The Main Ingredient is the second album by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Released … Read Full Bio ↴The Main Ingredient is the second album by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Released in late 1994. It would become their last album together. Like their previous album, Mecca and the Soul Brother, The Main Ingredient was very well received by critics but overlooked by the mainstream.
Characterized by sultry soul and jazz samples, The Main Ingredient saw a more polished sound than the duo’s debut, building on the praise that they had already garnered. The album is notable for its snappy, crispy drums and extensive use of vocal scratches. Although missing a centerpiece on the scale of "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)", the album contains some of the duo's best known work, in the form of tracks such as the upbeat "In The House", and the catchy "Sun Won't Come Out", which features a lush vocal sample from the song of the same name by Harvey Scales.
Continuing a theme initiated by Mecca and the Soul Brother, brief instrumental interludes are placed at the beginning and end of songs. With the exception of just a few tracks, this feature is recurrent throughout the album. In addition, The Main Ingredient saw Rock fleshing out and defining his trademark production style, which is now recognized for often containing smooth basslines, swirling horns, filtered samples, and spacious grooves. The production on this album proved to be influential upon a legion of latter day producers.
Though overlooked at the time of its release, the album has since been re-evaluated with high critical acclaim. Allmusic's Stanton Swihart called it "an album that is far more focused" and "just as good as the first record, perhaps an even more satisfying single listen." Swihart described Rock's production work as "among some of the most seductive in hip-hop", and CL as "lyrically on point, spitting out intellectual rhymes and narratives that are just as propulsive and engaging as the music."
"I Got a Love" was the album's lead off single, followed by the Keni Burke sampling "Take You There" and "Searching", released in 1995. That same year, the duo appeared in a well received Sprite commercial, however they soon announced their breaking up citing creative differences; although both parties have since admitted that an unstable working relationship was the main cause. The album was a favorite of the late producer J Dilla, who played it while meeting with Pete Rock to record Slum Village's "Once Upon A Time" for the album, Fantastic, Vol. 2 in 1998.
Characterized by sultry soul and jazz samples, The Main Ingredient saw a more polished sound than the duo’s debut, building on the praise that they had already garnered. The album is notable for its snappy, crispy drums and extensive use of vocal scratches. Although missing a centerpiece on the scale of "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)", the album contains some of the duo's best known work, in the form of tracks such as the upbeat "In The House", and the catchy "Sun Won't Come Out", which features a lush vocal sample from the song of the same name by Harvey Scales.
Continuing a theme initiated by Mecca and the Soul Brother, brief instrumental interludes are placed at the beginning and end of songs. With the exception of just a few tracks, this feature is recurrent throughout the album. In addition, The Main Ingredient saw Rock fleshing out and defining his trademark production style, which is now recognized for often containing smooth basslines, swirling horns, filtered samples, and spacious grooves. The production on this album proved to be influential upon a legion of latter day producers.
Though overlooked at the time of its release, the album has since been re-evaluated with high critical acclaim. Allmusic's Stanton Swihart called it "an album that is far more focused" and "just as good as the first record, perhaps an even more satisfying single listen." Swihart described Rock's production work as "among some of the most seductive in hip-hop", and CL as "lyrically on point, spitting out intellectual rhymes and narratives that are just as propulsive and engaging as the music."
"I Got a Love" was the album's lead off single, followed by the Keni Burke sampling "Take You There" and "Searching", released in 1995. That same year, the duo appeared in a well received Sprite commercial, however they soon announced their breaking up citing creative differences; although both parties have since admitted that an unstable working relationship was the main cause. The album was a favorite of the late producer J Dilla, who played it while meeting with Pete Rock to record Slum Village's "Once Upon A Time" for the album, Fantastic, Vol. 2 in 1998.
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The Main Ingredient
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth Lyrics
All the Places All the places and spaces I've been All the places and…
Carmel City Let me take you on a journey through Carmel City Where…
Check It Out [CL Smooth] We go back and forth, sending this out to…
Escape [Pete Rock] Check the verse in the Bible says man shall…
Get on the Mic [CL Smooth] Capture this funakthon loaded by the Mecca Don …
I Get Physical It's going down from out of town Off the wicked streets…
I Got a Love What's going on baby? Ain't nutting - it's CL Smooth Sextafi…
In The Flesh "In the flesh" --> Big Daddy Kane (cut & scratched…
In the House I'd like to introduce myself Check it out and give me…
It's on You Chorus (with EPMD samples): On you ("Smile in my face, be…
Searching [CL Smooth] You're everything that I dream about, talk abou…
Sun Won't Come Out Open Sesame, stepping through the mist, it's the specialist …
Take You There Check it out Ahh yeah Back again with another hit…
Tell Me Tell me how you feel (Hey hey hey)…
The Main Ingredient One two, one two y'all One two, check it out Got my…
Worldwide [Rob-O] Who keeps it methods and orthodox, who caught the p…
We also have lyrics for these tracks by Pete Rock:
I Get Physical It's going down from out of town Off the wicked streets…
Take You There Check it out Ahh yeah Back again with another hit…
We also have lyrics for these tracks by C.L. Smooth:
take you there Check it out Ahh yeah Back again with another hit…