I may be mainly a West Coast and Southern Rap fan, but I definitely dig the East Coast sound too. Pete Rock is easily one of my favorite producers with his boombastic, bass heavy beats and perfectly tailored scratches, and CL Smooth's butta flow fits the beats sweetly; this EP from 1991 is no exception. "Good Life" is a cool jazz-horn laden banger with CL droppin knowledge of heads trying to up their stations in life. The Group Home mix has a cool drum-laden boom bap beat. "Mecca And The Soul Brother" is a sweet melody driven classic that clearly displays the chemistry between MC and producer. CL flexes his skills hard here. I love the adrenaline paced Pete Rock solo, "The Creator" with a cool, fast paced drum laden boom bap beat with jazz horns in the hook, and Pete Rock really flows here. The joint is upbeat and has a cool swagger to it. He shows that he leads, not follows. CL lets sucker MC's know they can't fade his flow on what else, the funky "Go With The Flow." The title track has another fast paced vibe. When CL can talk about watermelon seeds and felons in the same sentence and make them relevant, you know he got skills. This EP is a classic primer for the 1992 full length banger Mecca And The Soul Brother. After 1994's classic The Main Ingredient (yes, 3 straight classics), there would be no more Pete Rock and CL Smooth duo albums, just a few songs here and there together; what a shame because the rap game could use them united as a duo right now.
February 26, 2008Before the full length LP, this ep was released a year before. Not a lot of people are up on it. It s definitely a classic that emoboides hip hop from beginning to end. Dope samples, scratching, mixing by pete rock. The lyrical department is well covered by CL. Complete your collection of pete rock and cl and pick up this classic EP.
May 23, 2007 |  | "There is no other...Mecca and the Soul Brother" |  |
Plainly stated, "All Souled Out" is one of the more important EPs of early nineties hip hop. This was Pete and CL's coming out party, and although it is more obscure than their classic albums, "Mecca and the Soul Brother" and "The Main Ingredient", it contains music easily on par to those two albums. All six tracks contain the immortal production and slick lyricism that made them the best team in hip hop. Pete's talents are evident even on this early recording, with his signature horn loops, hollow drums, and intros and outros set. CL floats over the beats, always making it sound easier than it is, with his conscious yet laid back sound. Fans of old school and jazz rap should know that "All Souled Out" is a must to their collection.
"The Good Life" opens the EP, and it might be the best track of the bunch. CL's slick abilities are at their best here, speaking of the pros and cons of wealthiness over Pete's horn and bass laden track. On "Mecca and the Soul Brother", CL takes the time to introduce the duo and rap about pretty much whatever else he wants to, over a spinning and beautiful horn line. "Go With the Flow" is another favorite of mine. The beat is very unique, Pete abandons his beloved horns for a toned down flute and bass line. "The Creator" is Pete Rock's solo track, and he shines. The quick bass and horns are a perfect complement to his baritone, laid back voice, and he does a great job on the mic. "All Souled Out" is a great lyrical and musical track, and Group Home's remix to the opening track is another cool take on it, I like it almost as much as the first.
This album is a must have for anyone who enjoyed their other two. Pete and CL were arguably the best team in hip hop, and their short time together produced only limited recordings. This EP will not disappoint anyone.
March 27, 2006As fas as introductions go, this EP by Pete Rock and CL Smooth truly showcases the talents each has to bring to the table. From the undeniable dope production on the positive "Good Life" and "Mecca and the Soul Brother", to the boastful "The Creator". Perhaps a tad short, All Souled Out is nevertheless a must for any fan of "da Two" and definitely whets the appetite for their other albums.
December 27, 2004This EP came out in 1991 before Pete Rock & CL Smooth's critically acclaimed album Mecca & the Soul Brother. What can I say about this disc? Every track on here is a banger. My favorite being relaxed "Mecca & the Soul Brother". On this EP Pete Rock introduced the world to his soulful and jazzy style of production. The way this man flipped samples was amazing. Fans also got their first taste of the mellow flows of Pete's partner CL Smooth on this EP. They make the perfect duo. No one can rhyme over a Pete Rock beat like CL Smooth. If you're a fan of Pete & CL or generally a fan of true hip-hop then I recommend you buy this if you don't already have it.
September 29, 2004More reviews at Amazon.com ...
