The Greatest 50 Hip-hop Albums Ever - #24...

[Twentytwofifty]

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca And The Soul Brother (1992) 


    It would have been hard to match the artistic success of their debut EP (arguably the greatest EP ever) on a full-length recording, but Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth did just that on Mecca And The Soul Brother, and they did so in the most unlikely way of all after the succinctness of All Souled Out— by coming up with a sprawling, nearly 80-minute-long album on which not a single song or interlude is a throwaway or a superfluous piece. Granted, 80 minutes is a long stretch of time for sustained listening, but the music is completely worthy of that time, allowing the duo to stretch out in ways that their EP rendered impossible. Again, the primary star is Pete Rock's production acumen, and he ups the ante of rock-solid drums, steady cymbal beats, smooth-rolling bass, and fatback organ, not to mention his signature horn loops. C.L. Smooth is the perfect vocal match for the music.  Pete and C.L. forged one of the greatest partnerships in hip hop history. Pete's uncanny ability to mesh soul, jazz and R&B onto an album is unparalleled, and C.L. doesn't hamper the production in the least-there's a reason why he's referred to as C.L. "Smooth," and he shows it time and again on this album. Pete even spits some verses on Mecca, and though he's not the nicest to ever hold a mic, he's not bad either.
 
    The fact that there is a stand-out track on this album speaks volumes about both how good that particular track is and just how good this album is. "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" is easily one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever. "T.R.O.Y." is, among other things, a dedication to a deceased friend of both Pete and C.L., T-Roy. To call the beat soulful would be a complete understatement, and to call C.L.'s narrative rhymes anything but touching would be the same.

I reminisce for a spell, or shall I say think back
22 years ago to keep it on track
The birth of a child on the 8th of October
A toast, but my grand daddy came sober
Count all the fingers and the toes, now I suppose
You hope the little black boy grows
18 years younger than my momma
But I really got beatings 'cause the girl loved drama
In single parenthood, there I stood
By the time she was 21 had another one
This one's a girl, let's name her Pam
Same father as the first but you don't give a damn
Irresponsible, plain not thinking
Poppa said "chill" but the brother kept winking...

    Pete Rock's understated genius is subtle, but great on this track. The full horn riffs substitute for any real hook, C.L.'s lyrics replace most of the horns on the verses with a softly "oooooh"-ed chorus of female vocals in the background. "Return Of The Mecca" is one of C.L.'s better lyrical performances, and Pete allows him to shine over the verses, which predominantly feature a booming drum and understated bass beat. But it's all tied together by a trademark Pete horn sample on the chorus. "Ghettos Of The Mind" is one of the more explicit, socially-conscious on the album. C.L.'s intelligent raps go perfectly with Pete's beat: "Finally the cops come dumb to the slum/Pull out a gun and arrest the wrong one/Wax all the Puerto Ricans and blacks/So they can never relax."

    Don't make the mistake of thinking the "message tracks" like "Ghettos Of The Mind" are at all preachy or token. It's quite the opposite actually. On "Anger In The Nation" Pete even displays his ability to cut and scratch vocals on a hook, a la his contemporary, DJ Premier. All this while C.L. looks to inspire the black people of the country to unite and improve their living.  From personal tracks like "T.R.O.Y." to the socially-conscious like "Anger In The Nation" and "Ghettos Of The Mind," Pete and C.L. seem to cover it all-even touch on the subject of love on "Lots Of Lovin'." On the latter, the duo shows their ability to work with the live vocals of a female on the chorus. "Straighten It Out" may feature as good of a beat as any on this album. On it, Pete shows his knack for combining his favorites music genres as a thick bass line rolls smoothly beneath some light guitar and an infectious horn loop.  On "Act Like You Know," C.L. Smooth displays his affinity for dropping his smooth-flowing lines, laced with wit, intelligence and knowledge over Pete's dope beat, with his usual jazz horns and even some be-bop crooning on the hook:
 
Here comes the hurricane, C.L. same name
Cut by the grain when I land upon the plain
Jah knew the Hebrew, a Papa Duke need you
But none of the fam' who saw had a clue
Escalate the prime rate, words coagulate
Generate the mind's state, never can deflate
Nigga, you jigaboo, it doesn't have to be you
Funny like a cartoon, Pepe Le Pew
Pimp are the lyrical, g-string the individual
But the metaphysical isn't spiritual
Straight from the heart I frame the art
Tune up my class, real fast, very smart
Dictate the technique, wait a minute, I speak
Loved by my son and a kiss on the cheek
Stutter-step the concept, blueprint, or pro
Steady as we go so act like you kno

    There's not much to be said about this album that hasn't been said at one point or another. After listening to this display of masterful production and solid lyricism, it's easy to understand why Pete Rock carved his niche as one of the best producers in hip-hop history. His sound is trademark, no doubt; the dope horn sample is to Pete Rock as the scratched-in vocals for a hook is to Primo.  Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth offered something special with this album. Conscious, mournful, playful, joyous and just straight-up head-nodding. Mecca And The Soul Brother is the kind of album you play straight through whether you're listening to every idiosyncrasy of every track, or just kickin' it with your homies and need some music for the background. The songs are connected and the album is propelled forward by Rock's quick, soul-tight interludes; these are usually bits of old R&B and soul tunes but sometimes they're spoken pieces or spontaneous, freestyle sessions. These interludes provide a sort of dense spiritual tone and resonance in the album that is not religiously based at all, but fully hip-hop based, emerging from the urban altars that are the basements and rooftops of the city.  Over a decade later, this music is still relevant. The sample-heavy, jazz, R&B, and soul flavor may sound a little dated to some, but I still think it's a breath of fresh air amidst the mass of mediocrity in today's music scene. There's no gimmicks here either, it's two guys who know what they're doing, and doing it damn well. As they said, so fittingly, in '92, "Can't Front On Me." You still can't.


50. Dr. Dre - 2001 (1999)
49. Outkast - Southernplayalisticaddicmuzik (1994)
48. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)
47. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1990)
46. Redman - Whut? Thee Album (1992)
45. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (1991)
44. Fugees - The Score (1996)
43. The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better (1989)
42. Common Sense - Resurrection (1994)
41. Makaveli - The Don Kiluminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)
40. Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet (1990)
39. Ice Cube - Death Certificate (1992)
38. Gza/Genius - Liquid Swords (1995)
37. N.W.A - Efil4zaggin (1991)
36. Main Source - Breaking Atoms (1991)
35. Geto Boys - Grip It! On That Other Level (1989)
34. Brand Nubian - One For All (1990)
33. Scarface - The Diary (1994)
32. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road To The Riches (1989)
31. Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill (1986)
30. Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Beatdown (1988)
29. LL Cool J - Radio (1985)
28. 2Pac - All Eyez On Me (1996)
27. Mobb Deep - The Infamous... (1995)
26. Eric B. & Rakim - Follow The Leader (1988)
25. Big Daddy Kane - It's A Big Daddy (1989)
24. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca And The Soul Brother (1992)

[Bramsterdam (see ya)]

Hell ye, one of the best eastcoast records ever

[Diabolical]

I knew this would pop up.

[eS El Duque]

the first two albums for the top 25 are pretty big albums

[Minkaveli]

Classic

[Suffice]

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSONNNNNNNNNNN!!! PRIZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPSSSSSSSSSSS

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Can see the next 23 albums are gonna be massive judging by how the top 25 has started. I'm tied between this album and Main Ingredient for best Pete Rock & CL Smooth album, but this album had undoubtably the larger impact on hiphop as a whole.

[Bramsterdam (see ya)]

^ I think I kind of like Main Ingerdient more, its too tough to choose though

[white Boy]

any chance for a reup the download aint working, and i really really need to hear this

[makaveli11]

Hell ye, one of the best eastcoast records ever

[Don Seer]

Classic

this is one of my "desert island disks" for sure.

[Twentytwofifty]

It's back up.

[conor48]

yeah great album but i probably prefer the main ingredient..more accessable i think as its more easy listening

[white Boy]

It's back up.

thanks, ill post wat i think later

[Leggy Hendrix]

great album