Mobb Deep - Free Agents: The Murda Mixtape - 2003 - Land Speed Records
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 letdown 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 - Jive
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 Mobb Deep and Lil Jon or 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.
A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes And Life - 1996 - Jive
Midnight Marauders was a tough album to follow. But then again the same could have been said about The Low End Theory. And part of what made Tribe so compelling was their ability to make consistently excellent records that managed to sound like Tribe, yet never sound like just more of the same old. In the time that passed since Midnight Marauders, Q-Tip also managed to help helm a couple of the most important records of 90's New York hip hop: Nas' Illmatic and Mobb Deep's The Infamous. He then went on to found a new production team, The Ummah with fellow Quester Ali Shaheed Muhammad and J. Dilla (then still known as Jay Dee). This trio created an awesome and instantly recognizable sound that would begin with Beats, Rhymes & Life. The cover art is apt, as this record seems to end a trilogy that started with Low End's heavy use of jazz samples, continued into Midnight's blending of jazz and the more street level hip hop that Q-Tip would end up crafting for Nas and Mobb Deep and finally going off the deep end into some strange amalgamation of kitchen-sinkery found here. This is a record that is proud of its past (see: the reiteration of "Check The Rhyme" found in "1nce Again") but also looks excitedly to the future. Another change in sound comes in the shape of Consequence, who was not an official member of the group but features heavily throughout the album. All of this change may sound scary, but it's not. It's great stuff. It's also an album full of various themes and messages. Starting with a strong declaration of why Tribe deserves their lyrical props ("Phony Rappers"), moving through themes of anti-violence in the wake of the 90's East Coast vs. West Coast drama ("Separate/Together," "Keep It Moving") to the tribulations of being in the rap world ("The Pressure," "Stressed Out"), this is a sprawling, emotional and exceptionally fun record that really stands on its own with the Tribe discography as a totally unique experience.
De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate - 1993 - Tommy Boy
While De La Soul Is Dead attempted to kill off the entire image of the group's first album, Buhloone Mindstate further goes off the deep end without hitting you over the head. Instead you've got the image of a group dealing with gaining a rep but having to fear failure - "it might blow up, but it won't go pop." Once again Prince Paul is brought in to create the sonic backdrop, and now friends from both the hip hop (Shorty No Mass, Dres) and jazz (Maceo Parker) worlds will help fill in the cracks. The live instrumentation that gets weaved into the samples is a great fit, and also helps make everything feel like a cohesive album even without the narratives found in the first two records. Note how "I Be Blowin'," an early instrumental track featuring Parker's fine horn playing is later referenced in the full on (and brilliant) soul-searching song "I Am I Be." Or how about "Ego Trippin' (Part Two)," which nods to Ultramagnetic MC's original song, and is basically built out of cut-n-paste lyrics from a bunch of other classic hip hop songs but also attacks the gangsta rap that was so popular at the time? Later, Paul pulls together an incredible rearrangement of Michael Jackson's "I Can't Help It," for "Breakadawn." It's a shame that Buhloone Mindstate seems somehow less adored than other albums in De La's catalog. This is an album that is just as emotional as anything on De La Soul Is Dead, yet manages to trump that album in focus and sincerity.