| Mecca and the Soul Brother | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth | |
|
Released |
9 June 1992 |
|
Recorded |
1991-1992 at Greene Street Studios (New York City, New York) |
|
Genre |
|
|
Length |
77:13 |
|
Label |
Elektra |
|
Producer |
C.L. Smooth, Edward Ferrell (exec.), Nevelle Hodge, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Mr. Dante Ross (exec.) |
| Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
All Souled Out (1991) |
|
Next |
The Main Ingredient (1994) |
Mecca and the Soul Brother is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, released in 1992 on Elektra Records. To date, Mecca and the Soul Brother has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
Mecca and the Soul Brother was released soon after the duo's debut EP All Souled Out, which was released in 1991. The first single, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)", a tribute to their deceased friend and Heavy D & the Boyz dancer Trouble T Roy, has gone on to become not only their signature song, 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 ("Anger in the Nation"), bootlegging ("Straighten It Out"), and love ("Lots of Lovin").
Despite the album being a critical success, it had little commercial success. It reached #43 on the Billboard 200 and #7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Tim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Return of the Mecca" | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 5:42 |
| 2. | "For Pete's Sake" | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth | Dixon, Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 5:48 |
| 3. | "Ghettos of the Mind" | C.L. Smooth | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 5:01 |
| 4. | "Lots of Lovin" | C.L. Smooth | Hodge, Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, Nevelle Hodge, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 5:07 |
| 5. | "Act Like You Know" | C.L. Smooth, Pete Rock | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, Large Professor (co.), C.L. Smooth (co.) | 4:01 |
| 6. | "Straighten It Out" | C.L. Smooth | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 4:12 |
| 7. | "Soul Brother #1" | Pete Rock | Dixon, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 4:30 |
| 8. | "Wig Out" | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 4:10 |
| 9. | "Anger in the Nation" | C.L. Smooth | Muhammad, Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 5:31 |
| 10. | "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" | C.L. Smooth | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 4:44 |
| 11. | "On and On" | C.L. Smooth | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 5:10 |
| 12. | "It's Like That" | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 3:55 |
| 13. | "Can't Front on Me" | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 4:18 |
| 14. | "The Basement" | C.L. Smooth, Grap Luva, Heavy D, Pete Rock, Rob-O, Deda | James, Myers, Odinda, Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 5:22 |
| 15. | "If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right" | C.L. Smooth | Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 5:04 |
| 16. | "Skinz" | C.L. Smooth, Grand Puba, Pete Rock | Dixon, Penn, Phillips | Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth (co.) | 4:14 |
Notes
- Track 4 features background vocals performed by Terri Robinson and Tabitha Brace, and keyboards performed by Nevelle Hodge.