Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Main Ingredient (November 8, 1994)

One year is a long-ass time. More accurately, it's been more than one year since people heard the duo of Phillips & Penn aka the PP's bka Pete Rock & CL Smooth on the song One In A Million off the Poetic Justice OST. People were absolutely salivating at the mouth to hear more out of the Mount Vernon duo. Not me, though. I didn't get exposed to our duo until the past decade, around the same time I heard most of the hip hop I love today.

Regardless though, these two really kept busy after their triumphant LP Mecca And The Soul Brother, (where their lead single T.R.O.Y. instantly became an anthem of grief still revered to this day) with guest appearances on Run-DMC's Down With The King (Pete producing three songs while rapping with Corey on the one that matters, the title track. Also the lead single.) as well as Da Youngsta's The Aftermath (Pete producing two songs while also rapping with Corey one the one that matters, Who's The Mic Wrecka?, which isn't even a single, even though it really should've been.) Add those to Pete's ever-growing list of production appearances on various then-high-profile artists' albums. To name a few: His own famous cousin Heavy D,  Doug E. Fresh, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Nas, K-Solo, Redman, and the list goes on. Do you understand why a lot of people were waiting for this album now?

Which brings me to a different issue I currently have with these two's reception in the industry: Why is it that the benefits from the duo's discography seem exclusive to Pete Rock only? Don't get me wrong, the man deserves every bit of success he's got as a producer. However, there are literally no CL Smooth features anywhere relevant until friggin' 2004, unless it's a project somehow related to Pete Rock. It's as if he's forever linked with his producer. I can't believe it's because of lack of lyrical quality on Corey's end, for if anything, the man proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's one of the most complete MCs in history on MATSB. Maybe it's that Corey lacked some business sense back then. For whatever reason, it's a crying shame no one remembers him as much aside from T.R.O.Y., because he is for damn sure more than a one-hit wonder.

Anyways, Elektra somehow missed the effects MATSB had on the industry because, fuckheads that they are, they pushed for a sappy love rap PR & CL submitted as part of the drafted album sampler called I Got A Love to be the lead single for the new project. You know, because Lots Of Lovin' was a radio smash, right? Even though Pete was clearly pushing for another song, Take You There, to lead the album. After I Got A Love was released in September, it predictably flopped. Hard. Only in October did the fuckheads release Take You There as the second single, but by then it was too late.

Furthermore, the climate in which The Main Ingredient was released was vastly different to that of its predecessor's. This was the era where if you hailed from NY and you weren't from Death Row or Bad Boy or affiliated with either in some way, chances are radio will not give you a second glance. I mean, it's not like MATSB did Thriller numbers but it still somehow stuck with people till this day. You're here to find out if The Main Ingredient did the same.

Here we go:

IN THE HOUSE
After a short Deodato prelude where Biz Markie vocals are expertly cut, Pete breaks out an exquisite Cannonball Adderley Quintet loop where Corey gets busy with a first verse that reaffirms Ghostface Killah's similarity to his style. And by association, every acclaimed stream-of-consciousness rapper in the 2000s follows suit since they all bit from Ghost himself. Up next, it's Pete with yet another ghostwriter, Robert Odindo aka Rob-O from InI. Because Pete is forever cursed when it comes to lyrics and he knows this, so I can't blame him. In turn, he can't blame me for not crediting him with the lyrical skill his verse displayed so allow me to rephrase: Up next, it's Rob-O with a smoldering verse that really establishes his penchant for punchlines! No hard feelings eh, Pete? If it's any consolation, I really think Rob-O is the D.O.C. to your Dr. Dre so at least you chose well? Anyways, Corey bats cleanup with a verse that, while stylistically similar to his prior verse, differs from it in subject matter. Because this one is all about establishing him as a threat to those who take him lightly whereas the first showed his charms in parties and to the ladies. Might I add that the way Pete samples Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest sounds as if The Abstract's right there spitting the hook effortlessly with them. Here, I give this album an edge over the previous one in the choice for the opening track. The icing on the cake is the outro sampled from Roy Ayers. Awesome.

CARMEL CITY
Props to PR for discovering this Milt Jackson/Ray Brown Big Band sample, opening the door for other great artists to make classics like Large Professor's Ijuswannachill, Heltah Skeltah's Therapy and De La Soul's Dinninit. Furthermore near the end, Pete scratches the whistle sample as if it's the lost instrument in this masterful composition. Too bad CL here decided that this would be suitable for an insipid sex rap. The most infuriating aspect of his performance, however, is that his fantastic first verse tricks you into thinking the whole song will be a tour through the fictional titular city. I don't even mind him boasting about his sexual prowess during said verse, as long as it's not the main focus. Too bad he veers off into sex rap territory from the second verse onward. This song could've been so much more, but as it stands all you'll like is the beat and the first verse, which is disappointing.

I GET PHYSICAL
The minute you hear the great Big Daddy Kane's sampled voice, you immediately know what you're in for: A healthy dose of bragging. If done right, such doses can make for timeless experiences. In this case, the lyrics dished out by Corey here stand among the very best he's ever written. No lie. This shit ranks up there with all your favorite tracks devoted solely to the art of braggadocious MCing. Of course the George Benson loop supplied by Pete Rock has been mixed to utter perfection, so there's that. This will stick in your head for days.

SUN WON'T COME OUT
From one bragging classic to another as the quotables keep coming. This is one fine one-two combo, as CL wilds out on PR's amazing second sampling of Nautilus. Only problem I have with this song is Pete Rock's crappy hook. Damn, his listing of their hits grates on my senses. Adding insult to injury is the fact that the Harvey Scales sample that gave the song its title was sampled perfectly for the hook, so all Pete had to do was shut the fuck up. Oh well, our duo still deserves crazy props for this track.

I GOT A LOVE
And here's where the momentum comes to a screeching halt. Seriously, how can one listen to this and decide it's lead single material for a group like goddamn Pete Rock & CL Smooth?! This is one song that is an affront to each and every one of your senses. The beat is definitely half-assed, with its ludicrous Ambassadors sample and Corey dumbing his lyrics way too down for my tastes, even though his flow is still something impressive. I'm sorry but this song is inexcusable.

ESCAPE
Good thing I can count on Rob-O to get me back in the proper mood for some good hip hop, right? Because he has a definite chemistry that sends crystal clear signals of classic-music potential with the Petestrumentals he writes to. (See what I did there?) Speaking of which, the Petestrumental present here is absolutely breathtaking, with the Ramsey Lewis sample somehow flipped from its original uplifting tune to an ominously daring melody. Maybe it's the echoing Biz Markie sample in the background, as the dude's early material really had a grandiose feel about it. Or maybe it's that Pete's ear for bringing the unexpected out of a sample is frighteningly good, joining the rest of the legendary producers from that era in that particular aspect. For the outro, Pete freaks a mesmerizing beat once again out of the prior Milt Jackson/ Ray Brown Big Band sample.

THE MAIN INGREDIENT
In musical terms, this song's beat is the spiritual sequel to PR's previous work on If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right. Because he resumes his contention for the crown of 'Mad Scientist' that all producers aspire to achieve. Seriously, two seconds from Tyrone Washington? One second from George Duke, expertly paired with a friggin' chanting sample from Albino Gorilla? With a deft Les McCann switch-up thrown in for good measure? Add all that to an infectious combination of KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane and a two-second Tyrone Washington sax? I gotta catch my breath. Of course, he managed to make a battle-worthy beat out of all that, so CL really didn't have any choice but to fully commit to the bait. And he does so with a braggadocious contribution that very much matches the lofty-as-all-hell standards we've seen from him on that front. This man really is on a lyrical mission, one he's pretty much succeeded in so far. Too bad the ad-libs exceptionally grate on the nerves here. Once again, though, a magnificent outro by Pete that samples The Modern Jazz Quartet this time. Really killing it with these musical interludes

WORLDWIDE (FEATURING ROB-O)
Mr. Odindo is the breakout star of this album. For real, this dude's lyrics are featured on the album almost as much as Corey's. Eight verses in total! Pity that didn't really lead to something worthwhile for him. Nevertheless, He and Pete take turns reciting his lyrics, and Pete recites the dogpiss out of them. I do suppose that it's weird when someone performs your own lyrics better than you, but Pete's voice is more authoritative than Rob-O's own. In a way, I kind of prefer it like this. sort of keeps the illusion intact. The bat finds Pete once again working wonders with the xylophone samples, as expected. This song was awesome.

ALL THE PLACES
Opening with the final seconds of a James Brown classic? Timeless. This song is a hypnotic repeat of Sun Won't Come Out that utilizes a prominent Donald Byrd loop, only with PR heavily dialing down on the ad-libs, thank the Almighty. Trust me when I tell you that this is one of those beats that evoke a strong sense of nostalgia out of you, even if said sense doesn't necessarily correlate to the beat itself. Conversely, CL decides to dial up his imagery. Thereby forcing his stream-of-consciousness writing to display true feats of lyricism. Fourth smash in a row, so far.

TELL ME
Um, what the actual motherfuck?! Aside from his by-now customary outro which samples that Oliver Sain sample, any wizardry Pete is attempting with his sampling of Stan Getz is obliterated by him braying on Corey's already-lame-as-menses hook. I know he isn't literally braying but he might as well be, truthfully. Hell, the resulting beat is one steaming pile of sow-dung. What makes the whole package even more of an abomination is the fact that Corey contributes the dreadiest of all narratives. Seriously, for a love story with a happy ending, this is one depressing story. This shit should've stayed inside Pete & Corey's respective heads.

TAKE YOU THERE (FEATURING CRYSTAL JOHNSON)
The second single, and the one PR & CL were pushing for to be the lead. Built squarely upon the same Keni Burke sample source PR used in his monster posse cut The Basement on MATSB, Pete enlists the help of one Crystal Johnson to elevate the track's status to a club banger. Goddamn, I wish all club bangers sounded like this again. The result is an epic sweeping instrumental that screams for CL to go nuts over. And go nuts he did, with a majestic serving of BNB (boasts-n-bullshit) that wouldn't sound out of place to this day. The man has transformed into a quotable machine. 'I’m living through my son so daddy see it this way/I want him in the NFL, his brother in the NBA'? Contrasts beautifully with lines like 'I’m blowing up spots for knots in the millennium years/And now I drop it on my peers, brings tears and fears'. I mean, these smacktalking combos are the stuff of myth. When this was released as a single, Pete released a remix thereto that will blow your head clean off your shoulders. It’s that good.

SEARCHING (FEATURING VINIA MOJICA)
Again with the love songs! Our duo must've gotten some crazy ass for this album to go the way it did, with four useless friggin' love songs outta sixteen. And you can't tell me that Mr. Peter Phillips' giant aping of Roy Ayers doesn't sound like the cheesiest of all cheesy R&B songs back then with a straight face. And Mr. Corey Penn sure saved the sleaziest of all his sex raps for last didn't he? Vinia Mojica would go on to do bigger and better things with her crooning. I've never wanted to call these two the PP's more than after listening to this garbage.

CHECK IT OUT
This song is going to have to be a blast if it's going to pull me out of the mood I'm currently in. Thankfully, it's just that. The Soul Brother earns his keep by looping a Young-Holt Unlimited sample at just the right measure. And the Mecca Don responds by turning in yet another flawless bragging display, albeit one that's splashed here and there with some vivid introspection and imagery, and you know how good he is at doing that.

IN THE FLESH (FEATURING ROB-O & DEDI)
This is supposed to be the sequel to The Basement, but unfortunately Grap and the Hevster are noticeable in their absence. Nevertheless, the remaining crew pull through after an above-average snippet by Dedi. The Modern Jazz Quartet-sampling beat on that intro would later serve as the backdrop of Sadat X' Escape From New York, also featuring Dedi. Here though, The George Benson loop, when finally unveiled, forces you to focus on the MCs' lyrics. Also, the addition of various Steve Miller samples further adds to the building crescendo of each verse, marked by Pete's melodic scratching of a sampled Big Daddy Kane uttering the track's title. This wouldn't count for squat, of course, if the rappers didn't deliver. Thankfully, they did, and in spades. Corey was his by-now standard arbitrary self in his bragging, with Rob-O following suit spectacularly.  Dedi did as good as one would expect of him, yet he kind of foreshadowed some pretty low lyrical moments for him here. As for Pete? Well, if Rob did well, you know Pete followed in similar fashion. Because, you know, Rob wrote his lines, see. (Fuck you if this whole ghostwriting schtick pissed you off)

IT'S ON YOU (OUTRO BY GRAP LUVA)
I'm not sure if you noticed, but there seems to be a void in the introspection side of this album so far, right? I mean, MATSB had so many reflection on the various issues facing black men. Well, imagine if all these songs were balled up and rolled into one. Impossible, you say? I give you this track: A mafioso tale encompassing the dark & soulless existence of winning in the criminal life. No tragic death found here, he wins. But the thing is, maybe the fact that he continues to live this miserable life is the real tragedy highlighted here. At least, that's what CL relayed with his best lyrical performance bar none in my humble opinion. A wicked combination of an Ahmad Jamal loop, a California Dreamers vocal sample and four Erick Sermon bars from his glory days with the immortal EPMD were all PR needed to surround CL's harrowing tale with the tunes it deserves. The icing on the was when PR looped Ahmad Jamal again on the outro for a small sampler from his younger brother Grap Luva, who does the best anyone can do with 30 seconds mic time. Why didn't you include him on In The Flesh? Why?

GET ON THE MIC
The title, given by a Biz Markie sample, can only mean that this track will be a battle track. Sure enough, Corey brings his brand of imagery, punchlines and brags to close out a brilliant partnership that has lasted for at least five years, while Pete gives him the bloodpumping backdrop that fits the occasion with a smartly-cut Jeanne & The Darlings loop. I would've closed out the album with the previous track myself and bumped this track up a few tracks. But that's me.

FINAL THOUGHTS
By the time you finish The Main Ingredient, it feels kind of bittersweet. Even though this really isn't the final time these two work together. I can't really put my finger on it, but maybe it's the fact that they dissolved this partnership that has produced many a classic. And yes, even a few on this album. Pete makes sure of that with his production that proves, if nothing, that his ear only got better with time, which allowed him to musically make The Main Ingredient one of my two favorite albums of his production career. On the lyrical front, it strikes me that CL is out to prove that he is an MC's MC on this album. Too bad, critics and fans alike didn't really give him a chance, with them too attached to his excellent choices in subject matter on the previous album. Here, he zeroed in on proving that he could lyrically do things no one else can do, no matter how hard they tried. And to that effect he succeeded gloriously. I mean, his flow still remains on of the most headnodding flows in hip hop history, and he was able to juggle that with lyrical dexterity. Sure as hell looks like a success to me. Best way to sum the lyrical content of this album in comparison to the previous one is that it's the Ironman to MATSB's Purple Tape. The Goodfellas to their Runaway Slave.

WORTH IT? You owe it to yourself to acquire this album. Everyone who has a vague interest in boom bap knows what Pete Rock could do with an SP1200 back then, and the vast majority of this album is no exception. And if by chance you claim to be a fan of these two yet you dislike the album? I'm willing to bet that you never really understood what CL Smooth was about as an MC, because he was so much more than a preacher on that mic.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
WHAT'S NEXT ON THE MENU
Off the Who's The Man? OST in 1993. The reason I added this song here rather than on the MATSB review is that I believe that the song could've fit right at home on this album, with PR's adrenaline rush of a mashup between Nautilus and Kool & The Gang. And the sax samples throughout add that extra bit of magic that make this beat absolutely timeless. CL answers his producer's challenge by displaying two verses that echo the various bragging vibes found on The Main Ingredient, except this time he chooses to amaze you with an all-new aspect of his performance: Breath control. This shit hails from the same school as the many wondrous contributions of the G Raps, the Treaches, the Big Puns of hip hop have given over the years. Oh, and this might very well be the only time that CL ever ghostwrote for Pete. To his credit, PR has always been pretty good at delivering lyrics on the mic if they’re written competently enough, and here they’re so good that Pete sounds like CL’s twin, the highest of compliments. A must-hear.

WE SPECIALIZE (FEATURING KENNY AUSTIN OF THE YG'Z)
Back with the xylophone samples is Pete Rock to take your breath away once again on this b-side to Searching. Yes, that piece of ear rape really came out as a single. Ugh. CL Smooth really did all the heavylifting on the lyrics here, since all Kenneth here contributed was a measly 10 bars. Granted his flow was impressive, only because it aped that of CL himself. Speaking of which, the man continues to amaze with his confidence shining through his choices in referencing, imagery and punchlines. Add that with Pete's smart scratches of KRS-One, the late great ODB and my favorite cut, PMD, and you've got yourself a hidden classic, my friend. And we're done.

For more of the one who isn't CL Smooth, here.