CL Smooth

CL Smooth (born Corey Brent Penn, Sr., October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York) is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.[1]

CL Smooth
Birth nameCorey Brent Penn
Also known asCaramel King
The Mecca Don
C.L.
El Presidente
Corey Kingpenn
Born (1968-10-08) October 8, 1968
OriginNew Rochelle, New York, United States
Genres
  • Rap
  • East Coast Hip Hop
Occupation(s)MC, Producer, Actor
Years active1989–present
LabelsElektra, Shaman Work/Koch, All Grind Entertainment
Associated actsPete Rock, Heavy D, AZ, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Nujabes, DJ Krush

Career

After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth split in 1995, Pete Rock produced (and remixed) tracks for dozens of other acts and released instrumental solo albums, while CL Smooth remained musically inactive.

Since their split, the two managed to reconcile their differences only long enough to record five tracks over the course of ten years, namely "Da Two," "Back On Da Block," "Fly 'Til I Die," "Appreciate," and "It's A Love Thing." In 2004, there was talk of a reunion and a new album. This, however, was thwarted by another fallout.

During this period, CL Smooth mostly declined to appear on other artists' albums, with the exception of "Only the Strong Survive" with DJ Krush in 1996. Recently, however, he has contributed vocals to songs by AZ ("Magic Hour"), Nujabes ("Sky is Falling") and Dipset affiliate J. R. Writer (the remix of "Mesmerize") or Supafuh ("Act of Faith").

He released his debut solo album, American Me, in 2006. To promote the album, Shaman Work released a promotional mixtape compiled by DJ J Period called Man On Fire in late April 2006, featuring 36 minutes of freestyles and a remixed version of the track "Impossible". He was also featured on the DJ Jazzy Jeff album The Return of the Magnificent on the track "All I Know," which was also featured in the video game NBA Live 08.

In October 2010 Smooth and Pete Rock headlined the "Clean Energy Tour,"[2] which had six shows all over California and focused on voter mobilization leading up to the November mid-term elections. He has developed an interest in climate change and become a vocal opponent of Proposition 23.[3]

In February 2019 CL Smooth released a single titled "Just In Town," featuring and produced by Fleezy E and Wayno Da Producer for Da Watchmen.

Discography

Solo albums

Pete Rock & CL Smooth albums
Album information
Mecca and the Soul Brother
The Main Ingredient

Collaborations
  • Johnny Gill feat. CL Smooth "Rub You The Right Way (Extended Hype I)" (1990)
  • Basic Black feat. Pete Rock & C.L Smooth "She's Mine" (1990)[4]
  • Heavy D & The Boyz feat. Big Daddy Kane, Grand Puba, Kool G Rap, Q-Tip & Pete Rock & CL Smooth "Don't Curse" (1991)
  • Greg Osby feat. CL Smooth "Raise" (1993)[5]
  • Da Youngsta's feat. Pete Rock & CL Smooth "Who's the Mic Wrecka" (1993)
  • Run-DMC feat. Pete Rock & CL Smooth "Down With the King" (1993)
  • DJ Krush feat. CL Smooth "Only the Strong Survive" (1996)
  • Pete Rock feat. CL Smooth "Da Two" (1998)
  • Pete Rock feat. CL Smooth "Back on the Block" (2001)
  • Pete Rock feat. CL Smooth "Appreciate" (2004)
  • AZ feat. CL Smooth "Magic Hour" (2006)
  • Nujabes feat. CL Smooth "Sky Is Falling" (2007)
  • Vee feat. CL Smooth "Da Piano" (2009)
  • Cradle Orchestra feat. CL Smooth "All I Want" (2009)
  • Cradle Orchestra feat. CL Smooth & Jean Curley "Married To The Game" (2010)
  • John Legend & The Roots feat. CL Smooth "Our Generation (The Hope of the World)" (2010)
  • Supafuh feat. CL Smooth Act Of Faith (2011)

References
  1. Allmusic biography
  2. "Clean Energy Tour". cleanenergytour.com.
  3. C.L. Smooth Raps About Stopping Dirty Energy. YouTube. 13 October 2010.
  4. Basic Black - She's Mine (Feat. Pete Rock & C.L Smooth. Youtube).
  5. Greg Osby Feat. CL Smooth - Raise (1993). Vimeo.


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