Mobb Deep
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| Mobb Deep | |
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 The 2 current members of Mobb Deep, Havoc and Prodigy
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Queens, New York City, New York |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Label(s) | 4th & B'way/Island/PolyGram Records Loud/RCA/BMG Records Loud/Columbia/SME Records LandSpeed Records Infamous/Jive/Zomba/BMG Records G-Unit/Interscope, Koch, Siccness |
| Associated acts | Big Noyd Nas Wu-Tang Clan Infamous Mobb Ty Maxx Gotti Illa Ghee Q-Tip Cormega Capone-N-Noreaga The Alchemist Bars & Hooks Littles G-Unit Un Pacino Nyce 40 Glocc Da Youngstas |
| Members | |
| Havoc Prodigy |
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Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The group is perhaps best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones Pt. II." Although Mobb Deep has not been as commercially successful as many of its peers, the majority of its albums have been critically acclaimed, in particular The Infamous, which is considered an East Coast classic.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Origins
Prodigy, Havoc, Killa Black (Havoc's older brother), Big Noyd, The Twins (Gambino and Scarface), Ty Nitty, Godfather Pt. III, Ty Maxx, Yambo, Gotti, Money No, Karate Joe, Stovo, and Littles all grew up together.
Havoc and Prodigy started rhyming in the late 1980s when they met at the High School of Art and Design in New York City. Havoc took the role of producer and secondary MC, while Prodigy assumed the position of primary MC. Originally dubbing themselves the Poetical Profits, the duo later changed its name to Mobb Deep in order to "reflect their reputation on the streets."[citation needed] When Havoc and Prodigy were 17, they released their debut album as Mobb Deep, called Juvenile Hell, which was led by the single "Peer Pressure." The album sold poorly and was met with harsh reviews that dismissed the duo as just another hardcore group with little to distinguish it from the rest of the hip-hop world, despite production by DJ Premier and Large Professor. However, a few songs from Juvenile Hell gained a little recognition, such as "Hit It from the Back," "Locked in Spofford," and "Me and My Crew." Also in 1993, Havoc had a guest appearance on the critically acclaimed Black Moon album Enta Da Stage, on a song called "U Da Man."
[edit] Rise to success
Mobb Deep catapulted to the top of the hardcore hip-hop scene through Havoc and Prodigy's straightforward narration of street life. Mobb Deep portrayed the struggles of living in New York City's Queensbridge Houses. Following its release, The Infamous became one of the most influential albums of the East Coast hardcore hip-hop genre. The duo's production stood out, as the beats were often hard-hitting and direct—a testament to Havoc, who produced the tracks almost exclusively throughout Mobb Deep's career.[1] Furthermore, the smash hit single "Shook Ones Pt. II" received critical acclaim and was well-received within the hip-hop community. Mobb Deep's third album, Hell on Earth was released in 1996, debuting at number six on the Billboard album chart. The album continued the duo's portrayal of harsh street life, while further pushing them to the forefront of the hardcore hip-hop scene, along with contemporary East Coast rappers like The Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan collective, Jay-Z, and fellow Queensbridge associate Nas.
In 1998, the duo collaborated with reggae dancehall rapper Bounty Killer on the track "Deadly Zone" for the soundtrack to Blade. In 1999, they released the highly anticipated Murda Muzik album. Despite extensive bootlegging (nearly 30 songs of unreleased material leaked onto the Internet) and countless delays, the album debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and quickly received platinum certification—further highlighted by the popular single "Quiet Storm." Shortly afterward, Prodigy released his long-awaited solo album H.N.I.C, in which the MC collaborated with other artists (B.G. and N.O.R.E.) and producers (including The Alchemist, Rockwilder, and Just Blaze).
[edit] Changes
Mobb Deep released Infamy in 2001. The song "Burn" (featuring Vita) was perceived as a response to Jay-Z's dis song on The Blueprint, as was "Crawlin'," in which Prodigy's two verses both mention Jay-Z. The album marked a major stylistic change in which the duo moved away from raw, minimalist, stripped-down beats and toward more commercial fare with such songs as "Hey Luv (Anything)." This transition fostered accusations of "selling out"—upsetting many long-time fans who did not wish to see them veer away from their original style.[citation needed]
Although these stylistic adjustments opened up Mobb Deep to a wider audience, many critics and fans consider Prodigy's feud with Jay-Z as a detriment to Mobb Deep's gangsta image and record sales (most evident when comparing the platinum-selling Murda Muzik to Infamy, which struggled to attain gold-record status).
In 2003, the group split with Loud Records and released Free Agents: The Murda Mix Tape, in which Havoc and Prodigy proclaimed themselves "free agents" and addressed the group's split with its old label and its search for a new label. Jive Records signed the duo later in the year through a deal with the group’s own imprint. Mobb Deep then released Amerikaz Nightmare in 2004, which was seen by the general hip-hop audience as a weaker release, resulting in poor sales and the group’s subsequent departure from the label.[2] Today, as a result of various mergers, all Mobb Deep's studio albums from 1995–2004 are owned by Sony Music Entertainment.
[edit] G-Unit Records
Mobb Deep founded Infamous Records in the late 1990s, but it did not get an imprint deal until 2004. It is now a subsidiary of G-Unit Records. In June 2005, Prodigy and Havoc surprised fans when the duo announced that it had signed with 50 Cent's label G-Unit Records. The move was surprising because 50 Cent had included an indirect dis to the group in his song "Piggy Bank." 50 Cent had a connection to Mobb Deep, as he grew up in Queens and also had used Havoc as a producer for several different beats for albums by G-Unit, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo. The relationship strengthened as Prodigy and 50 Cent each received tattoos to pledge their loyalty to each other. Prodigy has the word "G-Unit" tattooed on the side of his right hand and 50 Cent has "Mobb Deep" tattooed on his wrist. Upon signing with G-Unit, both Prodigy and Havoc were given new Porsches, a gift for two artists who had received very little monetary compensation in the past. Later, Mobb Deep signed different artists on Infamous/G-Unit Records, including Nyce, 40 Glocc, and Gail Gotti. 40 Glocc has his own label on the Infamous label, called Zoo Life, which has signed artists such as Tiptoe, Sun, and Village Boo.
Mobb Deep released its eighth album, Blood Money, on May 2, 2006. It features G-Unit members 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck, as well as Mary J. Blige and Nate Dogg. On November 3, 2006, Mobb Deep became the first American hip-hop duo to perform in India, via VH1's Hip Hop Hustle. It performed in a nightclub called Enigma.[citation needed]
[edit] Break-up rumors
As of October 2007, the group is on hiatus due to Prodigy's arrest.[3] In November 2008, rumors surfaced that Havoc did not want to work with Prodigy any longer due to legal and money issues. However, Havoc denied the rumor. He stated during an interview with BET, "Prodigy is his own person and at the end of the day, he’s my brother, but we have two different views most of the time. Like I said, he’s still my brother and I ride with him on some issues."
[edit] Disputes
[edit] East Coast vs. West Coast
Mobb Deep was part of the infamous East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry. The beef started when Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound released "New York, New York." Mobb Deep, along with Capone-N-Noreaga and Tragedy Khadafi, released "LA, LA" in retaliation.
During 2Pac's incarceration, members of 2Pac's group The Outlawz allegedly attended a Mobb Deep concert. They then visited 2Pac, maintaining that the duo had snubbed them at the concert. 2Pac dissed Mobb Deep in "Hit 'Em Up" and "When We Ride on Our Enemies" and mocked Prodigy's sickle-cell disease. Mobb Deep responded in a dis track called "Drop A Gem On 'Em" on the 1996 album Hell on Earth, which was released after 2Pac was murdered. 2Pac also dissed Mobb Deep on the song "Against All Odds" and "Bomb First," the latter of which was released after his death.
[edit] Jay-Z
Shortly after the release of Murda Muzik, Jay-Z spoke out against the duo, leading to an increase in publicity. According to rumors, Prodigy took issue with two Jay-Z lines that he felt were subliminal shots at Mobb Deep. Later, at the Hot 97 Summer Jam show of 2001, Jay-Z performed "Takeover," which attacked Prodigy and was later re-recorded for his album The Blueprint. He also revealed photographs of a young Prodigy dressed up like Michael Jackson in 1983, although Jay-Z claimed it was 1988.[4]
[edit] Nas
In 2006, Nas signed to Def Jam Recordings as a response to Mobb Deep signing with G-Unit Records, due to his rivalry with 50 Cent. Nas claimed that "Mobb Deep signing to G-Unit is a disgrace to hip-hop." Nas attacked the duo in "Don't Body Ya Self," criticizing Havoc and Prodigy for signing with G-Unit.
[edit] The Game
Since joining G-Unit, Mobb Deep has also become involved with the G-Unit vs. The Game feud. In the music video for "Outta Control," Havoc and Prodigy are wearing T-shirts that say "G-Unit Game Over," referencing the Game's departure from G-Unit. Mobb Deep disses him in a 15-minute dis song with the rest of G-Unit called "300 Shots." The Game responded by referring them as "Mobb Sleep" due to the decline in Mobb Deep's album sales since its signing with G-Unit.
[edit] Discography
- Juvenile Hell (1993)
- The Infamous (1995)
- Hell on Earth (1996)
- Murda Muzik (1999)
- Infamy (2001)
- Amerikaz Nightmare (2004)
- Blood Money (2006)
[edit] References
- ^ Mobb Deep MTV, Accessed 24 July 2007
- ^ Mobb Deep and Jive Records split MTV, Accessed 24 July 2007
- ^ http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/alchemist%20and%20mobb%20deep%20rapper%20arrested%20on%20gun%20charges_1012071
- ^ http://new.music.yahoo.com/mobb-deep/news/artist-namemobb-deep-id1018249-on-the-beef-with-jay-z--12055098
[edit] External links
- Mobb Deep at MySpace
- Mobb Deep Fan Site
- Interview with Prodigy - 2006
- 2007 Interview with Prodigy
- Infamous Minded Mobb Deep Fan Site
- Infamous Minded FORUM The Forum of the Infamous Minded fan site
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