Search - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth :: Main Ingredient

Those Were The Days............

C. Gray | Brooklyn, New York | 01/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Back when MC's actually sat down and wrote intricate intelligent lyrics, there was a rapper name CL Smooth who was as respected as they came. Teamed with the super producer Pete Rock, the duo would combine for two all-time classics; Mecca & The Soul Brother and the Main Ingredient. Both offerings are equally timeless pieces of art. However, the second can be considered the more focused and polished work of the two. Going into this album Pete Rock made a name for himself as a producer who was adept in looping horn riffs into melodic and jazzy rhythms. Rather than following his own blueprint, he advanced his style on the Main Ingredient, creating a more ambitious and soulful album. He brings his A-game, because in the early 90's the rap game was generated by A-list producers and MC's. The standout production includes I Get Physical with its gentle guitar riff; I Got a Love with its driving energetic hook; All the Places with its soulful jazzy light cadence; I'll Take You There with its head bopping yet easeful kick; and the title cut which is laced with the aforementioned signature horn riffs. While Pete Rock provides the engine for this ship, CL Smooth directs the navigation with his well thought lyrics that compliment each track like french fries to a burger. There are no ignorant misogynistic references, or useless repetitious usage of the N-word. This is pure hip-hop when hip-hop seemed to matter as a true art form. This album represents a time when MCs maintained their respective pace and competition through the use of intelligence as opposed to lazy ignorance."

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth- The Main Ingredient

Constant | Vancouver, BC Canada | 09/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's second album "The Main Ingredient" (1994) is an underated slept on gem. Pete Rock's amazing production matched with C.L.'s addictive and intelligent rhyming make an album to remember. Beats are excellent from start to finish on this sixteen track release, cd has great replay value and music sounds ahead of its time which it was. My favourite track is "It's On You" love the verses, beat and background chorus on this one. Love the way "I Get Physical" flows and the outstanding guitar & piano backed "All The Places" has C.L. talking about where he has been- a very memorable track. Relaxed tracks like "Carmel City" , "Searching" and lead single "Take You There" create a feel good album. Music on this is substantial and relaxed at the same time. Every track on this is nice to me, and "The Main Ingredient" flows concurrently throughout with the end result being a highly enjoyable and memorable album which I would recommend for any Hip Hop collection."

Criminally Slept On {5 Stars}

Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 02/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll go ahead and state the obvious: Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth never made a bad album. Period. They could probably come back from their 13 year hiatus and drop another classic as far as I'm concerned. The thing that makes this album great is 1) Pete Rock's immaculate production and 2) C.L.'s flow. You can't say that any of their albums sound like someone elses. CL has a unique format and interesting wordplay that commands attention. Pete Rock is easily one of the top 5 producers in hip hop history and his ear for jazz samples is unmatched to this day. They blend their talents on this album and the songs bleed into each other perfectly. Did I mention how P.R. drops snippets between tracks? Forget about it. He drops just enough to make you crave and come back for more. If you're not instantly feeling this album, your heart isn't beating.



Flaws? Forget about it. Moving on...



The Main Ingredient is the last release from the duo known as Pete Rock & CL Smooth. That should be reason enough for you to get this. If that's not enough, know that Pete Rock's production is on point and CL Smooth's unique flow and wordplay make for one of the smoothest/laid back rap albums you'll ever hear. This is one of those rap albums that hits you in a way that makes you remember exactly what you're doing and where you were when you heard it for the first time. Anything less than 5 stars for this album borders on blasphemous. I recommend making this album a collection cornerstone.



Standout Tracks: I Got A Love (My Favorite), In The House, Sun Won't Come Out, Carmel City....hell, every track on this album is top notch and they all stand out.

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