Mecca and the Soul Brother

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.)." Mecca and the Soul Brother has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.^[1]^[2] The album was mostly produced by Pete Rock and Executive Produced by DJ Eddie F of Heavy D & the Boyz (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, 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 love ("Lots of Lovin'").

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

All tracks produced by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, except #5 co-produced by Large Professor.

#	Title	Performer(s)	Samples	Time
1	"Return of the Mecca"	Intro: Pete Rock Verses: C.L. Smooth Chorus: Pete Rock	"Country Preacher" by Cannonball Adderley "Long Red" by Mountain "You're the Fool" by The Three Degrees "Today" by Tom Scott & the California Dreamers "Just Rhymin' With Biz" by Big Daddy Kane	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	"The Rill Thing" by Little Richard "Come Live With Me" by Dorothy Ashby "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone "Gimmie Some" by Freddie McCoy "The Do Do" by Biz Markie "N.T." by Kool & the Gang "Submission" by Tyrone Washington "It's My Thing" by EPMD	5:48
3	"Ghettos of the Mind"	C.L. Smooth	"Ghettos of the Mind" by Bama the Village Poet "Long Red" by Mountain "Maceo" by Maceo & All the King's Men "Just Rhymin' With Biz" by Big Daddy Kane "Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do" by The Everyday People	5:01
4	"Lots of Lovin'"	Verses: C.L. Smooth Chorus: Terri Robinson / Tabitha Brace	"Player's Balling (Players Doin' Their Own Thing)" and "What's Going On?" by Ohio Players "North Carolina" by Les McCann	5:07
5	"Act Like You Know"	Verses: C.L. Smooth Chorus: Pete Rock	"Freedom Death Dance" by Eugene McDaniels "The Awakening" by Woody Shaw "Get Out of My Life Woman" by George Semper "Cameo" by Eddy Senay "Down Here on the Ground" by Grant Green	4:01
6	"Straighten It Out"	C.L. Smooth	"Bootleggin'" by Simtec & Wylie "Heighty Hi" by Mongo Santamaria "Chocolate Buttermilk" by Kool & the Gang "Our Generation" by Ernie Hines	4:12
7	"Soul Brother #1"	Pete Rock	"Soul Man" by "Sweet" Charles Sherrell "Long Red" by Mountain "The Grunt" by The J.B.'s "Bubble Gum" by 9th Creation "Pain" by Ohio Players "Headless Heroes" by Eugene McDaniels "Do the Funky Penguin (Pt 2)" by Rufus Thomas	4:30
8	"Wig Out"	Intro: Pete Rock Verses: C.L. Smooth	"Turbulence" by Eddie Harris "Jungle Child" by Johnny Lytle "Music Talk" by Georgie Fame	4:10
9	"Anger in the Nation"	Intro: Adofo Abdullah Muhammad Verses: C.L. Smooth	"Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone "Talk to the People" by Les McCann "Funky President" by James Brown	5:31
10	"They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"	C.L. Smooth	"When She Made Me Promise" by The Beginning of the End "Today" by Tom Scott & the California Dreamers "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" by James Brown	4:44
11	"On and On"	Intro: Grap Luva Verses: C.L. Smooth	"Tell Me How Do You Feel" and "(Don't Want No) Woman" by Lee Michaels "Ode to Billie Joe" by Lou Donaldson "The Bird" by Jimmy McGriff "Nobody Beats the Biz" by Biz Markie "Step to the Rear" by Brand Nubian "N.T." by Kool & the Gang	5:10
12	"It's Like That"	Intro: Pete Rock Verses: 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	"Submission" by Tyrone Washington "Nothingness" by Bama the Village Poet "Don't Change Your Love" by Five Stairsteps "Where Do I Go?" by Alyn Ainsworth	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	"Expo 83" by The Backyard Heavies "Bam Bam" by Sister Nancy "Mad Dog" by Lee Michaels "Season of the Witch" by Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper and Steve Stills "Risin' to the Top" by Keni Burke	5:22
15	"If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right"	C.L. Smooth	"Blues and Pants" by James Brown "Go Stetsa I" by Stetsasonic "Trespassin'" by Skull Snaps "Nautilus" by Bob James	5:04
16	"Skinz"	First verse: C.L. Smooth Second verse: Grand Puba Third verse: C.L. Smooth Fourth verse: Pete Rock Fifth verse: C.L. Smooth	"MacArthur Park" by The Three Degrees "To the Right" by Brand Nubian "Down Home Girl" by The Coasters "Today" by Tom Scott & the California Dreamers	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

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.) (Remix)"
"Lots of Lovin" Released: 1993 B-side: "It's Not A Game"

Chart history

Album

Chart (1992)	Peak position
scope="row"	US Billboard 200^[15]	43
scope="row"	US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[16]	7

Singles

Year	Song	Chart positions
Year	Song	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
1992	Straighten It Out	-	65	7	37
1993	Lots of Lovin	-	66	1	-

Accolades

The information is taken from AcclaimedMusic.net.^[17] and other website links below.

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
About.com	United States	100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums	2008	#37
Ego Trip	United States	Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98	1999	#8
Exclaim!	Canada	100 Records that Rocked 100 Issues	2000	*
Rolling Stone	United States	The Essential Recordings of the 90s	1999	*
The Source	United States	The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time	1998	*
Mojo	UK	Mojo 1000, the Ultimate CD Buyers Guide	2001	*
(*) designates lists that are unordered.

In popular culture

The first single "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" appeared in the 2003 video game NBA Street Vol. 2 and the 2011 video game Madden NFL 12, as well as in the Netflix series Master of None.

References

↑ "Rocklist.net...The Source 100 Best Rap Albums & Singles". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
↑ "The Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of all Time - Top 100 Rap/Hip-Hop Albums". Rap.about.com. 2012-01-26. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
↑ "They Reminisce Over You". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
↑ "Top 100 Rap Songs - These are the Top 100 Rap Songs that helped shaped Hip-Hop - Top 100 Rap Songs". Rap.about.com. 2012-01-26. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
↑ 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. 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.
↑ Paine, Jake (2010-10-21). "DJ Premier Confirms "Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier" Album In The Works | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
↑ "Pete Rock – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Pete Rock.
↑ "Pete Rock – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Pete Rock.
↑ "Mecca and the Soul Brother at AcclaimedMusic.net". 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

Pete Rock CL Smooth

EPs	All Souled Out (1991)

Studio albums	Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992) The Main Ingredient (1994)

Compilations	Good Life: The Best of Pete Rock & CL Smooth (2003)

Singles/EPs	"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)

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.