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Vinny_Says

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In anticipation of Mobb Deep

By Vinny_Says 7 Comments

**Note: I was inspired by GB user Bruce and his album reviews so I decided to look back at one of my favorite albums**

 
With the recent release of Albert "Prodigy" Johnson from prison for weapon offenses, the release of his autobiography "My Infamous Life" and the announcement that Mobb Deep signed with the indie division of Sony records
MTV
 I though it would be great to look back at the album that defined P and Hav as underground kings in the rap world.  
 
I don't claim to be an expert on Mobb Deep, and I wasn't "betrayed" by them when they signed with 50 cent, but I really love this album. I think Havoc is extremely underrated as a producer, but that's also his fault in a way. Prodigy's new book reveals a lot about how they came to be and how Mobb Deep operates, and also talks about P's fight with sickle cell, his thoughts on homosexuality, his Jazz background and just a bunch of other stuff relating to his life. Some claim that the audiobook version deserves to win rap album of the year, it's definitely worth a read if you're even remotely interested. Nevertheless, here are some of my thoughts on The Infamous....
 
No Caption Provided

 
Released in 1995, it was backed by a promotional single called Shook Ones Pt I which the group releases soon after signing to Loud records. It is basically the same song as Part 2 but with a different beat and different Prodigy verse:     
  
   
  It was on the B-side of Shook Ones pt II and on the international release of Hell on Earth, their 3rd album. It introduced the world to a grimy, dark and haunting underground sound that differed from their previous songs such as "hit it from the back" and "peer pressure". 
 
  
  The album starts strong with "The start of your ending", a macho description of what Mobb Deep will do to you if you fuck with them. They are from the hood and will shoot anyone (even at the hoes). I has perhaps one of the eeriest beats ever put on wax and is backed by a great drum loop, this songs sets the mood for the rest of the album. If you came for a brutal description of urban life surrounded by drugs and murder then this song is the perfect way to set it off. 
 
  
  
"Survival of the Fittest" is a classic in my mind. The dark piano loop will probably remain with me for the rest of my life. The song is similar to Shook Ones in terms of music and video. All of their videos are pretty much the same, you'll see Prodigy and Havoc hanging around their crew in the streets and rapping. I blame it on lack of imagination but at least it was fitting, there was no dancing and no girls but it did have a cameo by P Diddy and Nas. Speaking of Mr. Jones, before his feud he was recording with the Mobb regularly and contributed a verse to "An Eye for an Eye" along with Raekwon from the Wu Tang. 
 
 The Mobb with Nas and Raekwon
 The Mobb with Nas and Raekwon

The Infamous isn't particularly filled with guest spots but this one stands out. The first 3 songs have no sample credits and I'm unsure why, I know Havoc is good at sampling and keeping it secret but maybe these are completely original beats.
 
  
  "Give up the goods" was the final single released and it contained a verse by Big Noyd who would later be a big part of the Mobb Deep....euuhhh....experience. He claimed that that one verse on the song landed him a $300 000 deal with another record label. The video follows what I wrote above but this time in a club. Seriously, just go watch the Murda Muzik movie if you want to see a hour long version of this formula. They should watch that on the next BLLSL. Q-Tip knocks it out the park with an awesome sample of Esther Phillips' "That's all right with me".  He also produced the next track "Temperature's rising" which similar to Nas' "One Love" is told in a letter to an incarcerated friend. In this case it was Prodigy's brother Killa Black who had been caught by the authorities while both were on their way to the studio where they heard the news. The Patrice Rushen sample works great just like every other track. Seriously, if you can find a sample tape on the internet I suggest you check it out. 
  
  Some will tell you that 2Pac's song of the same is better....firstly: that is irrelevant and secondly they are crazy. "Cradle to the grave" is one of the best stories told in hip hop. This is up there with the stuff Kool G Rap, Rakim and Slick Rick were doing in terms of storytelling. The synergy between P and Havoc is ever-present on this track, and the deep base added to the overwhelming feeling of despair I got when I first heard this track. " Drink away the pain" is similar to songs such as "I gave you power" and "me and my girlfriend" where the narrator will talk about an inanimate thing but acting as if it were a person. I'm sure there's a term for that but I don't have a PhD in English literature. 
 

Shook Ones Part II



    
  This is the one, the one song that defines a rapper or group. This is their "paranoid", their "thriller", their "crazy train", their "Straight outta Compton". It is their greatest song and greatest video. I had the jersey Prodigy was wearing custom made with the miss-pelt Hennessy and all. If I was forced to only listen to one song for the rest of my life, this would be a strong candidate. Only listening to it will do it justice.
 
The sample used was uncredited for the longest time because Havoc kept the secret so well, it was only in March 2011, some 15 years after it's release that an internet user finally discovered what it actually was. Havoc made such a good job of disguising it that it took some clever music majiks to finally uncover it. Check out the video below of how Shook Ones Pt 2 came to be:
  
  
Ive watched this video over and over and still am amazed by it. Just a great random internet video! 
 
A score you ask? 5 mics, 5 stars, 2 thumbs up, whatever it's a classic where every song is amazing!
 
 
 

The self titled album

 
So here's to hoping that whatever Mobb Deep works on next will be great again. Prodigy released a pretty decent EP after his stint in jail and the group once again recorded with Nas after their long feud. I truly believe Havoc can still produce haunting beats like he used to. His production on the Bad Meets Evil Ep is proof:
 
  
  This was my favorite song on the album before I even looked at the production credits. However pissed he may be at Prodigy, Hav just needs to put that aside and make music again and get their cash flow to return, as they like to put it.  
 
Here's to hoping....for better photoshop skills.
Here's to hoping....for better photoshop skills.
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