Mobb Deep is an American Hip-Hop Group from
Queens NY.The group consisted of Havoc (born
Kejuan Muchita, May 21, 1974) and Prodigy (born Albert Johnson, November 2,
1974). Prodigy and Havoc met one another while attending the prestigious High
School of Art & Design in Manhattan. Coming from similar backgrounds, the
duo broke into the rap game in 1992. They released their first album, “Juvenille
Hell”, in 1993. At a time when East Coast hip hop was dominated by the
jazziness of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, and the Afro-centric stylings
of Brand Nubian and Public Enemy, their style of music eschewed the popular
conscious hip hop of the time, and reflected the harsh climate of New York City
in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Because both Prodigy and Havoc were still in
their teens at the time of their debut, many were surprised by the violent
nature of the album.
The group released their second album in 1995
it was called “The Infamous”. The Infamous became perhaps one of the most
influential hip hop albums of the East Coast hardcore rap genre. Still at a
young age, the duo powered themselves to the top of the hardcore rap scene
through their straight forward narration of street life. The hit “Shook Ones
Pt2” received acclaim as one of the greatest rap songs ever. Mobb Deep's third
album, “Hell on Earth” was released in 1996. Method Man and Raekwon of the Wu
Tang Clan appear on “Hell on Earth”.
In 1999, the duo released album “Murda Musik”.
he album debuted at number three on Billboard and quickly went platinum. Mobb
Deep released “Infamy” in 2001. Prodigy
also released a successful solo album, "H.N.I.C." On the song
"You Can Never Feel My Pain" from his solo album
"H.N.I.C.", Prodigy raps about his experiences with Sickle Cell, both
in his childhood and adult life. In the spring of 2005, it was announced that
the duo signed with G-Unit Records. This came as a surprise to many, as 50 Cent
aimed a sly diss at them on the “Piggy Bank” track. The duo made it known that
this was not the case as Havoc stated in an interview, “Mobb Deep isn’t gonna
change and when we first got here 50 was like, Listen, I want y’all to keep
doing what you been doing”. They
currently have recorded their album, titled "Blood Money" which was released on
May 2, 2006. It features G-Unit members 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and
Young Buck. On April 4, 2011 a possible new Mobb Deep single leaked on the
internet named "Dog Shit", this song features rapper Nas as its
collaborator.
