Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth

Mount Vernon, New Yorkers Pete Rock (a producer/DJ) and rapper C.L. Smooth emerged in the early ’90s as a powerhouse performance duo. Their 1992 album Mecca & the Soul Brother was a hip-hop classic with great cuts including “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” and “Straighten It Out.” They later collaborated with Mary J. Blige for a remix of her song “Reminisce” that effectively merged the two tracks in a re-edited hit. Their next album, The Main Ingredient, appeared in 1994, but they parted ways for solo careers one year later. Through productions and remixes for dozens of artists, including Heavy D & the Boyz, Public Enemy, and Nas, as well as several solo ventures, Pete Rock solidified his reputation as one of the most crucial figures in hip-hop. C.L. Smooth released a pair of albums during the 2000s. The duo occasionally reconnected, toured together, and talked of new recordings. ~ Ron Wynn