Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth

• Genre: Boom Bap/Nineties
• Hometown: Mt. Vernon

About

Hailing from Mt. Vernon, N.Y., Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth crafted some of the nicest tracks of the early 1990s. Backed by exceptionally smooth production flaunting a heavy jazz influence, the duo brought forth original, intelligent lyricism that addressed a wide variety of issues. Their first record, All Souled Out (1991), gave listeners a taste of their easygoing style; they followed a year later with the indisputable classic Mecca and the Soul Brother. Rock's skills behind the boards were exceptional, with deep, sample-laden hooks and seriously funky beats. C.L. came with buttery verses, rocking the mic with casual flows that were strong but relaxed, wordy but tight. A solid album from start to finish, Mecca also yielded their biggest hit, a saxophone-fuelled, deeply personal song about family called "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)." The duo's third album dropped in '94 and they split soon after. Pete Rock has continued to excel as a producer, steadily making hits for artists like Nas, Run-D.M.C., and Rakim.

- Brolin Winning