now, all we have to do is convince Rock to hook up with C.L. Smooth again.