From the album “Main Ingredient” (1994)
Pete Rock & CL Smooth are a hip-hop duo from Mount Vernon, New York. They made their debut with their 1991 EP, All Souled Out and followed with 1992’s Mecca and the Soul Brother LP.
As a producer, DJ Pete Rock (Peter Phillips) gained notoriety for his use of obscure soul and jazz records, frequently making use of horn-driven hooks. Lead vocalist CL Smooth (Corey Penn) delivered more conscious style of rap which contrasted with the popular gangsta rap records of the time, and he mostly avoided profanity, similar in style and delivery to positive East Coast rappers like those associated with the Native Tongues Crew. Their signature hit was “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”, a requiem for fallen friends—namely Troy “Trouble T-Roy” Dixon, a member of Heavy D & The Boyz, who died in 1990. They were first signed to Elektra Records, managed, and Executive Produced by Eddie F of Heavy D and The Boyz and Untouchables Entertainment who also then managed Pete Rock as a producer. Pete Rock was one of the original three “Untouchables” producers along with Eddie F himself and Nevelle Hodge.
In 1994 the duo followed up with The Main Ingredient, and they appeared as frequent guest artists collaborating on remixes, soundtracks, and other works. Public Enemy, EPMD, Heavy D and Johnny Gill were among the artists they collaborated with, and they can also claim credit for producing (and performing on) Run–D.M.C.’s 1993 comeback single ‘Down with the King’.
The group broke up in 1995 (shortly after a Sprite TV commercial), however they have collaborated several times since on a handful of cuts from Pete Rock’s solo recordings: Soul Survivor (1998), PeteStrumentals (2001) and Soul Survivor II (2004). The duo also went on a brief reunion tour as a warm up for their then-anticipated new album, which ended with a show at London’s famous Jazz Cafe. Despite these intermittent collaborations, the pair has exchanged dismissive comments toward each other in separate interviews, disavowing plans for a full-fledged reunion.
Their best-of compilation, Good Life, was released on Elektra/WEA in 2003.
During this period, CL Smooth went on to release two solo albums – American Me in 2006 and The Outsider in 2007. Pete Rock would produce tracks for numerous artists, including CL Smooth’s It’s a Love Thing and Love is a Battlefield from each of his solo albums. Pete Rock had confirmed that among his promised new slew of releases in 2011, that one of the albums would be the third album between himself and CL Smooth, that as of 2012, is still in the works.
A deluxe CD box set of Mecca and the Soul Brother was released on September 14, 2010 by Traffic Entertainment Group. The package includes a remastered CD of the original album, a second disc of remixes, instrumentals and a cappellas, a fold-out poster and a detailed booklet with interviews and insights from Rock and Smooth by Brian Coleman.
In late 2010, the two finally ended their creative differences after 15 years of being at odds with each other. The duo has officially reunited for the sake of hip-hop and are respectfully working with each other again. The death of hip-hop pioneer Guru earlier in the year was a major catalyst which led to inspiring their reunion. They wanted to avoid the fate which befell Gang Starr, in which lead rapper Guru had not been on speaking terms with DJ Premier for roughly seven years and could not resolve their differences before his untimely death from cancer.
While touring in London with CL Smooth in early December 2011, Pete Rock stated that a new album was already in the works and would be released by year’s end, or as soon as it was completed. The album will be the duo’s third album, and the first album since 1994’s The Main Ingredient.
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I am proud of my brothers from the other side if the ocean… You guys created my favourite type of music… Tracks like this here are a perfect example of the 90s… The best years! From Angola…Peace!
I always thought he had a LL flavor on this track
Makes me want to be 15 again…
I just realized this the beat ll cool j and amerie used in paradise
So soulful…
I miss these women no fake shit!
I wish they would reunite on the bet awards in 2022
im 34 but i've enjoyed hiphop/rap since I was around 5 or 6 this is one of the best jams I've heard, bring back the real music!
Ahhhhhhhh yeeeeaaahhhhhh!!!!
All time great rap artist did some sick tracks oc sampled this beat with born to live this beat
Check it out
Ahh yeah
Back again with another hit smash
Pete Rock and CL Smooth
We got the groove for you
So go call your crew
And let em know we in the house
CL hit em off with the verses
Never judge a book by the cover; discover the Soul Brother
With the Mecca Don Workin' brunette to blonde
How many Edison Con when I respond in full black
with us havin' the Vernon Villians back to back
Amazing grace when I face the great paperchase
For real it's long overdue, so I don't want to talk to you
I stroke the hell out of mademoiselle who insisted
every night, she get her back twisted in the unlisted
I'm livin through my son so daddy see it this way
I want him in the NFL, his brother in the NBA
No doubt I with a 'piece, down in Mecca, all crazy
to the lady, none of this is make-believe
I breathe some of the most powerful lyrics of our century
Battle physically, conquer mentally
Essentially, you're dealing with a Mecca affair
So anywhere you want to go, why'know, I'll take you there
C… L… what you gonna do
You… know… you can make me Boo
Over… and over again
Come on, and take me there
Control now so in the future see me callin' the shots
From larger plots to cash to mini-bikes and open mics
I'm blowin' up spots for knots in the millennium years
And now I drop it on my peers, brings Tears and Fears
And now the question manifest in my only
My soldiers wear Versace or the army fatigue
That brings a world of intrigue and glamor to my arsenal
of Gods, pimps to players and layers of Deceptions
My whole mindstate gravitate to weapon
Makin people in the business get a misconception
It ain't hard to the core, it ain't Sex on the Beach
It's just another plateau the brothers have to reach
Emphatic with non-cypher, then we were broke and misguided
Try to gas me like Hitler once we get divided
No question, you're dealing with a Mecca affair
So anywhere you want to go, I'll take you there
C… L… what you gonna do
You… know… you can make me Boo
Over… and over again
Come on, and take me there
Set it so I can make em all respect my fame
When brothers try to count all my chips in the game
Now let me civilize your foolish acts of gunplay
The plan of a stick man, the price in how to get away
Chose for Negroes, the most hypnotical flows
on the planet, another East coast track rose, God dammit
My theme, to mainstream's the knocker
Only time I get right as block is when my lucci's on lock
Pretty much I'm comin through in the clutch see
My thought is a bombshell, built to only propel
Or is it just my style of hustle makin a mark
To rumble the playgrounds with more danger than Jurassic Park
It was dark, when I brought it to the light, despite
my staff's got me takin nothin but champagne baths
Now the aftermath's dealin with a Mecca affair
So anywhere you want to go, I'll take you there
C… L… what you gonna do
You… know… you can make me Boo
Over… and over again
Come on, and take me there
Just come on
Take me right where I want to be
Come on
Come on to you and me
Come on
Ohhh
Keep doin' it baby
Check it out, bust it
C… L… what you gonna do
You… know… you can make me Boo
Over… and over again
Come on, and take me there
C… L… what you gonna do
You… know… you can make me Boo
Over… and over again
Come on, and take me there
HAPPY 53rd BIRTHDAY to CL SMOOTH!
Who is the girl singing
Before you ignore this remember that everyone started from somewhere. I made a track called "Jetpack to heaven" . For years I wanted to be a musician but fear always made me say "My time is too late, I missed my shot" so at 26 I became fed up with the day to day, moved to rural japan and started putting out music. This song is all the sun that comes after the darkest rain. I was inspired to write it as a tribute to Mac Miller.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7_LU9kZfz4
Not to point out the obvious but this was released in 1994; "Paradise" by ll cool j was released in 2002. Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth were wayyy ahead of their time.
Came here for "How I'm livin" feat Baby Pa, now I'm just crusin'.
I stumbled on this joint last night on Facebook. My older brothers were big fans of Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, but I NEVER heard this joint until now. This is straight fire. It's like the further you go back in time, the better the music gets. Shoutout to C.L.!
Still one of the illest flow,the man is liquid
This song,camplo: lucini,nas: it ain't hard to tell,icecube: you know how we do it-today was a good day .are only hip-hop tracks I "really" listen to. Fuck everything else
No disrespect to LL but Pete Rock and CL Smooth made music you don't remake!!!!
34 ✌️✌️✌️✌️
Love how you dance
Put your records on ma
My God thank you
It’s just something about this joint still man! Salute real hip hop!
deceptocons – 146
Had 2 copies of this on vinyl…miss those.days
I'm keeping real hip-hop alive check out big surfgod shout out to everyone watching this
Im 19 turning 20 this year , im fucking glad that im listeling to these type of songs , and not to these new trap shiet
Keni Burke – Risin to the top
I never get of oldskool classics rare music
BIG TUNEEEEEEEEE