April 25, 2020

Mobb Deep "The Infamous" (25th Anniversary)


"The Infamous", Mobb Deep's spooky second set, ships April 25, and on it group members Havoc and Prodigy sound cold like an Eskimo's toes, insane, pained, and badder than turned milk. The pair's hard-edged rhymes form a series of technicolor postcards from the hell they roam - throughout New York's Queensbridge Housing Projects - packing high-caliber chrome, "It's similar to Vietnam," says Prodigy on "Survival Of The Fittest," which issues some phat, frisky fierceness. Over more blunted bounce that is cut with cool, cinematic clatter, the duo takes listeners into their wild world - a sphere where cash rules, paranoia pervades, homies die, and moms cry. As they do whatever to maintain or - even more - reign as swanky ghetto celebs, they wreak more havoc than a cyclone. Their credo: protect ya' neck, stand by your crew, and get the next man before he gets you. The dynamic Mobb Deep duo sound captivatingly ill on "The Infamous." (Billboard 4/8/95). For me, I've spoken on Mobb Deep and The Infamous album numerous times over the years (reviews, promo, articles, mixes, etc), but celebrating it's 25th Anniversary without Prodigy here in the physical just feels different, ya know? Much love to Havoc who has been holding it down, keeping P's legacy strong and continuing to celebrate the life one of our culture's greatest eMCees. For a full summary greater than any/all the posts I could ever do on the album, check Dart Adam's 25th Anniversary Retrospective on Mobb Deep's The Infamous, HERE. Enjoy the original promo stickers/lyrics from the LP above and below. 4/25/95: 25 years passed in an instant! R.I.P., Prodigy!