CL SMOOTH Vinyl & CDs

Review: The reissue of Pete Rock & CL Smooth's Main Ingredient reminds hip-hop heads what a timeless masterpiece it really is. The record has a sure place in hip-hop history and has since it was originally released in 1994. The album showcases the duo's famous and unparalleled chemistry, with Pete Rock's soulful production and CL Smooth's smooth lyricism blending seamlessly on tracks that continue to resonate with listeners and very much capture the essence of 90s hip-hop while still remaining relevant today. 'Sun Won't Come Out', 'The Main Ingredient', and 'Get On The Mic' all demand to be played loud and proud

Review: A timeless sample transmission is documented on this latest reissue from From The Voltz, a label whose 7" works specialise in such historicisms. In this case, we've the 1991 single 'They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)' by Pete Rock and CL Smooth, a mythical hip-hop duo from Mount Vernon, New York, whose foundational work in the East Coast rap and DJing scene enabled many later developments. With Rock especially often grouped among the best and most esteemed of rap producers alongside Premier and RZA, 'T.R.O.Y.' is emblematic of the era's distinctive jazz-hop breezes. In turn, the track sampled 'When She Made Me Promise', a relatively obscure Nassau funk group formed in 1969; the sample can be instantly clocked, save for its shrewd pitching down by a tone or two.