(Thirty-Five Years)
Thirty-five years of writing, from T.R.O.Y. to now.
Fig. 01New Rochelle, NY — where it started, long before Elektra.
(Where It Started)
New Rochelle, First
Corey Brent Penn Sr. was born October 8, 1968, in New Rochelle, New York, to a mother who was still in high school. His father was largely absent after that. It was his grandparents who raised him — his grandmother, a pediatric nurse, and his grandfather, who worked pressing clothes at a dry cleaner. That upbringing, plain and unglamorous, shaped a work ethic long before any record did. He met Pete Rock at Mount Vernon High School, a friendship that would become one of hip-hop's most celebrated partnerships. But the partnership came second. New Rochelle came first.
Occupations
Lyricist, Performer
Sound
Boom Bap & Golden-Era Hip-Hop
Years Active
1991 — Present
Based In
New Rochelle, NY
The Circle
Pete Rock · DJ Premier · Mary J. Blige · Raekwon
Fig. 02Backstage — the names people know, and the ones behind them.
(Behind the Records)
The People Behind the Records
T.R.O.Y. — "They Reminisce Over You" — is an acronym most fans know by heart, but the story behind it is rarely told in full. It's a direct tribute to "Trouble" T Roy Dixon of Heavy D & the Boyz, a friend who died in 1990 after a fall while on tour. The song's third verse speaks to him directly — grief turned into one of the most enduring records in hip-hop. He's credited Heavy D and Funkmaster Flex with modeling a kind of professionalism and dignity he carried forward, and his bond with DMX went past music entirely. The catalog is full of names people know. The relationships behind it are the part that's harder to see.
Fig. 03Since the Day — self-released.
(Latest Release)
Since the Day
2024 · Single · C.L. Smooth
Produced by DJ Premier, with Mike Epps. Two names that do not appear on a record casually.
Fig. 04On the culture, three decades in.
(In His Own Words)
On Hip-Hop Today
Three decades in, he isn't quiet about where he thinks the culture has drifted. Speaking on Drink Champs in 2024, he pointed to a shift he's watched happen in real time — a culture that once used music as an escape now too often reflects the violence it used to write around, not through.
“There's so much violence in this culture now.”
(The Legacy of CL Smooth)
More Than Music
On Stage, Still Commanding
Three decades after T.R.O.Y., he still performs internationally — the same cadence, the same room-filling presence, undimmed.
In the Studio, Always Creating
From American Me through Since the Day, produced by DJ Premier, the catalog has never stopped growing — new work, released on his own terms.
With the People, Always Connected
Recorded and shared stages with Mary J. Blige, Raekwon, Run DMC, and Nujabes — a career built on real collaboration, not distance.
(Beyond the Music)
Know Him As More Than the Records
He doesn't want to be remembered for the hits alone. Three decades after T.R.O.Y., his message to the generation coming up is straightforward: build something real, protect the culture instead of just consuming it, and don't let noise pass for meaning. The music got him in the room. The rest — the roots, the people, the responsibility — is what he actually wants people to walk away knowing.
(@therealclsmooth)
See More on Social Media
Backstage, on stage, and everywhere in between — the rest of the story lives on Instagram.
(Stay Updated)
Tap In With CL Smooth
No noise, just the real — updates on new music and shows, direct to your inbox.