''Mecca and the Soul Brother'' is the 1992 debut album from hip-hop duo
Pete Rock & CL Smooth
Pete Rock & CL Smooth were a hip hop duo from Mount Vernon, New York. They made their debut with their 1991 EP, ''All Souled Out'' and followed that with their 1992 LP ''Mecca and the Soul Brother''.
Career
1991–1994: The Golden Age
As a prod ...
. The album contains their best known song, "
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
"They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" is a song by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, inspired by the death of their close friend Troy Dixon (better known as "Trouble" T. Roy of Heavy D & the Boyz) in 1990. The song was the lead single off their debut album, ...
". ''Mecca and the Soul Brother'' has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. The album was mostly produced by
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
and executive produced by
DJ Eddie F of
Heavy D & the Boyz
Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. ''Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Heav ...
(co-group member with Trouble T-Roy).
Background
''Mecca and the Soul Brother'' followed on the heels of the duo's EP; ''
All Souled Out
''All Souled Out'' is the debut EP by Pete Rock & CL Smooth. It was released in the summer of 1991 to rave reviews and spawned a modest hit in "The Creator".
After participation in the production and/or remixes of songs by various hip hop and ...
'', released in 1991. Despite being a critical success, it had little commercial success in comparison to other noteworthy releases of 1992, such as
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
's ''
The Chronic''. The first single, "
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
"They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" is a song by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, inspired by the death of their close friend Troy Dixon (better known as "Trouble" T. Roy of Heavy D & the Boyz) in 1990. The song was the lead single off their debut album, ...
", a dedication to their deceased friend;
Trouble T Roy
Troy Dixon (October 19, 1967July 15, 1990), better known as Trouble T Roy, was a hip-hop dancer with the group Heavy D and the Boyz from 1987 until his death in 1990.
Death
On July 14, 1990, while on tour in Indianapolis, Dixon and others were ho ...
(a dance member of
Heavy D. & The Boyz), has gone on to become not only their
signature song
A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...
, but also one of
hip hop's most highly regarded songs.
Other topics on the album range from life in the ghetto ("Ghettos of the Mind"), the teachings of the
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930.
A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...
("Anger in the Nation"), bootlegging ("
Straighten It Out
"Straighten It Out" is the second single by Pete Rock & CL Smooth from their album, ''Mecca and the Soul Brother'', which was released to critical acclaim in 1992. The song deals with bootleggers and sample clearance opportunists. Unlike the prev ...
"), and love ("Lots of Lovin'").
Reception
''Mecca and the Soul Brother'' brought considerable acclaim to the duo. They were often compared to the group
Gang Starr, which also featured one MC, and a producer/DJ.
[{{cite web, last=Paine, first=Jake, url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12696/title.dj-premier-confirms-pete-rock-vs-dj-premier-album-in-the-works, title=DJ Premier Confirms "Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier" Album In The Works, work=]HipHopDX
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group.
...
, date=October 21, 2010, accessdate=March 1, 2012, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430180036/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12696/title.dj-premier-confirms-pete-rock-vs-dj-premier-album-in-the-works, archive-date=April 30, 2015, url-status=dead Although the album garnered a great amount of acclaim, sales were slow. The group only grew more popular, however, and next appeared on the ''
Menace II Society
''Menace II Society'' (pronounced ''Menace to Society'') is a 1993 American teen drama film directed by the Hughes Brothers in their directorial debut. The film is set in Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods of Los Angeles, and follows the life of K ...
'' soundtrack, followed by ''
Who's the Man?
''Who's the Man?'' is a 1993 thriller buddy comedy film directed by Ted Demme in his feature film directing debut. The film stars ''Yo! MTV Raps'' hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover as its two main protagonists and features cameo appearances from s ...
'' and ''
Poetic Justice
Poetic justice, also called poetic irony, is a literary device with which ultimately virtue is rewarded and misdeeds are punished. In modern literature, it is often accompanied by an ironic twist of fate related to the character's own action, henc ...
'' respectively, before returning in 1994 with ''
The Main Ingredient
The Main Ingredient was an American soul and R&B group best known for their 1972 hit song "Everybody Plays the Fool".
Early history
The group was formed in Harlem, New York City in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Dona ...
''.
Accolades
The information is taken from AcclaimedMusic.net.[{{cite web , last = , first = , url = http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/061024/A3421.htm
, title = Mecca and the Soul Brother at AcclaimedMusic.net , publisher = , accessdate = June 22, 2007 ] and other website links below.
{, class="wikitable"
, -
!Publication
!Country
!Accolade
!Year
! style="text-align:center;", Rank
, -
,
About.com
, United States
,
100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums'
, 2008
, style="text-align:center;", #37
, -
,
Ego Trip
, United States
,
Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–98'
, 1999
, style="text-align:center;", #8
, -
,
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
, Canada
,
100 Records that Rocked 100 Issues'
, 2000
, style="text-align:center;", *
, -
,
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
, United States
,
The Essential Recordings of the 90s'
, 1999
, style="text-align:center;", *
, -
,
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
, United States
,
The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time'
, 2022
, style="text-align:center;", #130
, -
,
The Source
, United States
,
The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time'
, 1998
, style="text-align:center;", *
, -
,
Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
*Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* MOJO HD, an American television network
* ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film
* '' ...
, UK
,
Mojo 1000, the Ultimate CD Buyers Guide'
, 2001
, style="text-align:center;", *
, -
, colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:8pt;", (*) designates lists that are unordered.
Track listing
*All tracks produced by
Pete Rock & CL Smooth
Pete Rock & CL Smooth were a hip hop duo from Mount Vernon, New York. They made their debut with their 1991 EP, ''All Souled Out'' and followed that with their 1992 LP ''Mecca and the Soul Brother''.
Career
1991–1994: The Golden Age
As a prod ...
, except #4 co-produced by Nevelle Hodge and #5 co-produced by
Large Professor
William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and record producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...
.
{, class="wikitable"
, -
!#
!Title
!Performer(s)
!Time
, -
, 1
, "Return of the Mecca"
,
*Intro:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
*Verses:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
*Chorus:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
, 5:42
, -
, 2
, "For Pete's Sake"
,
*Intro:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
*First verse:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
*Second verse:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
*Third verse:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
*Outro:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
, 5:48
, -
, 3
, "Ghettos of the Mind"
,
*
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 5:01
, -
, 4
, "Lots of Lovin'"
,
*Verses:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
*Chorus:
Terri Robinson / Tabitha Brace
, 5:07
, -
, 5
, "Act Like You Know"
,
*Verses:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
*Chorus:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
, 4:01
, -
, 6
, "
Straighten It Out
"Straighten It Out" is the second single by Pete Rock & CL Smooth from their album, ''Mecca and the Soul Brother'', which was released to critical acclaim in 1992. The song deals with bootleggers and sample clearance opportunists. Unlike the prev ...
"
,
*
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 4:12
, -
, 7
, "Soul Brother #1"
,
*
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
, 4:30
, -
, 8
, "Wig Out"
,
*Intro:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
*Verses:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 4:10
, -
, 9
, "Anger in the Nation"
,
*Intro: Adofo Abdullah Muhammad
*Verses:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 5:31
, -
, 10
, "
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
"They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" is a song by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, inspired by the death of their close friend Troy Dixon (better known as "Trouble" T. Roy of Heavy D & the Boyz) in 1990. The song was the lead single off their debut album, ...
"
,
*
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 4:44
, -
, 11
, "On and On"
,
*Intro:
Grap Luva
*Verses:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 5:10
, -
, 12
, "It's Like That"
,
*Intro:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
*Verses:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 3:55
, -
, 13
, "Can't Front on Me"
,
*Intro:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
*Verses:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 4:18
, -
, 14
, "The Basement"
,
*First verse:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
*Second verse:
Grap Luva
*Third verse:
Heavy D
*Fourth verse:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
*Fifth verse:
Rob-O
InI was an American hip hop group that formed in 1990 and broke up in 1997. The group was composed of members Rob-O, Grap Luva, Ras G a.k.a. I Love H.I.M., Marco Polo (now known as Jolomite), and DJ Boodakhan.
History
''The Life I Live'' ...
*Sixth verse: Deda
, 5:22
, -
, 15
, "If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right"
,
*
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 5:04
, -
, 16
, "Skinz"
,
*First verse:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
*Second verse:
Grand Puba
*Third verse:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
*Fourth verse:
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongs ...
*Fifth verse:
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smo ...
, 4:14
;Notes
*The cassette and 2xLP versions contain two
bonus tracks: "The Creator (Remix)" and "Mecca and the Soul Brother (Remix)"
*(*) Symbolizes co-producer
Album singles
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Single information
, -
, ''"
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
"They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" is a song by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, inspired by the death of their close friend Troy Dixon (better known as "Trouble" T. Roy of Heavy D & the Boyz) in 1990. The song was the lead single off their debut album, ...
"''
*Released: 1992
*B-side: "The Creator"
, -
, ''"
Straighten It Out
"Straighten It Out" is the second single by Pete Rock & CL Smooth from their album, ''Mecca and the Soul Brother'', which was released to critical acclaim in 1992. The song deals with bootleggers and sample clearance opportunists. Unlike the prev ...
"''
*Released: 1992
*B-side: "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) (Remix)"
, -
, ''"Lots of Lovin''"''
*Released: February 1993
*B-side: "It's Not A Game"
Chart history
Album
{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
, -
!scope="col", Chart (1992)
!scope="col", Peak
position
, -
!scope="row" {{album chart, Billboard200, 43, artist=Pete Rock
, -
!scope="row" {{album chart, BillboardRandBHipHop, 7, artist=Pete Rock
, -
Singles
{, class="wikitable"
, -
!rowspan="2", Year
!rowspan="2", Song
!colspan="4", Chart positions
, -
!
''Billboard'' Hot 100
!
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
! Hot Rap Singles
!
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
, -
, rowspan="2", 1992
, ''They Reminisce Over You
.R.O.Y.'
, style="text-align:center;", 58
, style="text-align:center;", 10
, style="text-align:center;", 1
, style="text-align:center;", 20
, -
, ''Straighten It Out''
, style="text-align:center;", -
, style="text-align:center;", 65
, style="text-align:center;", 7
, style="text-align:center;", 37
, -
, 1993
, ''Lots of Lovin''
, style="text-align:center;", -
, style="text-align:center;", 66
, style="text-align:center;", 1
, style="text-align:center;", -
In popular culture
The first single "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" appeared in the 2003 video game ''
NBA Street Vol. 2
''NBA Street Vol. 2'' is a basketball video game, published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label and developed by NuFX and EA Canada. It is the sequel to the original ''NBA Street'' and the second game in the ''NBA Street (series), NBA ...
'', the 2011 video game ''
Madden NFL 12
''Madden NFL 12'' is an American football video game based on the National Football League published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It was released on August 30, 2011 in North America and Asia, September 1, 2011 in Australia, and Septemb ...
'' and ''
NBA 2K18
''NBA 2K18'' is a 2017 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is the 19th installment in the ''NBA 2K'' franchise, the successor to ''NBA 2K17'', and the predecessor to ''NBA 2K19''. It was r ...
'', as well as in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
series ''
Master of None''. All of the episode titles of
the season 2 of ''Luke Cage'' are titles of songs from this album. The song "Soul Brother #1" appeared in the video game ''
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
''Tony Hawk's Underground 2'' is a skateboarding video game, the sixth entry in the '' Tony Hawk's'' series after ''Tony Hawk's Underground''. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision on October 4, 2004 in the U.S. for the PlaySta ...
''.
References
{{Reflist
External links
*
Mecca and the Soul Brother' at
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide – ''Mecca and the Soul Brother''— By Oliver Wang
{{Pete Rock & CL Smooth
{{Authority control
1992 albums
Pete Rock & CL Smooth albums
Elektra Records albums
Albums produced by Pete Rock
Albums produced by Large Professor
Albums recorded at Greene St. Recording