By NATHAN DENNIS
New York’s legendary Queensbridge duo “Mobb Deep,” consisting of members Prodigy and Havoc, deliver their monstrous second album “The Infamous” released on April 25, 1995, through Loud Records. The album “The Infamous” consists of 16 tracks with a total length of 1 hour and 6 minutes, primarily produced by Havoc, with outside producer and rapper Q-Tip, from the Queens hip hop group “A Tribe Called Quest” contributing as a producer and mixing engineer.
The album has guest appearances ranging from Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Q-Tip, Big Noyd and Crystal Johnson. The album is accessible on all streaming platforms and has been labeled with the Parental Advisory sticker by the Recording Industry Association of America because of the explicit content throughout the album.
The album consists of the tracks and preludes:
1. The Start of Your Ending (41st Side)
2. (Infamous Prelude)
3. Survival of The Fittest
4. Eye for a Eye (Your Beef Is Mines) (Feat. Nas & Raekwon)
5. (Just Step Prelude)
6. Give Up The Goods (Just Step) (Feat. Big Noyd)
7. Temperature’s Rising (Feat. Crystal Johnson)
8. Up North Trip
9. Trife Life
10. Q.U. – Hectic
11. Right Back At You (Feat. Ghostface Killah, Raekwon & Big Noyd)
12. (The Grave Prelude)
13. Cradle To The Grave
14. Drink Away The Pain (Situations) (Feat. Q-Tip)
15. Shook Ones Pt. II
16. Party Over (Feat. Big Noyd)
The album’s lead single “Shook Ones Pt. II” was released on February 3, 1995 and an official music video was released on YouTube on Oct. 20, 2013. On “Shook Ones Pt. II,” both rapper’s Prodigy and Havoc define somebody who’s shook or fearful when confronted with a dangerous situation. Following the album’s lead single, “Survival Of The Fittest” was released on May 29, 1995, “Temperature’s Rising” was released Sept. 18, 1995 and “Give Up The Goods (Just Step)” was released on Jan. 22, 1996. The consecutive singles have an official music video released onto YouTube.
Havoc was interviewed by HipHopDX on April 25, 2020, for the 25th anniversary of The
Infamous, reflecting on how impactful the album was on their lives, the influence the album had on hip-hop culture and their life experiences shaping and molding the creative process during the creation of the album.
Havoc says, “Yeah, I have to say that. I don’t know if that sounds cliche as to whatever it is, but if it wasn’t for that album, I wouldn’t be talking 25 years later about it. So I would have to say that that is definitely my favorite album for more reasons than one.”
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