| C.L. Smooth | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Corey Brent Penn |
|
Also known as |
Caramel King, The Mecca Don, C.L., El Presidente |
|
Born |
October 8, 1968 |
|
Origin |
Mount Vernon, New York, U.S. |
|
Genres |
|
|
Occupations |
Rapper |
|
Years active |
1991-present |
|
Labels |
Elektra, Shaman Work/Koch |
|
Associated acts |
AZ, DJ Krush, Heavy D, Nujabes, Pete Rock, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth |
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968), better known by his stage name C.L. Smooth, is an American rapper who is best known as the vocal half of the hip hop duo Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth.
After the pair split in 1995 due to creative differences, Pete Rock, whose work with C.L. had garnered him a reputation as one of the most acclaimed producers in hip hop, went on to produce and remix tracks for dozens of well-respected artists, and he also released a batch of solo and instrumental albums. C.L. Smooth went on hiatus and remained musically inactive, declining to appear as a guest on other artists' albums, with the exception of "Only the Strong Survive" with DJ Krush in 1996.
The pair managed to reconcile their differences only long enough to record five isolated tracks in the ten years since their split. There were talks of a definitive reunion and a new album in 2004; however, the speculation was dismissed by both parties after another fallout.
In 2006, he released his debut solo album, American Me, and his second solo album, The Outsider, was released the following year. Recently, he has contributed guest vocals to songs by AZ ("Magic Hour"), Nujabes ("Sky is Falling") and J. R. Writer (the remix of "Mesmerize"). In October 2010, C.L. Smooth & Pete Rock headlined the Clean Energy Tour, which consisted of six shows across California. C.L. has developed an interest in climate change.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- 2006: American Me
- 2007: The Outsider
With Pete Rock[]
- 1992: Mecca and the Soul Brother
- 1994: The Main Ingredient