- Mecca and the Soul Brother
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Mecca and the Soul Brother 
Studio album by Pete Rock & CL Smooth Released June 9, 1992 Recorded 1991-1992 Genre Golden age hip hop, jazz rap, East Coast hip hop Length 77:23 (CD)
85:14 (2xLP/MC)Label Elektra
60948Producer Pete Rock, CL Smooth, Large Professor Pete Rock & CL Smooth chronology All Souled Out
(1991)Mecca and the Soul Brother
(1992)The Main Ingredient
(1994)Mecca And The Soul Brother is the critically acclaimed 1992 debut album from the Mount Vernon duo, Pete Rock & CL Smooth. The album contains their best known song, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)." To date, Mecca and the Soul Brother has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest Hip hop albums of all time.[1][2]
Contents
Background
Mecca And The Soul Brother followed on the heels of the duo's EP; All Souled Out, 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's The Chronic. The first single, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)", a dedication to their deceased friend; Trouble T-Roy (a dance member of Heavy D. & The Boyz), has gone on to become not only their signature hit, but also one of hip hop's most highly regarded songs.[3][4]
Other topics on the album range from life in the ghetto ("Ghettos of the Mind"), the teachings of the Nation of Islam ("Anger in the Nation"), bootlegging ("Straighten It Out"), and the self-explanatory "Lots of Lovin'" (the third single to be released from the album).
Reception
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic 
[5]The Baltimore Sun (favorable)[6] Robert Christgau 
[7]Entertainment Weekly (C+)[8] The New York Times (favorable)[9] RapReviews (9.5/10)[10] Rolling Stone [11]Spin (favorable)[12] Virgin Encyclopedia 
[13]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.[14] 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 soundtrack, followed by Who's the Man?, and Poetic Justice, respectively before returning in 1994, with The Main Ingredient.
Track listing
- The cassette and 2xLP versions contains two bonus tracks: "The Creator (Remix)" and "Mecca and the Soul Brother (Remix)"
- (*) Symbolizes co-producer
# Title Performer(s) Producer(s) Samples Time 1 "Return of the Mecca" - Intro: Pete Rock
- Verses: C.L. Smooth
- Chorus: Pete Rock
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "You're the Fool" by The Three Degrees
- "Country Preacher" by Cannonball Adderley Quintet (intro)
- "Long Red" by Mountain
- "Mecca And The Soul Brother" by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
5:42 2 "For Pete's Sake" - Intro: Pete Rock
- First verse: C.L. Smooth
- Second verse: Pete Rock
- Third verse: C.L. Smooth
- Outro: Pete Rock
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Come Live With Me" by Dorothy Ashby (intro)
- "Gimmie Some!" by Freddie McCoy
- "The Rill Thing" by Little Richard
- "N.T." by Kool & The Gang
- "Synthetic Subsitution" by Melvin Bliss
- "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads
- "It's My Thing" by EPMD
- "Just Rhymin' With Biz" by Big Daddy Kane featuring Biz Markie
5:48 3 "Ghettos Of The Mind" - C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Ghettos of the Mind" by Bama - the Village Poet
- "Long Red" by Mountain
5:01 4 "Lots Of Lovin'" - Verses: C.L. Smooth
- Chorus: Terri Robinson/Tabitha Brace
Pete Rock,
Nevelle Hodge,
*C.L. Smooth- "What's Going On?" by Ohio Players
- "Player's Balling (Players Doin' Their Own Thing)" by Ohio Players (intro)
5:07 5 "Act Like You Know" - Verses: C.L. Smooth
- Chorus: Pete Rock
Pete Rock,
*Large Professor,
*C.L. Smooth- "Jagger the Dagger" by Eugene McDaniels (intro)
- "Cameo" by Eddy Senay
- "Down on the Ground" by Grant Green
- "The Awakening" by Woody Shaw
4:01 6 "Straighten It Out" - C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Chocolate Buttermilk" by Kool & the Gang
- "Our Generation" by Ernie Hines
- "Bootleggin" by Simtec & Wylie (intro)
- "Heighty Hi" by Mongo Santamaria (intro)
4:12 7 "Soul Brother #1" - Pete Rock
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Pain" by Ohio Players
- "Bubble Gum" by 9th Creation
- "Soul Man" by Charles "Sweet" Sherrell
- "Headless Heroes" by Eugene McDaniels
- "Long Red" by Mountain
- "The Grunt" by The J.B.'s
- "You're A Customer" by EPMD
4:30 8 "Wig Out" - Intro: Pete Rock
- Verses: C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Turbulence" by Eddie Harris (intro)
- "Jungle Child" by Johnny Lytle
4:10 9 "Anger In The Nation" - Intro: Adofo Abdullah Muhammad
- Verses: C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Talk to the People" by Les McCann (intro)
- "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone
- "Funky President" by James Brown
- "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
5:31 10 "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" - C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Today" by Tom Scott
- "Deliver Me" by Tom Scott
- "When She Made Me Promise" by The Beginning of the End (intro)
- "I'm Black and I'm Proud" by James Brown
4:44 11 "On And On" - Intro: Grap Luva
- Verses: C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Tell Me How Do You Feel" by Lee Michaels
- "Ode to Billy Joe" by Lou Donaldson
- "Nobody Beats The Biz" by Biz Markie
- "Long Red" by Mountain
5:10 12 "It's Like That" - Intro: Pete Rock
- Verses: C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Mongoose" by Elephant's Memory
- "Strictly For The Ladies" by Lord Finesse
3:55 13 "Can't Front On Me" - Intro: Pete Rock
- Verses: C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Where Do I Go?" by Alyn Ainsworth
- "Don't Change Your Love" by Five Stairsteps
- "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
4:18 14 "The Basement" - First verse: C.L. Smooth
- Second verse: Grap Luva
- Third verse: Heavy D.
- Fourth verse: Pete Rock
- Fifth verse: Rob-O
- Sixth verse: Deda
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Expo 83" by The Backyard Heavies (intro)
- "Risin' to the Top" by Keni Burke
- "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
- "Season of the Witch" by Mike Bloomfield/Al Kooper/Steve Stills
- "Bam Bam" by Sister Nancy
- "Just Hangin' Out" by Main Source
- "Mad Dog" by Lee Michaels
5:22 15 "If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right" - C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Blues and Pants" by James Brown
- "Dr Funkenstein" by Parliament
- "Trespassin'" by Skull Snaps
5:04 16 "Skinz" - First verse: C.L. Smooth
- Second verse: Grand Puba
- Third verse: C.L. Smooth / Pete Rock
Pete Rock,
*C.L. Smooth- "Down Home Girl" by The Coasters
- "Funky President" by James Brown
- "McArthur Park" by The Three Degrees
4:14 Album singles
Single information "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" - Released: 1992
- B-side: "The Creator"
"Straighten It Out" - Released: 1992
- B-side: "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"
"Lots of Lovin''" - Released: 1993
- B-side: "It's Not A Game"
Chart history
Album
Year Album Chart positions Billboard 200 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 1992 Mecca & The Soul Brother 43 7 Singles
Year Song Chart positions Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot Rap Singles Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1992 They Reminisce Over You [T.R.O.Y.] 58 10 1 20 Straighten It Out - 65 7 37 1993 Lots of Lovin - 66 1 - Accolades
The information is taken from AcclaimedMusic.net.[15] and other website links below.
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank About.com USA 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums 2008 #37 Ego Trip USA Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 1999 #8 Exclaim! Canada 100 Records that Rocked 100 Issues 2000 * Rolling Stone USA The Essential Recordings of the 90s 1999 * The Source USA The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time 1998 * Mojo UK Mojo 1000, the Ultimate CD Buyers Guide 2001 * (*) designates lists that are unordered. References
- ^ http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/source.htm
- ^ http://rap.about.com/od/toppicks/ss/Top100RapAlbums_7.htm
- ^ http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/061024/S169.htm
- ^ http://rap.about.com/od/top10songs/ss/Top100RapSongs_10.htm
- ^ Stewart, Stanton (March 3, 2008). Review: Mecca and the Soul Brother. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-10-24.
- ^ Considine, J.D. (July 10, 1992). Review: Mecca and the Soul Brother. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on 2010-10-24.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1992). "Consumer Guide: Mecca and the Soul Brother". The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2010-10-24.
- ^ Browne, David (July 17, 1992). Review: Mecca and the Soul Brother. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2010-10-24.
- ^ Watrous, Peter (July 1, 1992). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/01/news/the-pop-life-756192.html?scp=2&sq=mecca+and+the+soul+brother&st=nyt. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ Mennella, Dan (September 30, 2003). Review: Mecca and the Soul Brother. RapReviews. Retrieved on 2010-10-24.
- ^ Hoard, Christian (November 2, 2004). "Review: Mecca and the Soul Brother". Rolling Stone: 695.
- ^ Malone, Bonz (October 1992). "Review: Mecca and the Soul Brother". Spin: 26.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (March 1, 2002). "Review: Mecca and the Soul Brother". Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Retrieved on 2010-10-24.
- ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12696/title.dj-premier-confirms-pete-rock-vs-dj-premier-album-in-the-works
- ^ "Mecca and the Soul Brother at AcclaimedMusic.net". http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/061024/A3421.htm. Retrieved June 22, 2007.
External links
- Mecca and the Soul Brother at Discogs
- Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide – Mecca and the Soul Brother — By Oliver Wang
Pete Rock & CL Smooth Corey Penn · Peter Phillips EP Albums All Souled Out (1991)Compilations Good Life: The Best of Pete Rock & CL Smooth (2003)Albums Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992) · The Main Ingredient (1994)Singles/EP's "Good Life" (1991) · "The Creator" b/w "Mecca and the Soul Brother" (1991)" · "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) (1992)" · "Straighten It Out (1992)" · "Lots of Lovin' (1993)" · "One In a Million (1993)" · "Take You There (1994)" · "I Got a Love (1994)" · "Searching (1995)"Categories:- 1992 albums
- Pete Rock & CL Smooth albums
- Albums produced by Pete Rock
- Albums produced by Large Professor
- Elektra Records albums
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