Pete Rock & CL Smooth | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | PR & CL |
| Origin | Mount Vernon, New York, U.S. |
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| Years active |
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| Labels |
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| Members | Pete Rock CL Smooth |
Pete Rock & CL Smooth were an American 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 . [1]
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. [2] 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. [1]
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". [1]
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. [1]
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.
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 death of hip-hop pioneer Guru earlier in the year was a major catalyst to inspire 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 . The album was still in the works in 2016, [3] but as of 2018, it has been stated that there won't be any third album by the group, due to resurfacing tensions between Rock and Smooth.
As of June 1, 2024, on an interview with Drink Champs, Rock addresses the split between him and his partner CL Smooth: [4]
“It should never be like this. Ever. We should still be together but some things, you know, that I can’t tell the whole public. But certain things happen in a partnership that just can’t be… and people won’t understand. I don’t want to be the only one speaking on someone who’s not here, but I wish him the best in life."
Rock continued in a Instagram post about the breakup: [5]
"This goes for anybody once in a group with a partner or partners. When things go left, take the high road. You have people who rejoice separation! When I make my business my business people start making up their own story cuz it’s nobody’s business but mine plain & simple like it or don’t. You have people who tell their stories no problem and be on dem podcast talkin bout personal problems, thats not me mayne! F**k drama. That sh*t happened thats my business. Let people say and think what they want. Ignorance is bliss and real ones know this but dont believe groups stay 4ever. That only happens when 2 men really respect one another and their boundaries and has had similar experiences happen to them and it gives each individual great understanding. Thats the important part! But i wish no ill will on CL Smooth but i kept telling yall for years i have moved on with all due respect . i can accept it."
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | ||
| 1992 | Mecca and the Soul Brother
| 43 | 7 |
| 1994 | The Main Ingredient
| 51 | 9 |
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. R&B | ||
| 1991 | All Souled Out
| 53 |
| 2009 | The Basement Demos
| — |
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | |||
| 1992 | "Straighten It Out" | — | 65 | 7 | Mecca and the Soul Brother |
| "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" | 58 | 10 | 1 | ||
| "Lots of Lovin'" | 108 | 66 | 1 | ||
| 1994 | "I Got a Love" | 117 | 69 | 20 | The Main Ingredient |
| "Take You There (featuring Crystal Johnson)" | 76 | 67 | 33 | ||
| 1995 | "Searching" | — | — | — | |
Peter O. Phillips, better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongside DJ Premier, RZA, and Q-Tip as one of the mainstays of 1990s East Coast hip hop production. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Early on in his career, he was also famed for his remix work.
Dwight Arrington Myers, known professionally as Heavy D, was an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Myers was the leader of Heavy D & the Boyz, a group that included dancers/hype men G-Whiz and "Trouble" T. Roy, as well as DJ and producer Eddie F. The group maintained a sizeable audience in the United States through most of the 1990s. The five albums the group released included production mainly by Teddy Riley, Marley Marl, DJ Premier, Myers's cousin Pete Rock, and "in-house" beatmaker Eddie F. Myers also released four solo albums and discovered Soul for Real and Monifah.
Anthony D. Wheaton, professionally known by his stage name Sir Jinx, is an American hip hop record producer and rapper from Los Angeles. He is a cousin of multi-platinum producer Dr. Dre. He began his career as a member of the C.I.A. in the mid-80s with Ice Cube and Kid Disaster. He produced tracks for the likes of Dazzie Dee, Westside Connection, Too Short, Yo-Yo, Tone Loc, Kool G Rap, CeCe Peniston, Xzibit and Kurupt among others, and also remixed songs for Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy and Toni Braxton.
Down with the King is the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C., released on May 4, 1993, by Profile Records. The album was produced by Run-D.M.C., Pete Rock, Q-Tip, EPMD, KayGee of Naughty by Nature, Jam Master Jay, the Bomb Squad, Daniel Shulman, Chyskills, Jermaine Dupri and Clifton "Specialist" Dillon.
Mecca and the Soul Brother is the 1992 debut album from hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. The album contains their best known song, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)". 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 and executive produced by DJ Eddie F of Heavy D & the Boyz.
The Main Ingredient is the second album by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, released on November 8, 1994. It is the duo's last studio album to date.
Corey Brent Penn Sr., 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.
"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 in 1990. The song was the lead single off their debut album, Mecca and the Soul Brother, released in 1992, and later became a staple of early 1990s hip hop. The song peaked at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The song contains a sample from "Today" which is part of the album The Honeysuckle Breeze by Tom Scott and the California Dreamers.
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".
The YG'z was an American East Coast hip hop group that recorded the EP Street Nigga in 1993.
Soul Survivor is the debut studio album of hip hop producer and emcee Pete Rock, formerly of the acclaimed duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. It was released on November 10, 1998. Pete contributes to all the production on the release, as well as a number of verses, while leaving a large part of the rhyming to several guest artists; such as, Kurupt of Tha Dogg Pound, Wu-Tang Clan members Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, & Cappadonna, O.C., Black Thought of The Roots, Rob-O, formerly of the group InI, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz, Large Professor, Kool G Rap, MC Eiht, Jane Eugene & Loose Ends, Vinia Mojica, Miss Jones, Heavy D, Beenie Man, Sticky Fingaz of Onyx, Common, Big Punisher, Noreaga, and former partner C.L. Smooth.
PeteStrumentals is the second studio album from hip hop producer/rapper Pete Rock. The album is an Instrumental hip hop album and the second installment of BBE Records Beat Generation series, following Jay Dee's Welcome to Detroit album. The instrumental songs were originally recorded between 1990 and 1995, but were remixed and continued when putting together the album. All songs featuring vocals were recorded exclusively for this project between 2000 and 2001.
Lost & Found: Hip Hop Underground Soul Classics is a double-disc album containing previously shelved albums Center of Attention, by InI, and The Original Baby Pa, by Deda. Released on October 27, 2003 on BBE Records. Both albums were recorded in 1995 and produced entirely by Pete Rock, except for five overall tracks produced either by Grap Luva or Spunk Bigga. Neither album had been officially released until this compilation came out.
Soul Survivor II is the third studio album by hip hop producer Pete Rock, released in 2004. The album features guest appearances from a large number of hip hop artists, including Pharoahe Monch, Little Brother, RZA, GZA, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, and former partner CL Smooth.
Terri & Monica was an R&B duo from the early 1990s which featured Terri Robinson and Monica Payne, who were members of the short-lived late 1980s New Jack Swing R&B group The Gyrlz along with third member Tara Geter.
Edward Ferrell is an American record producer, DJ, songwriter, and record executive. With business partner Heavy D, he formed the hip hop group Heavy D and the Boyz in 1985, for which he served as the de facto producer and DJ. The group signed with Uptown Records to release seven commercially successful studio albums. He served as Vice President of A&R of LaFace Records from to 1993 to 1995, Executive Vice President of Motown from 1995 to 1997, and Executive Consultant to chairman L.A. Reid of Def Jam Recordings from 2005 to 2007. He also founded the record label Untouchables Entertainment Group, through which he discovered and signed R&B singer Donell Jones.
Peaceful Journey is the third album by American rap group Heavy D & the Boyz. It was released on July 2, 1991, for Uptown Records and was produced by Pete Rock, DJ Eddie F, Teddy Riley, Marley Marl and Howie Tee. This marked the group's first album since the death of member Trouble T Roy, who died almost a year before the album's release, and several songs on the album pay tribute to him. Though not as successful as the group's previous album, Big Tyme, the album was able to reach Platinum status and made it to number 21 on the Billboard 200 and number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
The Who's the Man? Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1993 film Who's the Man?. The album was released in 1993 on Uptown/MCA Records. The soundtrack peaked at 32 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1993.
Crystal Johnson is an American singer and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. She has performed in a variety of stage productions and has collaborated with a wide array of well-known artists including Anthony Hamilton, Dr. Dre, Heavy D, Mobb Deep, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Angie Stone, Usher and many others.
The following list is a discography of production credited to Pete Rock, an American hip hop record producer and recording artist from Mount Vernon, New York. It includes a list of songs produced, co-produced and remixed by year, artist, album and title.
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