"They Reminisce Over You " is a song by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, inspired by the death of their close friend Troy Dixon in 1990. The song was the lead single off their debut album, Mecca and the Soul Brother, released in 1992, and later became a staple of classic early 1990s hip hop. The song peaked at #58 on the BillboardHot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.
Overview
Pete Rock in a 2007 interview with Village Voice:
Content
Over a saxophone and bass sample of Tom Scott's cover of "Today" by Jefferson Airplane, CL Smooth unravels fond memories of his own childhood, being the son of a young teenage mother, her father and four siblings, and the love he feels for other family members in working classMount Vernon. The chorus's ad libs are provided by Pete Rock. The 12 second intro is sampled from the 1971 song "When She Made Me Promise" by The Beginning of the End. The b-side of the 12" pressing is "The Creator", which is taken from the group's 1991EP, All Souled Out.
Acclaim
Although not a chart topper at the time of its release, "Reminisce..." has since gone on to become a staple in hip hop; one that immediately recalls a certain period in time as well as paying respects to lost ones, and acknowledging family members. Many critics consider it one of the best produced hip-hop songs, and it continues to appear on many "Greatest Songs" lists such as Q Magazine's "1001 Best Songs Ever", Spin Magazine's "Top 20 Singles of the 90s", and The Source's "100 Best Rap Singles Of All Time". It was voted #6 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs. It was also number 90 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. Pitchfork Media's included the song at number 35 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #12 on its list of "The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time."
Summary
"They Reminisce Over You" features a jazz bass line with a constant saxophone riff, and a backup singers' harmony in the background. Verse one discusses the hardships of growing up with a single mother. CL Smooth talks about how his father did not play a role in helping his mother raise him or his sister, and how his mother was forced to take on both roles in the household. He says that although his mother raised him right, he still needed a male figure in his life. He ultimately concludes the first verse saying that the lack of male leadership destines young men to repeat the cycle of not being involved in their own children’s lives. In the second verse CL Smooth talks about how his uncle played the crucial role of a male father figure in his life and helped him become a man and how more males need to make a positive impact on the community. Finally in the third verse CL Smooth speaks to his friend Troy. He thanks him for being one of the only people who believed in him and kept him on the right path. He then continues to update Troy on the well being of his family and saying that they reminisce about him.
