C.L. Smooth - The Outsider

CL Smooth, half of the legendary and influential "golden era" Hip Hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth, created many classic rap anthems during the 90s including "T.R.O.Y.", "Straighten It Out", and "Lots Of Lovin". CL has one of most recognizable voices in all of Hip Hop and he's back to bless the mic once again. After the pair split in 1995, CL Smooth remained musically inactive for about 10 years, only appearing on five isolated tracks with his former partner and declined even to appear as a guest on other artists' albums, with the exception of a track called "Only the Strong Survive" with DJ Krush. Recently, however, he has contributed vocals to songs by AZ and Dipset affiliate JR Writer. He released his debut solo album, "American Me" early this year. This CD, "The Outsider" is considered a companion piece to that album, further showcasing his relevance with a bunch of new tracks, remixes by J Period, Drawzilla and B Rock, plus live versions of some of his old mid 90s classics. Guests vocalists include Butta Verses (De La Soul associate), JR Writer, Scales of Nappy Roots, and Young Breed. "The Outsider" is hosted by So So Def's "Da Franchize" DJ Shakim of the Heavy Hitters and Super Friends DJ Crews, and with one listen, you'll realize that CL's voice still has the impact it did when it first was heard on the "All Souled Out" EP back in 1991. Product Description

Smooth lyricist

First off I was really excited and and really enjoyed CL's return to the scene with American Me. I didn't even know this mixtape was out until I checked out my man ctrx's review. I immediately purchased it from itunes for a much better price. The mixtape has tracks from the American Me album, some remixes, some new material, and live performances. I am a big fan of going to the show to see artists live so the live tracks really turned me on to this album. I got kind of hyped listening to T.R.O.Y. live almost as if I was there. CL was a vicious lyricist back in the day and he shows the same dedication to his lyrics with his modern day songs. I used to hope for pete rock and CL to get back together, but as it seems they are both doing just fine with out each other. Enhance your collection with this release. January 8, 2008

TERRIFIC!

It took me a second listen to realize that this is a terrific album. Intelligent Hip Hop but also musicially satisfying. And I love the mixtape production. Get it! October 17, 2007

A mixtape well worth your purchase!

A year after mounting his rap comeback with his first album in twelve years, American Me, East Coast legend C.L. Smooth returns with an official mixtape released by his Black Heart imprint, "The Outsider." This album has full distribution just like his last LP, but the mixtape designation means it isn't limited by the parameters of an album. Over 22 tracks, "The Outsider" contains some tracks from American Me, some new tracks, some remixes, and some live performances to create a fulfilling compilation of recent C.L. Smooth performances. The quality of the music on "The Outsider" is really outstanding, and provides some of the best music of 2007. The new songs in particular are excellent, showcasing heartfelt and thoughtful lyricism over excellent production. Just like the man who was my favorite MC as a kid, he utilizes a very smooth flow that maintains a commanding edge as well. Hopefully some of these will make the tracklist of his next LP. Some of my favorite moments of this album came in the live performances of his classic songs. The quality of these recordings is perfect, and he sounds great live. The balance between music and vocals is ideal, and unlike most rappers live, he doesn't yell his lyrics, and the result is comparable to a studio quality. It was fun to hear him rap his classic 90s songs that I know by heart from my childhood, and he remains very true to the originals. All of the remixes are also surprisingly good. Some are remixed versions of his own songs, which often improve on the originals, and others are remixes of current hits that add C.L.'s verses to them.

My only complaints are very minor ones about the overall product. You won't listen to this in the same way you would an album because if you're a C.L. fan you've likely heard a lot of the tracks before, but that doesn't take away from the overall product in my opinion. True to mixtape form, there are no track breaks, which may irritate some listeners as all the songs flow together in one long 75-minute track, and at that length it's a little long for one cohesive listen.

The album kicks off with an intro that gives in to "All We Ever Know," a great bonus track from American Me. Then, C.L. drops some heavy verses over the beat and hook to Shareefa's hit "I Need a Boss." I liked this song to begin with, and C.L.'s appearance makes it awesome. "No Justice" addresses problems within the black and poor community, a conscious new track with nice instrumentation. Shawn J Period's remix to "Impossible" maintains the beat from Freeway's "Line `Em Up" to make a track that's true to the original and equally enjoyable. Next, the listener is treated to a great live recording from Holland, where he performs the Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth classic "I Got a Love" and then his verse from the legendary Run-D.M.C. song "Down With the King." One of my favorite songs here was the remix to "Warm Outside," which is actually far superior to the original. Drawzilla's new beat gives it much more of a laidback summertime vibe and matches the lyrics better, and the hook is excellent. "Gorilla Pimpin'," one of the best songs from American Me, comes next, followed by the gorgeous "Is It Really You," a beautiful love song. Over a lovely beat, C.L. spits heartfelt and thoughtful verses to a loved one, the last verse is particularly stunning and inspiring. The title track is rough yet classy, with some nice verses. "Get Back" is also really nice, with some simple and subtly appealing production and cleverness on the mic. A live performance of "Straighten It Out" then gives way to a nice new verse over the same beat. The next highlight is "Love Is a Battlefield," a particularly philosophical and introspective track with some really creative and enjoyable production, I'm really loving this track right now. The Butter Verses collabo "War of the Roses" picks up where the last track left off lyrically, with a lighter vibe, and it's followed by a live performance of my favorite American Me song, "Smoke in the Air." I love the beat on "Who Ya Gonna Trust," which has an upbeat electronic vibe with a little uneasiness to it. B-Rock's remix of "Mesmerized" is a solid collabo with good guests by Dipset's J.R. Writer and Nappy Roots' Scales. John Legend's "Heaven Only Know" is given the C.L. Smooth remix treatment, a great idea that turns out splendidly. "American Gangster" is a decent mixtape collabo with SJ and Young Breed. The mixtape closes on a smart note, with a great live performance of "American Me" and the greatest rap song of all time, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"

There's a whole lot of great moments on this mixtape, and for any C.L. fan this is a must-have. It's cool to see what he's been up to and makes me really excited for the next LP. This compilation shows his many talents and vast potential in numerous instances, and I highly recommend this purchase. August 21, 2007

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