Old School Mondays:: Mecca and the Soul Brother Edition

I don't have too much of a fun story for this week's OSM - mainly I just wanted to hear some Pete Rock beats again. I put a Pete Rock remix up on Friday with my Me & Jay-Z birthday post, and those classic PR soul sounds - the thick drums, organs & horns - sent me scurrying to put Mecca and the Soul Brother on the ole iPhone for today's at-work listening pleasure. So I figured whilst I was at it, why not give PR & CL the OSM treatment? And so there you have it.

I hope the majority of you fine folks are familiar with Pete Rock at the very least, as the producer extrordinaire still remains active and one of the most respected beatmakers hip hop has ever produced. He's always been a favorite of mine - there's just something about his beats that feels so satisfying to me, they are always packed with a jazzy, stick-to-your-ribs goodness. Yes indeed, Heavy D's little cousin Pete has certainly carved himself a nice hip hop legacy. Now CL Smooth is a little different. Although I've always thought of him as solid, and likely a little underrated, he has his detractors (the Ack being one of them). And although CL has put out a couple solo albums in the last 5 years, it's as PR's vocal counterpart that he'll always be remebered by most folks.

And with good reason too. More than one respected hip hop "best songs ever" list likely has They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) in it's top ten. The heartfelt ode to Trouble T-roy tells tales of CL's childhood over one of the more perfect beats hip hop has ever seen. That song is of course from the aforementioned Mecca and the Soul Brother, which also contains my favorite PR & CL song, Straighten It Out. So, of course I'm posting those two songs, along with another fav from that album, Can't Front On Me. The b-side to T.R.O.Y. is another of my favorite jams, The Creator, and so I'm also posting the remix of that song. The other single from that album was Lots of Lovin', which is a mellow jam for the ladies that I never much cared for, but I've just discovered the remix, which is awesome. And so you get that too. Enjoy!

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Creator (Slide To The Side Remix)

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Straighten It Out

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Lots Of Lovin' (Remix)

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Can't Front On Me

Pete Rock & C. L. Smooth - They Reminisce Over You

Labels: CL Smooth, Hip Hop, Old School Mondays, Pete Rock, T.R.O.Y.