Whither the hip-hop duo? At one point in the late '80s, acts as stylistically divergent as Eric B. & Rakim and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were common. They clearly demarcated hip-hop's beats and rhymes division of labour, acknowledging the name of the DJ first to acknowledge hip-hop's turntable roots.
But by the early '90s, this was an increasingly novel and passé concept. While established groups like Gang Starr (DJ Premier and Guru) would still experience success, not many duos comprised solely of an MC and producer/DJ emerged to widespread recognition after 1992, making Pete Rock & CL Smooth's debut album, Mecca and the Soul Brother, even more significant. As a testament to its longevity and influence, Pete Rock & CL Smooth will perform their classic debut album in its entirety at Sound Academy in Toronto on Aug. 16.
While Pete Rock & CL Smooth are the cousins of hip-hop artists Heavy D. (RIP) and Grand Puba respectively (both appear on Mecca and the Soul Brother), the Mount Vernon, N.Y., duo established their own sound so quickly, no one ever thought they were the benefactors of nepotism. Their debut EP release, All Souled Out, set the table for what was to follow, with Pete Rock sketching out the parameters of his prodigious production and arranging smarts, and CL Smooth oozing sagely conceived rhymes. Ironically, the track featuring Pete Rock rhyming solo garnered the most attention.
“They were inspired by the success of 'The Creator' immensely,” says Mecca and the Soul Brother executive producer Dante Ross via email, talking about the "sleeper hit," a B-side championed by DJ Funkmaster Flex. “This validated a few things for the band,” says Ross. “That people liked hearing Pete Rock rap. That they had a verified fan base.”
Notably, “The Creator” was laden with upfront horns and Pete Rock soon made the brassy sonic ingredient the focal point of his production, manifested on tracks like his mercurial remix of Public Enemy's “Shut Em Down." Along with being filled to the brim with succulent, obscure soul and jazz samples culled from a voluminous vinyl collection and airtight beats, Mecca and the Soul Brother's echoing horns were often trance-inducing, and set the emotional mood.
The album's most recognized song, “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.),” is no exception to this rule, copping a sinewy solo from saxophonist Tom Scott's “Today.” It's a prime example of why Pete Rock is considered one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time.
“I thought it was brilliant,” says Ross, himself one half of the Stimulated Dummies production team in the '90s. “Nobody had ever done the live off time snare down [on] a whole track before. The way Pete flipped the record and the drums was revolutionary to me. It was also a very emotive record. I can't say I knew it would be a hit – it lacks a traditional chorus – but I did know it was a great song.”
The contribution of CL Smooth to the emotionally resonant song can't be overlooked. While he was an arguably underrated MC and is rarely put forward as an upper echelon mic-wielder, CL Smooth can rest assured that, with “T.R.O.Y.,” he penned one of the best hip-hop songs of all time. It's a poignant look back at the influences of friends and family in his life and is dedicated to Troy “Trouble T Roy” Dixon, one of Heavy D's dancers, who died in a freak accident. (It's also why Lupe Fiasco's recent recreation of the song has raised Pete Rock's ire.)
On the rest of Mecca and the Soul Brother, CL Smooth's lyrical flow often veers away from the narrative clarity of “T.R.O.Y.,” marrying verbose and abstract couplets with a fiercely spiritual undercurrent. CL Smooth's communal desires matched the urgency of Pete Rock's horns, and were highly evident on tracks like the aspirational “Straighten It Out,” while Pete Rock often egged him on in the background.
Sadly, the group broke up shortly after the release of their excellent sophomore effort, The Main Ingredient, but Mecca and the Soul Brother's sonic and thematic influence would impact East Coast hip-hop throughout the early '90s before the outsourcing of sonic contributions became de rigeur. While CL Smooth kept a relatively low profile, Pete Rock continued to solidify his reputation as a producer and remixer for hip-hop's top artists.
Despite occasional reunions, rumours of new material and a sometimes acrimonious relationship, Pete Rock & CL Smooth are inextricably linked by Mecca and the Soul Brother. The 20th anniversary of the highly influential record may have brought them back together briefly, but the music ensures this hip-hop duo will never truly go away.
Pete Rock & CL Smooth play the Sound Academy in Toronto on Thursday, Aug. 16.
Related:
The Slakadeliqs (a.k.a. Slakah the Beatchild) shares his shuffle playlist