''Mecca and the Soul Brother'' is the 1992 debut album from hip-hop duo

Pete Rock & CL Smooth Pete Rock & CL Smooth were a 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''. Career 1991–1994: The Golden Age As a pr ...

. 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 Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), 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 ...

and executive produced by DJ Eddie F of

Heavy D & the Boyz Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. ''Vibe (magazine), Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known profe ...

(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 Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...

's ''

The Chronic ''The Chronic'' is the debut studio album by the American hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records and distributed by Interscope Records. Recording sessions took place in ...

''. The first single, " They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)", a dedication to their deceased friend;

Trouble T Roy Troy Dixon (October 19, 1967July 15, 1990), better known as Trouble T Roy, was a hip-hop dancer with the group Heavy D and the Boyz from 1987 until his death in 1990. Death On July 14, 1990, while on tour in Indianapolis, Dixon and others were ho ...

(a dance member of Heavy D. & The Boyz), has gone on to become not only their

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...

, but also one of hip hop's most highly regarded songs. Other topics on the album range from life in the ghetto ("Ghettos of the Mind"), the teachings of the

Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...

("Anger in the Nation"), bootlegging (" Straighten It Out"), and love ("Lots of Lovin'").

Reception

''Mecca and the Soul Brother'' brought considerable acclaim to the duo. They were often compared to the group

Gang Starr Gang Starr was an American hip hop duo, consisting of Texas record producer DJ Premier and Massachusetts rapper Guru. For the entirety of their association, they were based out of Brooklyn, New York. Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2 ...

, which also featured one MC, and a producer/DJ.{{cite web, last=Paine, first=Jake, url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12696/title.dj-premier-confirms-pete-rock-vs-dj-premier-album-in-the-works, title=DJ Premier Confirms "Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier" Album In The Works, work=

HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...

, date=October 21, 2010, accessdate=March 1, 2012, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430180036/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12696/title.dj-premier-confirms-pete-rock-vs-dj-premier-album-in-the-works, archive-date=April 30, 2015, url-status=dead 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 ''Menace II Society'' (pronounced ''Menace to Society'') is a 1993 American teen drama film directed by the Hughes Brothers in their directorial debut. The film is set in Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods of Los Angeles, and follows the life of ...

'' soundtrack, followed by ''

Who's the Man? ''Who's the Man?'' is a 1993 thriller buddy comedy film directed by Ted Demme in his feature film directing debut. The film stars '' Yo! MTV Raps'' hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover as its two main protagonists and features cameo appearances fro ...

'' and '' Poetic Justice'' respectively, before returning in 1994 with ''

The Main Ingredient The Main Ingredient was an American soul and R&B group best known for their 1972 hit song " Everybody Plays the Fool". Early history The group was formed in Harlem, New York City in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Do ...

''.

Accolades

The information is taken from AcclaimedMusic.net.{{cite web , last = , first = , url = http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/061024/A3421.htm , title = Mecca and the Soul Brother at AcclaimedMusic.net , publisher = , accessdate = June 22, 2007 and other website links below. {, class="wikitable" , - !Publication !Country !Accolade !Year ! style="text-align:center;", Rank , - ,

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...

, United States ,
100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums
' , 2008 , style="text-align:center;", #37 , - , Ego Trip , United States ,
Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–98
' , 1999 , style="text-align:center;", #8 , - ,

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

, Canada ,
100 Records that Rocked 100 Issues
' , 2000 , style="text-align:center;", * , - ,

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

, United States ,
The Essential Recordings of the 90s
' , 1999 , style="text-align:center;", * , - ,

, United States ,
The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time
' , 2022 , style="text-align:center;", #130 , - ,

The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...

, United States ,
The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time
' , 1998 , style="text-align:center;", * , - ,

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

, UK ,
Mojo 1000, the Ultimate CD Buyers Guide
' , 2001 , style="text-align:center;", * , - , colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:8pt;", (*) designates lists that are unordered.

Track listing

*All tracks produced by

, except #4 co-produced by Nevelle Hodge and #5 co-produced by

Large Professor William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and record producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...

. {, class="wikitable" , - !# !Title !Performer(s) !Time , - , 1 , "Return of the Mecca" , *Intro:

*Verses: C.L. Smooth *Chorus:

, 5:42 , - , 2 , "For Pete's Sake" , *Intro:

*First verse: C.L. Smooth *Second verse:

*Third verse: C.L. Smooth *Outro:

, 5:48 , - , 3 , "Ghettos of the Mind" , * C.L. Smooth , 5:01 , - , 4 , "Lots of Lovin'" , *Verses: C.L. Smooth *Chorus: Terri Robinson / Tabitha Brace , 5:07 , - , 5 , "Act Like You Know" , *Verses: C.L. Smooth *Chorus:

, 4:01 , - , 6 , " Straighten It Out" , * C.L. Smooth , 4:12 , - , 7 , "Soul Brother #1" , *

, 4:30 , - , 8 , "Wig Out" , *Intro:

*Verses: C.L. Smooth , 4:10 , - , 9 , "Anger in the Nation" , *Intro: Adofo Abdullah Muhammad *Verses: C.L. Smooth , 5:31 , - , 10 , " They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" , * C.L. Smooth , 4:44 , - , 11 , "On and On" , *Intro:

Grap Luva InI was an American hip hop group that formed in 1990 and broke up in 1997. The group was composed of members Rob-O, Grap Luva, Ras G a.k.a. I Love H.I.M., Marco Polo (now known as Jolomite), and DJ Boodakhan. History ''The Life I Live'' ...

*Verses: C.L. Smooth , 5:10 , - , 12 , "It's Like That" , *Intro:

*Verses: C.L. Smooth , 3:55 , - , 13 , "Can't Front on Me" , *Intro:

*Verses: C.L. Smooth , 4:18 , - , 14 , "The Basement" , *First verse: C.L. Smooth *Second verse:

*Third verse:

Heavy D Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. '' Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Hea ...

*Fourth verse:

*Fifth verse:

Rob-O InI was an American hip hop group that formed in 1990 and broke up in 1997. The group was composed of members Rob-O, Grap Luva, Ras G a.k.a. I Love H.I.M., Marco Polo (now known as Jolomite), and DJ Boodakhan. History ''The Life I Live'' ...

*Sixth verse: Deda , 5:22 , - , 15 , "If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right" , * C.L. Smooth , 5:04 , - , 16 , "Skinz" , *First verse: C.L. Smooth *Second verse:

Grand Puba Maxwell Dixon (born March 4, 1964), known professionally as Grand Puba, is an American rapper and emcee, best known as one of the members of the group Brand Nubian from New Rochelle, New York. Biography He made his debut as Grand Puba Max ...

*Third verse: C.L. Smooth *Fourth verse:

*Fifth verse: C.L. Smooth , 4:14 ;Notes *The cassette and 2xLP versions contain two

bonus tracks An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

: "The Creator (Remix)" and "Mecca and the Soul Brother (Remix)" *(*) Symbolizes co-producer

Album singles

{, class="wikitable" , - ! 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: February 1993 *B-side: "It's Not A Game"

Chart history

Album

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" , - !scope="col", Chart (1992) !scope="col", Peak
position , - !scope="row" {{album chart, Billboard200, 43, artist=Pete Rock , - !scope="row" {{album chart, BillboardRandBHipHop, 7, artist=Pete Rock , -

Singles

{, class="wikitable" , - !rowspan="2", Year !rowspan="2", Song !colspan="4", Chart positions , - ! ''Billboard'' Hot 100 !

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

! Hot Rap Singles !

Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales In the issue dated March 16, 1985, ''Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...

, - , rowspan="2", 1992 , ''They Reminisce Over You .R.O.Y.' , style="text-align:center;", 58 , style="text-align:center;", 10 , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 20 , - , ''Straighten It Out'' , style="text-align:center;", - , style="text-align:center;", 65 , style="text-align:center;", 7 , style="text-align:center;", 37 , - , 1993 , ''Lots of Lovin'' , style="text-align:center;", - , style="text-align:center;", 66 , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", -

In popular culture

The first single "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" appeared in the 2003 video game ''

NBA Street Vol. 2 ''NBA Street Vol. 2'' is a basketball video game, published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label and developed by NuFX and EA Canada. It is the sequel to the original ''NBA Street'' and the second game in the ''NBA Street'' series. It w ...

'', the 2011 video game ''

Madden NFL 12 ''Madden NFL 12'' is an American football video game based on the National Football League published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It was released on August 30, 2011 in North America and Asia, September 1, 2011 in Australia, and Septem ...

'' and '' NBA 2K18'', as well as in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series ''

Master of None ''Master of None'' is an American comedy-drama streaming television series, which was released for streaming on November 6, 2015, on Netflix. The series was created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, with the first two seasons starring Ansari in the ...

''. All of the episode titles of the season 2 of ''Luke Cage'' are titles of songs from this album. The song "Soul Brother #1" appeared in the video game ''

Tony Hawk's Underground 2 ''Tony Hawk's Underground 2'' is a skateboarding video game, the sixth entry in the ''Tony Hawk's'' series after '' Tony Hawk's Underground''. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision on October 4, 2004 in the U.S. for the Pla ...

''.

References

{{Reflist

External links

*
Mecca and the Soul Brother
' at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide – ''Mecca and the Soul Brother''
— By Oliver Wang {{Pete Rock & CL Smooth {{Authority control 1992 albums Pete Rock & CL Smooth albums Elektra Records albums Albums produced by Pete Rock Albums produced by Large Professor Albums recorded at Greene St. Recording