Mobb Deep

Artist Image: Mobb Deep
Attribution
Image Credit: Lipstar & Fred Production (Own work), CC BY-SA 2.5

Biography

As golden age rap suddenly gave way to West Coast gangsta in the early '90s, an East Coast variety of hardcore rap arose in turn, with Mobb Deep initially standing tall as one of New York's hardcore figureheads on the basis of their epochal album The Infamous. Released in April 1995, The Infamous was released almost exactly a year after Illmatic and about a half year after Ready to Die -- the debut masterpieces of Nas and the Notorious B.I.G., respectively, both albums likewise of momentous significance for East Coast hardcore rap. On The Infamous, Mobb Deep (comprised of Prodigy and Havoc) set the tone for future generations of hardcore New York rappers, from G-Unit to Dipset. Subsequent releases from the duo were likewise influential, especially Hell on Earth (1996). However, by the late '90s, Mobb Deep was no longer setting trends; in fact, they seemed to be following them, and they lost some of their stature as subsequent generations of hardcore rappers arose. For a few years, Mobb Deep struggled to reclaim their commercial standing, until they eventually drifted into the G-Unit camp, where they signed a lucrative deal to join 50 Cent and company. Blood Money (2006), Mobb Deep's first release under the G-Unit banner, rekindled interest in the veteran duo, who enjoyed a substantial uptick in sales and airplay. Prodigy (Albert Johnson, born November 2, 1974) and Havoc (Kejuan Muchita, born May 21, 1974) grew up in Queens, specifically the Queensbridge area, yet met in Manhattan, where both were students at Graphic Arts High School. Their shared love of hip-hop resulted in a natural companionship, and while they were still teens, the two young men had themselves a record deal with 4th & Broadway, a major rap label affiliated with Island Records. In 1993, the label released Juvenile Hell, a confrontational album featuring noteworthy production work by DJ Premier and Large Professor, who both within a year's time would move on to produce the debut of another young Queensbridge rapper, Nas. Not much came of Juvenile Hell, however, and it would be two more years before Mobb Deep would return. When they did return in 1995, it was on a different label, Loud Records, and with a significantly developed approach. The Infamous featured a mammoth street anthem, "Shook Ones, Pt. 2," but it was a solid album all around, featuring also the in-house production work of Havoc and a couple high-profile features (Nas, Raekwon). The Infamous was more hardcore than its two key stylistic predecessors, Illmatic and Ready to Die; the beats were darker and harder-hitting while the rhymes were downright threatening yet still inventive and crafty. Moreover, there were no crossover hits like "Big Poppa" or "Juicy." In fact, there were no light moments at all. The Infamous was an uncompromising album for the streets, and it was championed as such. A year later, in 1996, Mobb Deep returned with a follow-up, Hell on Earth, which was a little slicker than The Infamous yet still emphasized hardcore motifs. It spawned a couple hit singles that were given appropriately theatrical videos. At this point, hardcore rap was at its peak, with Death Row Records flourishing on the West Coast and a legion of New Yorkers jumping into the scene, following the lead of Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., and Mobb Deep. So when it took over two years for Mobb Deep to return with a new album, Murda Muzik, not released until April 1999, the rap landscape had changed significantly. Mobb Deep now had significant competition, and since Murda Muzik offered few innovations and lacked the spark of the duo's past two albums, it was met with some disappointment. By and large, fans enjoyed it, yet the album didn't appeal beyond the already established fan base, as the album only offered one major hit, "Quiet Storm." The following year, Prodigy released a solo album, H.N.I.C. (2000). It got a lukewarm reception, appealing to the duo's fan base yet spawning no hits. When Mobb Deep resurfaced, in December 2001 with Infamy, they showcased a new willingness to reach beyond their fan base. "Hey Luv" was issued as a single, and it was the first Mobb Deep song to flirt with R&B crossover, or even to mention love, for that matter. The song got some airplay, thanks in part to its hook, which is sung by the R&B act 112, and its video, which played up the song's air of seduction. Nonetheless, Infamy proved to be a relative disappointment commercially, and it seemed like Mobb Deep was beginning to see their popularity erode with each passing year. It didn't help, either, that around this time the duo -- and Prodigy, in particular -- had been attacked by Jay-Z on "Takeover." And too, that Loud Records would go out of business, leaving Mobb Deep without a label deal. For the next few years, from roughly 2002-2005, Prodigy and Havoc tried to regain their footing. There were one-off albums released via various label arrangements -- Free Agents: The Murda Mix Tape (Landspeed, 2003), Amerikaz Nightmare (Jive, 2004), and The Mix Tape Before 9/11 (X-Ray, 2004) -- that made minimal impact. By this point, not even the fan base was all that interested; it had been eroded with each passing year, leaving few faithful. Then came a surprise announcement that 50 Cent had signed Mobb Deep to his G-Unit family and that an album would be forthcoming. First came a quick remix featuring the latest G-Unit signing, "Outta Control," which supplanted the original version when 50's The Massacre was reissued in 2005 as a CD/DVD. Too, Mobb Deep had become omnipresent on the New York mixtape scene, releasing all kinds of streets-only material in attempt to re-establish themselves. It evidently worked, as Blood Money debuted in the Top Ten of Billboard's album chart and brought more exposure to Mobb Deep than the duo had enjoyed since their late-'90s heyday. Not everyone was convinced by the group's makeover, however, as the G-Unit approach was substantially more polished than the Mobb Deep of The Infamous. Still, Mobb Deep found a new generation of younger listeners -- the large G-Unit market base, in particular -- who were mostly unfamiliar with them. It had been over a decade since The Infamous, after all, and Mobb Deep had been out of the spotlight for years. Then, in early 2008, Prodigy went away to prison to serve a three-year sentence, putting Mobb Deep's future in question.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1993
Number of Albums 12
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia Mobb Deep on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What city is Mobb Deep located in?

Long Island City

...gy. Both members are natives of Queensbridge, New York; located in Long Island City . Coming from similar backgrounds, the duo broke into the rap game ...
When did the duo break into the rap game?

1992

...ity. Coming from similar backgrounds, the duo broke into the rap game in 1992 . Growing up in hostile environments that included the prevalence of pove...
What were a couple of teenaged rappers known as?

Poetical Profits

...known as Mobb Deep they were a couple of teenaged rappers known as Poetical Profits . The world first heard of them via the Source's Unsigned Hype colu...
When did Flavor 4 The Non Believers release their first album?

1993

...evers (demo version) They released their first album, Juvenille Hell, in 1993 . Because both Prodigy and Havoc were still in their teens at the time of...
Who was the main rapper?

Prodigy

...Havoc took the role of producer, Prodigy was the primary rapper, the main rapper. In 1999, they released the highly anticipated Murda Muzik album. Bec...
When was the Murda Muzik album released?

1999

...he role of producer, Prodigy was the primary rapper, the main rapper. In 1999 , they released the highly anticipated Murda Muzik album. Because of the ...
What was the title of the album?

Murda Muzik

...apper, the main rapper. In 1999, they released the highly anticipated Murda Muzik album. Because of the 30 tracks that leaked in advance, and postpone...
When did Jayz appear to start a new career?

2005

...ouldn't appreciate it. The rappers would have lost their credibility. In 2005 appeared to start a fresh start again for the duo, when she stated that ...
Who was a big fan of the duo?

50 Cent

... she stated that she had signed with GUnit Records, the label of rapper 50 Cent broke through in 2002. However, 50 Cent stated to be a big fan of the ...
What label did Prodigy and Havoc record for?

GUnit

...a and Roc Marciano. The following decade, Prodigy and Havoc recorded for GUnit the label of Mobb Deep disciple 50 Cent as well as numerous other outle...
Who were two of the early New York rappers featured on The Infamous?

Prodigy and Havoc

...On The Infamous, the duo of Prodigy and Havoc set the tone for future generations of hardcore New York rappers, from crews such as GUnit and Dipset, t...
What year did Prodigy die?

2017

...rtnership faltered for a time, but they were actively performing into mid 2017 , when Prodigy died from complications of an illness that had afflicted h...
Where did Prodigy and Havoc grew up?

Queens

...infancy. Prodigy (Albert Johnson) and Havoc (Kejuan Muchita) grew up in Queens , yet met in Manhattan, where both were students at High School of Art a...
What was the name of the high school where Havoc met?

High School of Art and Design

...in Queens, yet met in Manhattan, where both were students at High School of Art and Design . Their shared love of hiphop resulted in a natural companio...
What was the name of the record label that Juveniles Hell was released on?

4th & Broadway

... young men managed to score a record deal with the Islandaffiliated 4th & Broadway . In 1993, the label released Juvenile Hell, a confrontational album...
How many records did Mobb Deep sell?

over three million

...ecame one of the most successful rap duos in history, having sold over three million records. Their bestknown albums are The Infamous (1995), Hell on ...
What was the name of one of the best known albums?

The Infamous

..., having sold over three million records. Their bestknown albums are The Infamous (1995), Hell on Earth (1996) and Murda Muzik (1999), and their most ...
Which two songs were the most successful?

Shook Ones (Part II) and Survival of the Fittest

...zik (1999), and their most successful singles were Shook Ones (Part II) and Survival of the Fittest . They were known for their dark and hardcore deliv...
When did Prodigy die?

June 2017

...uo disbanded in 2012, but reunited the following year. Prodigy died in June 2017 . Havoc is currently working on a new Mobb Deep album. In 1991, they o...
Who began making a demo tape?

Poetical Prophets

...n a new Mobb Deep album. In 1991, they originally went by the name Poetical Prophets and began making a demo tape. They would find the addresses of re...
Where would they find the addresses of record label headquarters?

on the back of albums

...tape. They would find the addresses of record label headquarters on the back of albums , bring a cassette player, and ask passing artists to listen to ...
Who would they ask to listen to their music?

passing artists

...ould find the addresses of record label headquarters on the back of albums, bring a cassette player, and ask passing artists to listen to their music....
What was the stage name of their debut album?

Juvenile Hell

...hey adopted the stage name Mobb Deep and released their debut album, Juvenile Hell . The 1995 followup, The Infamous, was an enormous success and featu...
Where did Havoc and Prodigy grow up?

Queensbridge, NY

...essful, earning the duo, their first Platinum album. As natives of Queensbridge, NY , Havoc and Prodigy spoke about their experiences growing up in the...
What is Mobb Deep's style of rap?

reality rap

...glorifying gang violence, Mobb Deep can be considered the pioneers of reality rap , a style of hiphop that presents an accurate, observational picture ...
What earned them respect among peers and fans?

Their credibility, straightforward lyrics, and grimy sound

...rate, observational picture of the innercity. Their credibility, straightforward lyrics, and grimy sound earned them respect among peers and fans alik...
Where are the members of Mobb Deep from?

Queensbridge, New York

...p duo made up of Havoc and Prodigy. Both members are natives of Queensbridge, New York ; located in Long Island City. Coming from similar backgrounds, ...
What was the first time the world heard of Poetical Profits?

Sources Unsigned Hype column

...n as Poetical Profits. The world first heard of them via the Sources Unsigned Hype column and this is the demo track that was quoted in that feature. ...
The demo track that was quoted in the Sources Unsigned Hype column was what?

Flavor 4 The Non Believers

...d later see the light of day on their debut LP Juvenile Hell. Flavor 4 The Non Believers (demo version) They released their first album, Juvenille Hel...
How many albums into a solo career did he have?

seven

...ooning and foodpoisonedand satisfied his contract with Blue Note. He was seven albums into a solo career and had played in countless sessions with the...
What was Hancock's first solo album?

Fat Albert Rotunda

...ted and expanded for his first release on Warner, an album called Fat Albert Rotunda . The lone exception is the first song on the Bside, a subdued cut...
What was the name of the movie aired by NBC in November of the same year?

Hey, Hey, Hey, Its Fat Albert

...ovember of that year, NBC aired Bill Cosbys animated special Hey, Hey, Hey, Its Fat Albert , complete with songs by Hancock. Those would be collected a...
What is the name of the first song on the Bside?

Jessica

...The lone exception is the first song on the Bside, a subdued cut called Jessica . In its middle, Jessica is supremely laidbacka glut of horns and some ...
Where did the song stick around in record crates?

from Chicago to Rio to Queens

...m biting at your heels. But it stuck around in record crates from Chicago to Rio to Queens . Though still teenagers, Albert Johnson and Kejuan Muchitaw...