ARTIST: Mobb Deep
ALBUM: The Infamous Mobb Deep
LABEL: Infamous Records
RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014
Keepin’ it Deep
Written by Jeremy Weeden
Mobb Deep is legendary in the world of hip-hop. As the two MCs from Queens, Kejuan “Havoc” Muchita and Albert “Prodigy” Johnson have been making classic rap music for years. From “Shook Ones (Part II)” to “Survival of the Fittest” to “Quiet Storm,” Mobb Deep is known for making hard gritty hip-hop and The Infamous Mobb Deep is no different. Almost 20 years after their breakthrough second LP The Infamous, Mobb Deep have stayed true to their formula for making music. Along with old cohorts like Alchemist and new collaborators like Boi-1da, Mobb Deep are able to recapture the magic and deliver a very good album. In a very smooth, shiny world of hip-hop Mobb Deep provide some welcoming grit.
The Infamous Mobb Deep starts with the hard-hitting “Taking You off Here,” a classic throwback to the 90’s golden era of rap. This track is undeniably Mobb Deep picking up where they left off with Havoc’s rugged, raw production style on full display. Prodigy and Havoc demonstrate their natural chemistry and continue their penchant for vivid portrayals of street life. The next track “Say Something” displays Havoc’s underrated talent for rhyming as he drops bars like “I am not normal, let me be the first to warn you/Paranoid as fuck, front on me that metal on you/Tears down the face of those that most adore you/ Fuck the king of New York, H been royal.”
“Legendary” features two other timeless acts: Bun B and Juicy J. This track is produced by Boi-1da and, as expected, features the quartet rapping about being legends. Prodigy has an excellent verse and even gives some advice to the young up-and-comers with the lyrics “Peace to the youth, the young soldiers in the street/Getting to the money, they reminding me of me/When you get that better keep that, better not let that drop/Cause someone gone be right there and they’ll take your spot.”
“Henny” features Mack Wilds, French Montana and Busta Rhymes and is a remix of Wild’s song of the same name. Wilds sampled Mobb Deep’s hit “Burn” for the original track, so the remix with Mobb Deep is actually genius. This song has single potential and is an excellent example of mixing the old with the new.
“Conquer” is another song produced by Havoc and is a classic boom-bap track. The beat exhorts victory as the triumphant horns and heavy drums will make this track a listener favorite. Havoc delivers a flawless verse starting with “Who want it, who got the stomach for this horror/Guts spill have you praying to the Holy Father/Dear Lord I didn’t mean to be an imbecile/ Thought it was a game now you know it’s really real/When you feel steel pressed against warm skin/Ain’t no turning back nigga, now you all in/Get curious I show you how the Reaper look/All tough when you get there don’t be a wuss/All shook naw he ain’t a crook son/I’m seeing tears and it’s not a good look son.”
“Waterboarding” has a laid back feel and Prodigy rides the beat with a relaxed flow dropping gems like “Water board hip-hop I torture the flow like water/The drought over, yeah here we go/Used to spit now I flow my soul into to the shit/Praise God Mobb Deep goes hard and never ends/ You can drown in this ocean of dopeness/ Jump in to this deep dark abyss swimming they wish/ They pray, they hope, they dream they could be so fresh/While my drive and passion supersedes they attempts to be/ Just like H just like P/There ain’t a rapper breathing air that compare with these.”
The Infamous Mobb Deep is an excellent album and a throwback to the golden era of rap where hard beats and rhymes ruled the land. Many of Mobb Deep’s peers have fallen off the map because they are unable to make music that still appeals to people today. Mobb Deep prove that it’s not a problem and show that they are among the fittest and are built to survive.