[noisereductions]

well for old times, here's some things I've posted here in the past about some Mobb Deep albums. Not really the classic ones you already know inside and out...

Mobb Deep
Murda Muzik
1999, Considering an album title like Murda Muzik, it’s kind of surprising to hear some outright positivity coming out of Mobb Deep on this one. Whether it’s Prodigy discussing his love for his father or the track “Spread Love” which quite literally encourages listeners to spread love. In a lot of ways this album feels a bit more personal as far as subject matter goes than previous Mobb albums. But that doesn’t mean that Mobb’s lost their edge by any means, and just as the album title should suggest there’s lots of grimm-ness to be found here. Havoc’s beats shift mostly between the atmospheric gloominess that Mobb is most well known for (“Quiet Storm”) to old school QB breakbeat throwbacks (“Allustrious”) to out-of-tune-isms akin to the classic “Shook Ones” (“The Realest”) and it all gels really nicely. The same can be said for the guest appearances from the likes of Cormega, Raekwon, Infamous Mobb, Big Noyd, Kool G Rap and Lil’ Kim. It’s not a perfect album, but very few Mobb Deep albums are. Fortunately it’s a really solid album that fans of the group should definitely have in their collections. ★★★★


Mobb Deep
Free Agents: The Murda Mixtape
2003, When Loud Records dissolved in 2002, Mobb Deep found themselves without a home for the first time in nearly a decade. To some degree, this period of influx might explain why they'd drop a glorified mixtape rather than an album proper. Indeed Free Agents' own aimlessness might be a reflection of the group at the time. And yet perhaps being shaken from the comfort of a longtime label also lit a fire under Havoc and Prodigy as well. While this double album has a bit of trouble figuring out just what the heck it is (new songs? Remixes of old ones? Freestyles? A collection of guest shots and rarities?) it also somehow makes for a compelling collection that is both a good starting point for newcomers to post-90's Mobb Deep, but also a pretty great compilation for long time fans. The first disc kicks off with a clip of Ice T being interviewed about violence in hip hop lyrics with the apt-title "This Is Not Supposed To Be Positive." It's actually a really cool way to start things up, although the momentum is slowed a bit by the unorthodox beat of "Solidified." Although this is an early misstep, it's not an indication of what's to follow. Gears are immediately switched with an update on the classic "Survival Of The Fittest." Of course it's not as good as the original, but it's nice to hear Mobb make a conscious effort to go back to their early glory days. Though "too much of the same" slow beats and shit-talking might be a complaint you could make about Free Agents, much of it is done in top form. The first disc closes out with a handful of freestyles that would have been much better if they weren't done so over previous Mobb Deep instrumentals. There's just no way you can hear Prodigy rapping over "Shook Ones Pt. II"'s beat without being let down by a freestyle instead of the original lyrics. The second disc is supposed to be a bonus disc, and basically it's a compilation of songs that Mobb Deep's members have done with other rappers - The Alchemist, Big Noyd, Infamous Mobb, Cormega and their usual group of regulars. Although it's a mish-mash of material from various artists, it actually holds together just as well as the first disc does, sounding completely cohesive. I suppose that definitive sound is something that Mobb Deep has perfected. Not to mention that much of the production comes from Alchemist who has always worked well with them. While you might be tempted to pass off this one seeing as it's promoted as a mixtape, was a one-off release on an indie label and has some misleadingly plain album art, any fan of Mobb Deep would be missing out by not owning this one. ★★★


Mobb Deep
Amerikaz Nightmare
2004, After a brief stint on the indies, Mobb Deep found a new major label home at Jive. Unfortunately the Jive of 2004 wasn't exactly sure of how to handle such a hop hop act. Remember that much of mainstream hip hop at the time was being dominated by 50 Cent and other larger-than-life personalities. It feels like instead of picking up a fully developed act like Mobb Deep and getting out of their way, the label thought it would be a good idea to encourage the group to aim for more radio play. Sure this formula was working great for Britney and the rest of Jive's roster, but Mobb was never meant for mainstream consumption. This disconnect becomes apparent simply by looking at the tracklisting, and collaborations between Lil Jon and Nate Dogg are just as odd as you think. But what's really shocking about all this is that none of it is bad music. There's definitely a lean towards making this a club album, but at the same time a group like this can only compromise so much. They are naturally dark and morbid. The titular opener kicks it off on the right note with its slow creepy guitars and steady tribal beat. Havoc is in top form as a producer here and his tracks gel perfectly with The Alchemist's. Key single "Got It Twisted" samples Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science," and turns an upbeat and silly 80's classic into something ridiculously creepy. After a strong opening third the record hits a bit of plateau of just good songs before picking up for its closing third. "Throw Your Hands (In The Air)" is another odd match-up with Kanye West producing, but somehow he's able to get a fitting performance out of the group who generally doesn't seem as comfortable over such an upbeat track. A remix of "Got It Twisted" featuring Twista is tacked on and feels unnecessary, but on the whole this is a surprisingly solid album that works even when it really shouldn't at all. ★★★★


Mobb Deep
Blood Money
2006, Amerikaz Nightmare seemed to leave Mobb Deep and Jive Records disenchanted with each other. So when 50 Cent came around offering them a new deal, it seemed like a good idea. And why not? G-Unit was still at the top of their game, and the Mobb was looking for some newfound relevance. To some degree this worked. Certainly a younger generation was introduced to the group thanks to G-Unit. But the end result sounds like the duo was far more strangled out of their own creativity than even on Amerikaz Nightmare. The best way to put it is that Blood Money sounds like a pretty average G-Unit album, but a mediocre Mobb Deep album. That's no surprise skimming through the liner notes. Ten of the album's sixteen tracks feature G-Unit members. Less than half are produced by Havoc. Even one of the bonus tracks is actually a 50 Cent song featuring Mobb Deep, rather than vice versa. It really comes off as a wasted partnership. There are a couple of standout tracks here, though. "Pearly Gates" is actually a great collaboration with 50 that focuses on religion. Though it's somewhat ruined by the fact that several of Prodigy's lines are edited out of the label's reluctance of the content-matter. It's baffling why they kept the edited lines instead of writing new ones. The lone Alchemist production "The Infamous" rides an awesome sample of Grandwizard Theodore that sounds far better than any beat on the album. And speaking of beats, while many of them are paint-by-numbers G-Unit, "Creep" is borderline annoying. Fans of either group will be curious to hear this one. And ultimately it's not a terrible album. It's just definitely not up to the greatness that Mobb Deep is capable of. ★★


Mobb Deep
The Infamous Mobb Deep
2014, For years fans have been asking for Mobb to go back to the sound of their early work, and they've apparently taken it to heart. Though The Infamous was released in 1995, it was recorded in 1994, so they've decided to release a bit of a tribute album. The Infamous Mobb Deep is both an old and new album. It's also one for true fans. The first disc is the new album proper, and it has a dearth of excellent creepy productions and grimey lyrics. Much of the best beats here come courtesy of Havoc himself, and Prodigy is back on point reminding listeners why his Return Of The Mac in 2007 sounded like a complete renaissance. "Taking You Off Here," "Say Something," "Check The Credits" and the likes are all serious classic Mobb tracks. They do expand a bit with tracks like the Biggie-sampling "All A Dream" (which is somewhat similar to the similarly titled track on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 2.0) or "Legendary" which welcomes Southerners Bun B and Juicy J into the fold, or Snoop's cameo on "Get Down." But for the most part this is an album that sounds like the dark grizzly shit that Mobb fans from way back should appreciate. What they'll probably appreciate even more is the bonus disc dubbed The Infamous Sessions. Here we've got fourteen tracks taken from the original 1994 recording sessions, and they're all worth hearing. Even in instances where the original demos are not nearly as good as the finished products, this disc is a great alternate way to experience the original album. For instance the original "Survival Of The Fittest" goes a long way to show that this record was chipped away at until it was perfect. The beat is smooth, but not fitting. The verses are vastly different. As such, this is a brilliant archival release that could have stood up as two separate releases considering all the highlights for historians here. Like hearing Big Noyd's original extended verse on "Gimme The Goods," or hearing Ghostface on "Eye For An Eye," or the super long and overindulgent "The Money" with extended telephone skit. Basically if you want to hear a new awesome Mobb Deep album, look no further. And if you want to hear some awesome unearthed Mobb Deep from back in the day, look no further. ★★★★★