Pete Rock loves horns the way other DJs and producers love drums. It’s this obsession with funky horn breaks that sets Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth apart from regular hip-hop bassheads. With its crucial James Brown breaks layered between trumpet and sax loops, coupled with the laid-back vocals of Smooth and Rock, Mecca and the Soul Brother–their first full-length–struts back and forth on that line between rap and soul. Rock’s production style is peerless, funky on “If It Ain’t Ro [Read More...]
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It took me almost ten years of listening to hip-hop before I listened to this album. How this happened I’ll never know (I attribute it to being young and stupid). I was tired of the same old crap (this was 5 years ago too!), longing for something real, a friend recommending picking this album up. I remember coming home from classes freshman year of college, opening up the package, popping in this album and listening to this album on my head phones the rest of the night. This album changed the way I listened to music, in particular hip-hop.
From the opening moments of the album, there is a sense that what you’re about it hear is going to be different. When the sounds of Return of the Mecca hits your ears, your are flooded with multiple layers of sampled horns, drums, and scratches. CL’s flow just couldn’t fit any better with this beat, and that goes for every song. I’ve said this before but it literally sounds like CL’s voice is an instrument hand crafted to become another layer of Pete Rock’s production.
This is one of those albums where there are no highlights, simple put the whole album runs as a seamless blend of music that is one complete highlight. I’d be lying if I told you there weren’t tracks that I like better than others, but I’d also be lying if I said that I ever skip to these tracks.
For the most part the beginning of the album allows you to soak in the multiple layers of sound as For Pete’s Sake and Ghettos of the Mind groove in your mind. Lot’s of Lovin slows down things providing the smooth sampling and triangle for CL to seduce the listener’s ears.
The intro to Act Like You Know slowly gears you up to speed before Pete just drops the main beat in and let’s CL lyrically take off. The next track Straighten It Out is a classic, the beat practically an instruction course in sampling. Soul Brother #1 gives Pete Rock a chance to shine on the mic and could be the weakest track on the album, weak being a relative term here.
The way the album is constructed there is a definite climax in the middle starting with Wig Out, Anger In the Nation, which passes along a strong message. These tracks aptly prepare listeners for the ultimate experience of T.R.O.Y. (top 5 greatest hip-hop/rap songs ever, no question). This song is followed by the incredible tracks On and On, and It’s Like That. Both quick paced tracks, show off CL’s lyrical ability and smooth flow.
Can’t Front on Me and The Basement follow and are more hard hitting tracks with heavy drums. If It Ain’t Rough, seems to start off the same way as well, with the heavy drums until Pete brings in some incredible horn samples, which throughout the song change and interweave CL’s Rhymes.
The album comes to a close with Skinz, driven by again some horns and also some xylophones. This track along with Grand Puba (one of the limited guests on here) provides a nice groove to end the album on.
This album, simply put, is a classic. It’s Pete Rock’s best-produced album in entirety. Over a jazzy Pete Rock sample, or maybe any Pete Rock production no one can capture it quite like CL Smooth (even today it’s still evident in their reunion tracks Back On the Block, Shine On Me, Love Thang). Every time I listen to this I long for the music that came out of that era, this album changed my standards and could be used as an example for anyone who looks for a sense for creative art in hip-hop.
If you haven’t heard this album, it’s probably time that you return to the fundamentals of the genre and make your required trip to the Mecca.
(10/10)
On 106th and Park the other day, proof to me the decline of Western Civ is upon us they had a trivia question:
“On the album from the early 90’s titled Mecca and the Soul Brother, this two man duo from NY eulogized a fallen soldier in arms by name, what was this song ?”
Oh gee, lemme think, only one of the all time tighest hip hop tracks EVER laid to tape ? T.R.O.Y.
Yeah, well none of the kids had a clue, only two girls even raised their hand and one of them guessed P. Diddy . . . ? F#$% P. Diddy, he isn’t qualified to take out their trash ! The girl host was like “naaaah, come on ya’ll, OK, let’s run down the old school acts from Mt. Vernon, com’on, money earn’ing from Mt. Vernon, run ‘em down . . . ” and so the other girl guessed Chuck D ? And this is a local crowd, I mean if they were broadcasting live Des Moines that would be one thing, but these were local kids for chrissakes.
I was standing there screaming at the T.V.
Oh well, at least they played the video afterwards, a nice break from the c/rap that is on constant heavy rotation from the Ylang Ylang twins and Tipsy, talk about a couple of no talent azz MF’s.
That was proof to me that 106th and Park is doing the young population a huge diservice by forgetting the past that made this music great. Like: “It’s OK kids, there was no music prior to the year 1999, then Price came out and did his thing and that opened it all up for the brothers . . . blah, blah, blah.”
Maybe it’s for the best, these guys will remain a badge of honor for people in the know, kinda like the ixthus (sp?) for the followers of Jesus, well if ya don’t know, ya can’t go.
Guys (meaning PR and CL) if you ever look here, there are still those of us who remember, who appreciate what you did.
“t to the r to o y how did you and I meet in front of Big Lou’s fighting in the street . . . “
Later Skaters.