wax Poetics

Pete Rock & CL Smooth Mecca and the Soul Brother 25th Anniversary

published online
By Wax Poetics

Pete Rock & CL Smooth %Mecca and the Soul Brother% 25th Anniversary
Pete Rock & CL Smooth Mecca and the Soul Brother 25th Anniversary

I remember falling in love so hard when I bought Mecca and the Soul Brother (shout out Rockaboom in Leicester, UK) back when I was a teenager just like it was yesterday. Pete Rock’s production in tandem with CL Smooth’s rap style was perfection: the drums, the rolling rhyme flows, those sublime teasing interludes… Everything sounded so rich and smooth and cool, and every song on the album is stellar.

Following their 1991 EP All Souled Out, Mecca and the Soul Brother was released June 9, 1992. Featuring classic singles “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.),” “Straighten It Out,” and “Lots of Lovin,” the album is considered by many to be one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the classic LP, our homie Chris Read has whipped up yet another fine mixtape of album tracks, alternative versions, remixes, and original sample material from the likes of the Ohio Players, 9th Creation, James Brown, and more…

Enjoy!

Tracklist:

1. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Straighten It Out’ (Remix Instrumental)
2. Chris Read – Theme #3 (Scratchapella)
3. Sister Nancy – ‘Bam Bam’ (sampled in ‘The Basement’)
4. Pete Rock & CL Smooth feat Heavy D, Deda, Grap Luva and Rob-O – ‘The Basement’
5. Ohio Players – ‘What’s Going On’ (sampled in ‘Lots of Lovin’)
6. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Lots of Lovin’
7. Les McCann – ‘North Carolina’ [Loop] (sampled in ‘Lots of Lovin’)
8. Dave Wintour & Pat Whitmore – ‘Where Do I Go?’ (sampled in ‘Can’t Front on Me’)
9. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Can’t Front On Me’
10. Biz Markie – ‘Just A Friend’ [Extract] (sampled in Can’t Front On Me’)
11. Mountain – ‘Long Red’ [Loop] (sampled in ‘Return of the Mecca’)
12. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Return of the Mecca’
13. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Ghettos of the Mind’
14. The Coasters – ‘Down Home Girl’ (sampled in ‘Skinz’)
15. Pete Rock & CL Smooth feat Grand Puba – ‘Skinz’
16. 9th Creation – ‘Bubble Gum’ (sampled in ‘Soul Brother #1)
17. The J.B’s – ‘The Grunt’ [Loop] (sampled in ‘Soul Brother #1)
18. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – Soul Brother #1
19. James Brown – ‘Funky President’ (sampled in ‘Anger in the Nation’)
20. Sly & The Family Stone – ‘Sing A Simple Song’ [Loop] (sampled in ‘Anger in the Nation’)
21. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Anger in the Nation’
22. O’Donel Levy – ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ (Sampled in ‘Mecca & The Soul Brother’)
23. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Mecca & The Soul Brother’
24. Heavy D & The Boyz – ‘Gyrlz, They Love Me’ [Extract] (Sampled in ‘Mecca & The Soul Brother’)
25. Mountain – ‘Long Red’ [Loop] (Sampled in ‘Mecca & The Soul Brother (Wig Out Mix)’)
26. ESG – ‘UFO’ [Loop] (Sampled in ‘Mecca & The Soul Brother (Wig Out Mix)’)
27. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Mecca & The Soul Brother (Wig Out Mix)
28. James Brown – ‘Blues & Pants’ [Loop] (sampled in ‘If It Ain’t Rough, It Ain’t Right’)
29. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘If It Ain’t Rough It Ain’t Right’
30. Stetsasonic – ‘Go Stetsa I’ [Loop] (sampled in If It Ain’t Rough, It Ain’t Right’)
31. Freddie McCoy – ‘Gimmie Some’ (sampled in ‘For Pete’s Sake’)
32. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘For Pete’s Sake’
33. Biz Markie – ‘The Do Do’ [Extract] (sampled in ‘For Pete’s Sake’)
34. EPMD – ‘It’s My Thing’ [Extract] (sampled in ‘For Pete’s Sake’)
35. Ernie Hines – ‘Our Generation’ (sampled in ‘Straighten It Out’)
36. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Straighten It Out’
37. Lou Donaldson – ‘Ode to Billie Joe’ [Loop] (sampled in ‘On and On’)
38. Jimmy Mc Griff – ‘The Bird’ (sampled in ‘On and On’)
39. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘On and On’
40. Brand Nubian – ‘Step to the Rear’ [Extract] (sampled in ‘On and On’)
41. Eddy Senay – ‘Cameo’ (sampled in ‘Act Like You Know’)
42. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Act Like You Know’
43. Tom Scott and The California Dreamers – ‘Today’ (sampled in ‘T.R.O.Y’)
44. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘T.R.O.Y’
45. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘T.R.O.Y (Remix Instrumental)’
46. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘T.R.O.Y (The Vibes Mix)’
47. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘It’s Like That’
48. Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth – ‘Strictly for the Ladies’ [Extract] (sampled in ‘It’s Like That’)
49. Georgie Fame – ‘Music Talk’ [Loop] (sampled in ‘Wig Out’)
50. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘Wig Out’
51. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘The Creator’ [Loop] (sampled in ‘Wig Out’)
52.Eddie Bo – ‘From This Day On’ (Sampled in ‘The Creator’)
53. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘The Creator’
54. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘The Creator (Slide to the Side Mix)‘
55. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – ‘The Creator (Surfboard Mix)’

Artwork : Leon Nockolds

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