Description

Cool Calm Pete – LOST (Director’s Cut) (2LP Reissue) [Bubble Wife BWR001]

***PRE-ORDER – Est. 27/9/24***

Sometimes it takes time for something to establish its proper place in culture, and the modern-day discourse never fails to rush to label an album a classic or a flop. Then there are albums like Cool Calm Pete’s “LOST.” Adored by its dedicated fan base upon its original release in 2005 on Embedded Records and Definitive Jux, this record has continued to garner attention over the years from those who are familiar with it. While word-of-mouth alone may not have been sufficient to propel the album to mainstream success, its enduring popularity two decades later is a testament to its well-deserved recognition as an indie rap cult classic.

The Korean-American emcee born Pete Chung, wasn’t asking to be a pioneer but having been raised in Queens NY during the golden era of hip hop and rhyming better than his peers it just naturally became his identity. Throughout his debut album, his slow-paced, conversational flow fit like a glove to the self-produced “working class” beats that colour most of the album. His education in fine arts as a painter and his day-job with a then-burgeoning lifestyle brand called Supreme sometimes took precedence in his professional life, but his dedication to the craft as a Hip-Hop artist was evident, and fans took notice.

The album hasn’t been re-released since its initial 2005 drop and vinyl copies haven’t sold on the collectors’ market for less than $100 in recent years. With its first official re-release, the laws of supply and demand will surely alter that market, and chances are that with more ears to hear the album, those original pressings will only become hotter. In the meantime, the new “LOST (Director’s Cut)” has been re-mastered and extended for release on Cool Calm Pete’s own label, Bubble Wife Records, with never-before-heard cuts led by a remix of the title track by Blockhead.