West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: The Predator on September 11, 2025, 10:35:25 PM
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10/10/25
Single -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvCkP26fwpU
Legendary Hip Hop group, Mobb Deep, makes their long-awaited return with the release of "Against The World," the group's first posthumous offering since the passing of Prodigy. Produced by Havoc, the single will be available via Mass Appeal across all streaming platforms, offering a first glimpse of Mobb Deep's highly anticipated new album, Infinite, set for release on October 10.
The album is the fourth release of Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It campaign, celebrating 7 iconic artists all releasing new music, including: Slick Rick, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Big L, De La Soul and Nas/DJ Premier.
Mobb Deep Releases Their First Posthumous Single ‘Against The World’
It's the first song from their upcoming album, Infinite, dropping October 10th
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September 11, 2025
Today, Mobb Deep dropped “Against The World,” the group’s first release since the death of Prodigy, who died at age 42 in 2017. The single is the first offering from their upcoming album Infinite, set to release on October 10 as the latest project in Mass Appeal Records’ Legend Has It series. Prodigy’s voice opens the song by powerfully stating, “stronger than ever, I’m back nigga,” priming listeners for a long-awaited dose of new music.
The track melds bluesy trumpet play with a wailing sample, embodying classic Mobb Deep sonics as Prodigy boasts of the Mobb’s “global dominance,” and rhymes, “all my fallen soldiers remind me to bring my gun, bring my blade.” After his verse, he hyperbolically menaces, “nigga I just bought four plastic rocket launchers,” refreshing listeners with his hyperbolic, one-of-one mic presence. Havoc follows up the track with an intricate verse where he raps, “good there and you not though, lie, got your spot blown / you the reason why the cops know what the cops know.”
“This one feels like coming full circle,” Havoc says of the song. “It’s that classic Mobb energy — dark, real, unfiltered. The sound that shaped who we are but also speaks to where hip-hop is right now.” He tells Rolling Stone that fans can expect more from their upcoming album: “With Infinite, fans can expect nothing less than the essence of Mobb Deep—the gritty New York sound they know and love, unapologetically true to what we have always delivered, even in a constantly shifting musical landscape.”
The Alchemist recently told Rolling Stone that he feels indebted to Mobb Deep for helping him get his start in music, and that he and Havoc culled through “so much music” to craft Infinite, which they did before even finding a label for it. “We all felt that at some point in time [we’d] figure out how to let it out to the world,” Alchemist said. “Keep that spirit alive since it’s missing.” He revealed that the Infinite recording process included several members of the Mobb orbit: “I called him, [and said] let’s get the crew back together. Hav, [Big Twins], [Ty Nitty], Chinky, all came to my studio, and we all did it like we used to…[we] started the album that way just to bring the spirit back. His daughter was there, she’s doing crazy stuff now. Shout to Santana Fox.”
He also spoke on how the project came together, noting, “I had songs with P on it. [Havoc] had some songs, we had some stuff that we mixed up. Some stuff we had to do beats, some stuff he was already on and Hav just rhymed. But it really felt good that we put the energy back together and did it the way we were supposed to. That’s how we always did it. Hav does the majority of the album. I do a couple, I think I did four in the end.”
Prodigy’s most recent posthumous project was The Hegelian Dialectic 2: The Book Of Heroine, a project that came with the return of his catalog to DSPs after an arduous process of clearing songs. Since 2017, Havoc has released a slew of collaboration projects, with the last being 2024’s Guttr with Ras Kass and RJ Payne.
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Feat -
The Clipse
Big Noyd
Nasty Nas (3 songs)
Raekwon the Chef and the Ghostface Killah
H.E.R.
Jorja Smith
15 tracks.
Prod by - The Alchemist and Havoc
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wait for it!
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Cant believe how good that sounds, really looking forward to this album. Great how its all produced by Havoc and Alchemist with a sprinkling of features
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Against The World (prod. Havoc)
Gunfire (prod. Alchemist)
Easy Bruh (prod. Havoc)
Look At Me (feat. Clipse) (prod. Havoc)
The M. The O. The B. (feat. Big Noyd) (prod. Havoc)
Down For You (feat. Nas & Jorja Smith) (prod. Havoc)
Taj Mahal (prod. Alchemist)
Mr Magik (prod. Havoc)
Score Points (prod. Alchemist)
My Era (prod. Alchemist)
Pour The Henny (feat. Nas) (prod. Havoc)
Clear Black Nights (feat. Raekwon & Ghostface) (prod. Havoc)
Discontinued (prod. Havoc)
Love The Way (Down For You Part 2) (feat. Nas & H.E.R.) (prod. Havoc)
We The Real Thing (prod. Havoc)
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Just off the single, this is shaping up to be the best of the Mass Appeal albums. Love the production on this and the raps is something only the Mobb does. Feels good to hear them on this.
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Dope, was hoping for a g unit/50 featuring
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Dope, was hoping for a g unit/50 featuring
Lol, just kiddin right!
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50 looked out for them when G-Unit was poppin and when he was adding to the roster, bought them matching Porsches 'n' shit.
Fans were not happy as the album 'Blood Money' they released on G-Unit records sounded more commercial, then the dark and gutter shit that they usually excelled at.
The two bangers from that album were both west-coast produced! and both bonus songs!
(prod by Fred-Wreck)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9cAz1M9398
(prod Dr Dre and Mike Elizondo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Oux1lN__4
The unreleased G-Unit/Mobb tape posted in the spot a while back had some dope cuts too.
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Damn, this looks like fire..
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Executive producer prodigy?!
This is something for his kids, right?!
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I have incredibly high expectations. Tracklist looks AMAZING. Havoc, Nas, and Alchemist handled this project appropriately it seems.
Mobb Deep x Clipse?! Wow.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hjUuFAE0iE
1:00 - Raekwon and Havoc talk “Eye for an Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)” from The Infamous album
3:27 - Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang link-up memories, how they influenced and inspired each other
6:30 - The meaning behind Raekwon’s album The Emperor’s New Clothes and what fans can expect
9:57 - Is it a balancing act to stay relevant in music?
11:32 - Raekwon shares how “Debra Night Wine” featuring Marsha Ambrosius came about, and why including songs for women is important to him
14:27 - Havoc recalls how Raekwon’s work inspired him
16:58 - How Loud Records team played a part in Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep’s career growth
18:49 - Havoc and Raekwon discuss their upcoming 30th Anniversary tour and what fans can expect
21:50 - Raekwon speaks on Wu-Tang Clan’s recent The Final Chamber tour and next steps
25:07 - Havoc explains how it feels to see Wu-Tang on stage, and his thoughts on their documentary
27:00 - What having ODB’s son perform with Wu-Tang has meant to the group and the culture
30:00 - How many unreleased songs do Raekwon and Ghostface Killah have in the can?
33:10 - Will there ever be an Only Built for Cuban Linx 3?
36:26 - Havoc speaks on partnering with Mass Appeal for Mobb Deep’s Infinite album, and a few words about the legendary Sacha Jenkins who recently passed away
39:32 - More 30th Anniversary tour talk, and we’re out!
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https://www.youtube.com/v/trX0YtwlojQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trX0YtwlojQ)
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They 2/2
Shaping up to be a classic album.
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Damn, Taj Mahal is straight fire.. Alchemist always brings the heat!!
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https://www.youtube.com/v/ByIQIvUNxwY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByIQIvUNxwY)
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fiya!
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Loving the first two tracks; can’t wait for the album.
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https://www.youtube.com/v/XidIT2UWTEI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XidIT2UWTEI)
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Mobb Deep Infinite Review
The duo’s ninth album—and its first since Prodigy’s death—contains reconstructed songs that impressively retain the two rappers’ chemistry, though mostly sound like a retread of the pair’s glory days.
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(Pitchfork)
During a 2008 interview, Prodigy of Mobb Deep was asked whether he feared death. Mortality nipped at P’s heels on every verse he rapped, and few could better elicit the chill that settles into your bones when life-or-death stakes loom over everything you do. Naturally, his answer reflected that steely resolve, forced onto him by the battlefields of Queensbridge: “Every day I wake up like, ‘This might be my last day, and I’m not scared of it.’ I’m never scared to bite my tongue about something, or to come out and speak about something. Like, I ain’t scared of death. What you gonna do to me?”
Nine years later, at age 42, he passed away in a tragic, oddly banal way: While on tour with bandmate Havoc in Las Vegas, he was hospitalized with complications from his lifelong struggle with sickle cell anemia; there, he choked while eating unsupervised and died. (His family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit with the hospital.)
Havoc spent years grieving the loss of his bandmate and brother-in-arms and juggled how, and whether, to pay musical tribute to him. “You wanna do something to send your comrade off with a 21-gun salute…because he deserves that,” he recently said during an appearance on the Bootleg Kev podcast. With help from longtime affiliate the Alchemist, Havoc put together Infinite, Mobb Deep’s ninth album and the latest in Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It series. It’s the first posthumous release of the bunch, which inevitably brings its own complications. But Infinite is as seamless as projects like this get. For better and for worse, it plays like an album the duo might’ve released after 2014’s largely forgettable double LP The Infamous Mobb Deep, an update to the pair’s trademark sinister sound with a few nagging modern flourishes.
On paper, every dial imaginable has been set back. Outside of a stray COVID mention and a dumb Havoc bar about getting canceled for joking about someone’s chromosomes, references are either era-specific (“Taj Mahal” is named for the formerly Trump-owned casino) or universal enough to not matter. Instead of the stable of producers behind Infamous, Havoc handles 11 of the album’s 15 beats, with Alchemist embracing his grimy Murda Muzik and Infamy roots on the other four.
The best Havoc beats from Mobb Deep’s prime took familiar sounds and bent them into menacing shapes. Here, tracks like “The M. The O. The B. The B.” and “Mr. Magik” mix that menace with the muted drum patterns he used on Kanye’s The Life of Pablo, giving the low-end even more depth. Alchemist, for his part, falls back on the style that made him famous—all gutter drums and echoing samples. The glitzy fuzz of “Taj Mahal,” in particular, sounds like it was pulled off a lesser-known Street Sweepers mixtape, while “Score Points” and “My Era” wouldn’t sound out of place on his collaborative albums with Prodigy.
Prodigy has no half-way appearances, either; he has at least one verse on every song, and does the hooks for a chunk of them. P’s delivery is as curt and chilling as ever (“RIP, you can’t son me/My pop’s dead,” he deadpans on “My Era”), even when his writing treads well-worn ground. There were seams to tighten and holes to fill, but Havoc and Alchemist handle his vocals with care. Most importantly, Havoc and Prodigy’s chemistry remains intact. Neither has ever been a particularly showy writer or lyrical gymnast—their respective appeal comes from their pugilist directness and the way their personalities stayed burrowed deep in the cement of LeFrak City, no matter how high their stars ascended. In this sense, “Mr. Magik” gets the closest to vintage Mobb Deep, particularly when the two trade the mic every few bars to go in on their enemies while dodging CIA agents and laying up with mistresses. The same could be said for the shuffling “Easy Bruh,” anchored by a drumbreak, faint keys, sirens, and the tightest Prodigy raps on the whole album (“Niggas mad? Put a cape on ’em/Now they super mad” got a good laugh out of me). At its best, Infinite feels effortless in a way Mobb Deep hasn’t for years, the pair comfortable in their older, wearier skin.
Things veer off course when the arrangements get too ambitious or trend-chasey. Some of the guests throughout are no-brainers, like unofficial third member Big Noyd bruising through “The M. The O. The B. The B.” in all his mid-range nasal glory, or longtime foils Ghostface and Raekwon showing up to color in the margins over some fire beat switches on “Clear Black Nights.” But the Clipse’s addition to “Look at Me” feels like a fashionable feature more than a genuine connection, and Nas, another longtime collaborator, stops in to give his friends the same assembly-line Mass Appeal mandated verses he’s been using on his recent albums. “Down For You,” a love song that turns Samuel Barber’s classical arrangement "Adagio for Strings” into a head-knocking groove, is a solid addition to the Mobb Deep love canon. But it’s less effective when it shows up again near the album’s end, with new verses and the Jorja Smith hook swapped out for one by H.E.R. I kinda get it, the beat’s hard—but hard enough to entertain Nas talking about keeping a goomar like Tony Soprano with a straight face? It’s one of only a handful of moments that feel shoehorned in just to fill up space, but their rarity makes them more egregious.
Many a recent posthumous rap release, especially in the last decade, has been marred by uncomfortable conversations about agency and exploitation. Thankfully, Infinite doesn’t contain any of the unresolved interpersonal beef tainting much of Gang Starr’s One of The Best Yet, and it isn’t the poorly stitched-together rap Frankenstein that was DMX’s Exodus. It doesn’t scan as Havoc and company robbing the grave for a quick cash grab, and it genuinely warms the heart to hear him and Prodigy go back and forth again, even if it’s hard not to wince a bit hearing Prodigy constantly mulling over his mortality: predicting his death while “staring up at the cosmos” on “Pour The Henny” and ducking enemies, both real and imagined, even while he’s running up slot machines in Atlantic City. Still, most of these unearthed and reconstructed songs feel like retreads of the duo’s greatest hits. There are no moments in the same area code of The Infamous or Hell on Earth. But Infinite is a decent stab at giving one of the greatest rap duos of all time one last trip around the block.
Rating : 6.6
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Album Review: Infinite by Mobb Deep
With Infinite, the arc feels unbroken. Queensbridge grit carried across decades by Havoc and The Alchemist, pushing the duo’s blueprint into the present tense without sanding off what made it matter.
(Shatter the Standards)
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Mobb Deep’s story starts in Queensbridge, the New York housing complex that fed their bleak, steel-cold vision of East Coast rap. Across The Infamous (1995), Hell on Earth (1996), and Murda Muzik (1999), Prodigy and Havoc built a canon of fatal-calm storytelling over shadowed drums and minor-key loops; the duo’s “Shook Ones, Pt. II” became a generational touchstone and remains enshrined on one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time. That run didn’t just define a sound—it reset a mood for mid-‘90s hip-hop, and fans have long tracked how Havoc’s production and the pair’s clipped imagery recast New York’s streets in noir. Prodigy’s death in 2017 froze that chemistry in place, leaving Havoc to hold the name. Prodigy, born Albert Johnson, had lived with sickle-cell anemia since childhood and died at 42 after being hospitalized in Las Vegas; the loss hit the city and the culture hard, and Havoc spoke publicly about the shock of losing his partner while trying to keep their legacy intact. In the years since, he has kept the catalog alive onstage and in reissues, even as the question lingered: what could “Mobb Deep” mean without the two of them side by side.
When Havoc announced that Mobb Deep’s ninth studio album would be titled Infinite and that the production was complete, it created a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. Eight years have passed since Prodigy’s death, and the duo hasn’t released a full‑length project since The Infamous Mobb Deep in 2014. Infinite arrives under Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It campaign, a series dedicated to celebrating hip‑hop trailblazers. Havoc entirely produced the album with assistance from longtime collaborator The Alchemist, and features previously unreleased vocals from Prodigy. This is important with this album, especially as it deliberately turns away from the synthetic, trap‑heavy trends that currently dominate radio and reaches back toward the bleak soundscapes that made Mobb Deep famous.
Havoc helms the majority of the production and clearly approaches Infinite as an homage and evolution. His beats revisit the sparse, minor‑key loops and hard drums of The Infamous and Hell on Earth, but they also reflect the subtle layering techniques he has honed over the past decade while producing for artists like Ye & Ty Dolla $ign and 2 Chainz. The opener “Against the World” encapsulates this blend: eerie keyboards and a muffled bassline conjure the cold, concrete ambience of Queensbridge while modern low‑end gives the record weight. The hook, a refrain of “It’s Mobb Deep against the world”, is delivered like a war cry. Havoc’s verse admonishes younger rappers—“You niggas talk a good one but never follow through”—while Prodigy’s ghostly voice spits lines about global dominance and greed. The song is both nostalgic and forward‑looking, reminding listeners that the group’s worldview always encompassed more than block warfare.
Throughout Infinite, Havoc toggles between moods. On “Easy Bruh,” he uses a menacing piano loop and raw drums to craft a thuggish anthem in which both MCs trade threats and insults. The hook’s chant of “Easy bruh, better take it easy bruh” is a warning and a taunt. Prodigy’s verse is unrepentant: “Fuck a fair fight, you get jumped out here” and “My fans are crazy, you might get shot.” Havoc’s response extends the intimidation but also introduces self‑awareness—he boasts about sitting “like a king in the pharaoh” yet concedes he grew up “from the bottom of the barrel.” This duality surfaces repeatedly; Havoc’s production frames bravado with hints of regret. His beats on “Look at Me” and “Down for You” expand the sonic palette. The former is a midtempo track with a hypnotic bass groove; Prodigy criticizes clout chasing—“You a civilian, so how would you understand the life of power and privilege?”—while Havoc warns against trusting unworthy companions. Clipse’s verse is vintage coke‑rap swagger—Pusha T and Malice muse about staying true as brothers and wonder who will remain relevant ten years from now.
The first part of “Down for You” is a solid R&B offering with Nas and Jorja Smith. Havoc’s lush chords and a shimmering sample give the track a romantic sheen, and Nas uses his verse to muse on family and personal accountability. Also, it’s playful and braggadocious, weaving references to Deja and Jorja Smith while harkening back to his classic verse from 1999’s “It’s Mine.” Prodigy glues the song together with a hook that bridges the tough exterior with vulnerability. These pieces show Havoc pushing beyond grimy loops into more melodic territory without chasing trends. H.E.R. adds warmth to the sequel (“Down for You”). However, it may be confusing if it adds anything different to the album, but kudos to them, considering the verses from Havoc, Nas, and Prodigy were different from the original. Speaking of Nas, he returns on “Pour the Henny,” spitting a sermon that touches on faith and survival (“Whatever comes out of Satan’s mouth is a lie perverted… keep God close on purpose”) and acknowledges his own brushes with death. Big Noyd’s cameo on “The M. The O. The B. The B.” is a nostalgic treat, aligning him with his old crew. Ghostface Killah and Raekwon steal the show on “Clear Black Nights”; Ghostface’s imagery (“My tongue spit hell fire, get scorched from the flames”) and Raekwon’s street poetry (“Rhymes hit harder than a crowbar/Similar to Ozark, all niggas in it”) channel the energy of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… and mesh seamlessly with the Mobb’s bleak backdrop.
The four songs produced by The Alchemist—“Gunfire,” “Taj Mahal,” “Score Points,” and “My Era”—serve as tonal pivots. Alchemist’s signature is his ability to make vintage samples sound gritty and cinematic; he loops obscure soul records, filters them until they sound like they’re playing from a dusty cassette, and then pairs them with crisp drum programming. On “Gunfire,” he crafts a sparse, shuffling beat under Prodigy’s boasts—“King of all kings, Don of all Dons”—and Havoc’s snarling verses about paranoia and violence. The hook is simply Prodigy chanting “Gunfire”, letting the beat breathe. “Taj Mahal” is a narrative epic where Prodigy recounts a night of decadence and gambling with time‑stamped detail (“7 p.m. and I just woke up… 9 p.m., scooped the Alchemist… 10 p.m., we drove to AC… then we went up in the Taj Mahal”).
The Alchemist’s beat shows the story with a psychedelic loop that feels like a crime‑film montage. Havoc enters to remind listeners of the consequences—“Pray to God I don’t gotta give my shooters a call”—adding tension. On “Score Points,” Alchemist uses a haunting sample and heavy drums to match Prodigy’s verses about paranoia (“My intuition forces me to pay attention, like AK‑47s force bullets through them vests”) and Havoc’s critique of clout chasers (“They attention whores, chasing clout till they get that bloody mouth”). Finally, “My Era” is a nostalgic homage where Prodigy and Havoc trade shout‑outs to hip‑hop heroes—“Wu‑Tang and Mobb Deep… Big Pun, Nas, JAY-Z”—while the beat evokes a smoky basement cypher. These tracks illustrate how The Alchemist complements Havoc’s sensibility: he doesn’t change the album’s atmosphere but injects color and variety.
At the heart of Infinite is Prodigy’s vocal presence. His verses were recorded before his death (none of that Artificial Intelligence nonsense), yet they do not feel like leftovers. On “Against the World,” he declares, “New York is just one crumb on the map, one crumb ain’t a lot/You happy with that piece? I’m gonna need that pie”. The hunger remains evident. On “Gunfire,” he boasts about being the “King of all kings, Don of all Dons,” but there is a melancholy undertone when he raps about being “fiending for a nigga to approach me, raise up”—as if he knows he’s rapping from beyond. In “Score Points,” he contemplates mortality and trauma—“My friends’ bodies was riddled with bullets… they killed Yammy with a bat… they shot my cousin Manu in the face with the Uzi”—and the line “Too much murder, my emotions are fear‑proof” sounds chilling in hindsight. On “My Era” he lists the legends he sees as peers and proclaims, “This vintage wine, you a trendy vodka”, emphasising authenticity over trendiness. Even his lighter moments, like “Love the Way” where he reminisces about jet‑setting and luxury (“Jacuzzi on the roof out in Singapore laughing so hard the Clicquot came out my nose”), serve to humanize him. Havoc’s mixing does justice to these vocals; he keeps Prodigy high in the mix, often doubling his lines with subtle reverb that adds a spectral quality without making them feel ghostly.
Havoc’s own verses have matured. He still delivers threats with his signature rasp—on “Pour the Henny,” he warns, “Anybody violate, gotta give ’em all the best of me”—but he also reflects on perseverance and camaraderie. “Think about my life and all the moments I coulda folded, but never folded” is a line from “Score Points” that reveals his resilience. In “My Era,” he celebrates their longevity and chides younger rappers for lacking authenticity (“Niggas soft for real, like key lime pie”). On “Discontinued,” he rails against industry fakes—“Stupid is what stupid does, let me catch a slug/The best shit you ever dropped, a fucking dud”—and uses the hook to assert that “The Infamous, they don’t make ’em like us no more”. His introspection is especially poignant in “Pour the Henny,” where he confesses that music is his therapy and acknowledges jealousy and conflict. Havoc’s rapping isn’t as rhythmically tight as it was twenty years ago, but his conviction compensates.
As an album experience, Infinite is remarkably cohesive. Clocking in at just over 51 minutes, it avoids filler and flows with the confidence of a veteran crew. The sequencing balances narrative tracks with conceptual pieces, interleaves Havoc and Alchemist productions to provide variety, and places the most melodic songs in the middle to break up the dark onslaught. The only weak link beyond the “Down for You” confusion is “Easy Bruh,” whose repetitive hook and generic threats feel like a relic from a mixtape; however, even that song benefits from a catchy beat and call‑and‑response interplay. Some may wish for more creative risks—Havoc does not update his sound as drastically as some of his contemporaries (and he doesn’t have to), and the album occasionally feels like a time capsule. Yet that fidelity is also its strength. Infinite stubbornly clings to Mobb Deep’s lane and refines it. It honors Prodigy without resorting to syrupy tributes and gives Havoc space to reconnect with the duo’s essence.
Infinite succeeds for the reason that it recognizes what Mobb Deep represent—uncompromising street poetry delivered over moody, immersive beats—and executes that vision without pandering. Havoc’s decision to handle most of the production ensures continuity, and his collaboration with The Alchemist adds just enough texture to avoid monotony. Prodigy’s posthumous vocals are treated with care, and his verses remain piercing. The guest features were perfectly placed rather than dilute the core sound. There are minor missteps, such as occasional repetitive hooks and a reluctance to experiment sonically, but those are outweighed by the album’s cohesion, emotive depth and hard‑won authenticity. For fans who feared that a post‑Prodigy Mobb Deep record might feel like a patchwork, Infinite offers reassurance: it feels whole, vital and worthy of the duo’s legacy.
Great (★★★★☆)
Favorite Track(s). “Gunfire,” “Clear Black Nights,” “We the Real Thing”
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8) 8)
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There's some real fire on this album!
11 - Pour The Henny Out
Got this one on rewind, hypnotic shit.
Sounds like vintage Mobb to me, got me humming and nodding along.
It's on them sad vibes and should of been the last song, beautifully done.
Prodigy's verse is a fitting final fare-well, like he dropped down from the clouds to bless us one last time :'( 8)
Pour The Henny – Mobb Deep | from “INFINITE”
Get ready to vibe with the gritty essence of Pour the Henny, a raw gem from Mobb Deep’s upcoming album INFINITE, set to drop on October 10, 2025. As Queensbridge legends, Havoc and Prodigy have always delivered street anthems that hit like a cold New York night, and this track is no exception. Leaked snippets from Havoc’s X posts in early 2025 have fans buzzing, calling it a return to the duo’s classic ‘90s sound—think The Infamous or Hell on Earth—but with a modern edge. Pour the Henny channels Mobb Deep’s signature blend of hardcore hip-hop and soulful grit, with Havoc’s production leaning into booming drums and eerie synths that scream QB.
It’s a nod to their roots—Hennessy as a ritual, the streets as a muse—while flexing their enduring influence. Expect bars about stacking paper and dodging snakes, delivered with that unmistakable Mobb flow. Compared to Murda Muzik’s raw energy or Amerikaz Nightmare’s polish, this feels like a love letter to their legacy, with Havoc carrying the torch. Reddit threads are hyped about INFINITE’s return to form, with collabs rumored to include Nas or Raekwon. Dive into the Pour the Henny lyrics below and feel the Queensbridge pulse. Don’t miss other INFINITE tracks for more of Mobb Deep’s timeless street magic.
Song Credits
Lead Vocals Nas, Havoc & Prodigy (Mobb Deep)
Songwriter Havoc, Nas & Prodigy
Music Producer Havoc
Lyrics of Pour The Henny by Mobb Deep
[Intro: Havoc]
Yeah, Yo, Yeah, Uh
[Verse 1: Havoc]
Lord Forgive Me, Pour The Henny
Punish Many, My Word Bond
Not James Bond, The Money Penny
Talk Friendly Or The Desi Make Confetti
In The Cut Like Machete Till I’m Ready
Qb Baby, We Rise To The Occasion
Didn’t Know Niggas This Soon To Be Awakened
Out They Sleep With The Truth In They Faces
Yelling “Fuck The World”, I’m Out Here Making New Races
Middle Finger To A Racist
Hear ’em Out, Tell A Coward Take Ten Paces
Limestone Over The Body, No Traces
Just The Basics, The Other Way, Fake Shit
Stay Gripped
Life My Main Bitch, Protect That
Tell You What It Is, Just That You Ain’t Got A Guess Rap
Everything A Lesson To A Fool Is A Setback
Shorty Love My Style, Guess Where She Keep Her Legs Wrapped, Nigga (Yeah)
[Chorus: Havoc]
Middle Finger To Our Enemies
I’ma Hold It Down Even If I Catch A Felony
Yeah, Open Season, Open Sesame
Anybody Violate, Gotta Give ’em All The Best Of Me
Doing Shit That I Wouldn’t Ordinarily
I’m Laid Back, Till They Came Back With That Jealousy
But This Music Is My Therapy
Y’all Niggas Lucky ’cause I Make You All Memories
[Verse 2: Prodigy & Havoc]
Writing In My Nocturnal Journal, To A Dark Beat
On A Cold Dark Night, I Came Up With These
Four Hundred Words That Best Describe Me
In My Lifestyle, I’m Not Like You, I’m Unique
In The Twilight, I Shine Bright And Get My Mind Right
I Was Born Under The Full Moon
And I’ll Die Staring Up At The Cosmos
Laid Out, Till My Heart Come To A Stop, And Then My Eyes Close
I Lived A Full Life, Don’t Cry For Me
Areal Life, King Of New York, The Top Of The Heap
I Did Songs With Mary J. Blige, My Nigga
Mariah Carey, Big Pun, And Nas, My Nigga
I Did Tours With Biggie Smalls, My Nigga
Eminem, 50 Cent, I Did It All, My Nigga
The Shows, The Hotels And The After Parties
When That Sun Goes Down, Yeah, The Moon Shine For Me, Cuz (Yeah)
[Chorus: Havoc]
Middle Finger To Our Enemies
I’ma Hold It Down Even If I Catch A Felony
Yeah, Open Season, Open Sesame
Anybody Violate, Gotta Give ’em All The Best Of Me
Doing Shit That I Wouldn’t Ordinarily
I’m Laid Back, Till They Came Back With That Jealousy
But This Music Is My Therapy
Y’all Niggas Lucky ’cause I Make You All Memories
Prodigy
R.i.P
(1974-2017)
(https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-n8llyz6rX5GbKZhK-KYaPbw-t500x500.jpg)
(https://media.tenor.com/Zgho3wrZU3IAAAAM/prodigy-mobb.gif)
(https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyOXNwaGtuMm1va3N4dGt3NXQ2YncweGExMmdmNzI2Y3Ryc24yYXliNyZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/oT9xMVDLQBaelgazFL/200.gif)
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Mobb Deep – Infinite (Album Review)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSR3VFt3nx9-8Vab3FfPAKy7SzvEyGhmU7eew&s)
Mobb Deep’s Infinite proves that true grit never dies — even decades later, their sound still bleeds authenticity, hunger, and soul.
(RGM)
TOP 5 SONGS
5. Taj Mahal
I’m not sure how Prodigy was sober enough to remember what he did in the Taj Mahal…
“Taj Mahal” features a beat that is cold and hypnotic, carrying a drowsy energy that feels perfectly suited for late-night listening or cruising through the city. Prodigy opens the track with his signature storytelling, sharing experiences from a casino, a club, and a hotel, all delivered with a steady, deliberate flow. The chorus, outlining his hours and movements, lands memorably without overcomplicating things.
Havoc slides in seamlessly, spitting bars about readiness for war and loyalty to Queensbridge. His gritty delivery complements Prodigy’s, rounding out a track that feels like classic Mobb Deep while still being relevant to today’s sound.
4. Mr. Magik
Can Prodigy and Havoc also make Skip Bayless disappear?
Even though “Mr. Magik” comes packed with clever bars and a hook that sticks, the track itself is pretty damn dark. On it, Prodigy and Havoc draw eerie parallels between magic tricks and making their enemies vanish — literally. What really makes it work, though, is the undeniable chemistry between the two. Their back-and-forth feels effortless, their wordplay sharp, and the whole track flows like a perfectly orchestrated spell of menace and mastery.
3. Against The World
Isn’t it funny how the most likable people think the world is against them?
Prodigy sets the tone with a commanding opening verse in “Against The World,” reflecting on federal scrutiny, loyalty, and his worldwide travels while balancing a confident swagger with street-hardened grit. A hypnotic hook repeatedly chanting “Mobb Deep against the world” drives the theme home before Havoc steps in.
Havoc’s verse is a standout, laced with cautionary advice for the next generation and a vocal delivery that’s more gravelly than ever. All in all, “Against The World” is the perfect intro to this album. It reminds you how real these dudes are and how great Prodigy was.
2. Love The Way (Down For You PT2) (Ft. Nas & Jorja Smith)
It’s insane how much more soul this version of “Love The Way” has.
A love song? You bet — but not the candlelit, rose-petals-on-the-bed kind. This one feels dark, gritty, like the kind of love that has you driving to Buffalo with a trunk full of packs and your girl riding shotgun, ready for whatever. Jorja Smith sets the tone perfectly with an emotional, soul-stretching chorus that feels both tender and tragic — the sound of love surviving through chaos.
Havoc comes through with a verse that’s part devotion, part declaration. He raps like a man who knows loyalty when he sees it, convincing his girl that she’s bound to him — not by chains, but by respect and history. Then Nas slides in with pure confidence, dropping lines that make his love sound luxurious and lethal at the same time. He lets his girl know she’s one of one, and a big part of that comes from being with someone who’s got both money and muscle.
Prodigy rounds it out with a verse that’s raw and street-level intimate. He’s not talking fancy dates — he’s talking about the small, real moments in hotel rooms, the kind that stick in your mind more than any grand gesture. While his flow feels a little rugged over the beat, it still adds a layer of grit that keeps the song balanced. In conclusion, this is the closest thing you will get to commercial on this album.
1. Pour The Henny (Ft. Nas)
LeBron wouldn’t mind if all that Henny went straight into his cup.
Everybody showed up ready to work on “Pour The Henny.” The production sets the tone perfectly — slightly haunting, smooth tempo, and just the right amount of knock to keep your head moving. Havoc kicks things off with what might be his best verse on the project, flexing sharp wordplay and rapping like a man who knows exactly who he is and what he’s built. His confidence bleeds through every line as he talks about his legacy and the limits of his patience for those who don’t measure up.
Prodigy follows with a verse that’s both reflective and commanding, flowing effortlessly while dropping deep, spiritual bars about purpose, life, and mortality. He even hints that when his time comes, we shouldn’t mourn — just remember the work.
Then Nas steps in to close it all out with a verse that’s nothing short of masterful. His delivery is smooth and deliberate, packed with wisdom and perspective, proving once again why he’s in a league of his own.
From top to bottom, “Pour The Henny” feels flawless.
Honorable Mention. We The Real Thing
This s**t gives me G-Unit-era Mobb Deep vibes.
“We The Real Thing” rides on a gritty, hard-knocking beat that honestly sounds like it was made to blast through a flip phone speaker. Over it, Havoc and Prodigy go off with some of their toughest verses. Prodigy spits venom, laying out exactly how he deals with rap beef like he’s been waiting for someone to test him. Meanwhile, Havoc delivers his bars with the kind of energy that makes you picture him standing on a club table, talking wild to the opps across the room. He flexes his wins and the crew’s street respect with ease. Altogether, this might be the rawest joint on the album — and when Mobb Deep gets raw (pause), it always hits different.
SONG BY SONG RATING
1. Against The World (4.5/5)
2. Gunfire (Ft. The Alchemist) (4/5)
3. Easy Bruh (4/5)
4. Look At Me (Ft. Clipse) (4/5)
5. The M. The O. The B. The B. (4/5)
6. Down For You (Ft. Nas & Jorja Smith) (4/5)
7. Taj Mahal (Ft. The Alchemist) (4/5)
8. Mr. Magik (4.5/5)
9. Score Points (3.5/5)
10. My Era (3.5/5)
11. Pour The Henny (Ft. Nas) (5/5)
12. Clear Black Nights (Ft. Raekwon & Ghostface Killah) (4/5)
13. Discontinued (4/5)
14. Love The Way (Down For You PT2) (Ft. Nas & Jorja Smith) (5/5)
15. We The Real Thing (4.5/5)
RGM RATING
(83.3%)
Mobb Deep’s Infinite is a sharp reminder of why the Queensbridge duo will forever be etched in hip-hop history. Even with Prodigy no longer with us, the project maintains that signature gritty, cold, and cinematic essence the group was known for — thanks to Havoc’s razor-edged pen and The Alchemist’s masterful production. The beats feel like a walk through dark alleyways and smoky basements, full of tension and authenticity, while the verses are packed with hunger, pain, and survival instinct.
From the smooth, reflective opener “Against The World” to the haunting “Gunfire” and the explosive “Mr. Magik,” the project captures Mobb Deep’s timeless chemistry. Havoc holds it down with verses full of street wisdom and readiness for battle, while Prodigy’s presence — even posthumously — is chillingly powerful. His storytelling, confidence, and aggression remind listeners why his voice was one of hip-hop’s most distinct.
Guest features elevate the album even more. Nas brings his classic touch on “Down For You” and “Pour The Henny,” while Jorja Smith and H.E.R. add soulful, emotional layers that balance the grit with warmth. The Clipse feature on “Look At Me” feels like a meeting of legends, seamlessly blending two of rap’s greatest duos.
Overall, Infinite plays like a love letter to Mobb Deep’s legacy — a project that respects their roots while giving fans something new to dissect. It’s gritty, soulful, and poetic in the most rugged way possible — exactly what you’d hope for from one of hip-hop’s most unfiltered voices.
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Album is superb. its so refreshing to hear this style of hip hop once again. The production on the album throughout is excellent and is probably the number one strength of the album. Havoc has some of the best verses on the album, one drawback for me is the hooks and I think this will stop it being a 9 or 10 out of 10 album. Still excellent album though. 8.5/10
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03. Easy Bruh - This is sick, Mobb rode on this one.
“Niggas mad? Put a cape on ’em/Now they super mad” - Prodigy
;D
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06. Down For You sample -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRCubAtPiKg
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You can listen to Prodigy's book here, he narrated it himself -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMYnX4AiFUs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQdQ3qyblfQ
From one of the greatest rappers of all time, a memoir about a life almost lost and a revealing look at the dark side of hip hop’s Golden Era . . .
In this often violent but always introspective memoir, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy tells his much anticipated story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City. For the first time, he gives an intimate look at his family background, his battles with drugs, his life of crime, his relentless suffering with sickle-cell anemia, and much more. Recently released after serving three and a half years in state prison due to what many consider an unlawful arrest by a rumored secret NYPD hip hop task force, Prodigy is ready to talk about his life as one of rap’s greatest legends.
My Infamous Life is an unblinking account of Prodigy’s wild times with Mobb Deep who, alongside rappers like Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, and Wu-Tang Clan, changed the musical landscape with their vivid portrayals of early ’90s street life. It is a firsthand chronicle of legendary rap feuds like the East Coast–West Coast rivalry; Prodigy’s beefs with Jay-Z, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Ja Rule, and Capone-N-Noreaga; and run-ins with prodigal hit makers and managers like Puff Daddy, Russell Simmons, Chris Lighty, Irv Gotti, and Lyor Cohen.
Taking the reader behind the smoke-and-mirrors glamour of the hip hop world, so often seen as the only way out for those with few options, Prodigy lays down the truth about the intoxicating power of money, the meaning of true friendship and loyalty, and the ultimately redemptive power of self. This is the heartbreaking journey of a child born in privilege, his youth spent among music royalty like Diana Ross and Dizzy Gillespie, educated in private schools, until a family tragedy changed everything. Raised in the mayhem of the Queensbridge projects, Prodigy rose to the dizzying heights of fame and eventually fell into the darkness of a prison cell.
A truly candid memoir, part fearless confessional and part ode to the concrete jungles of New York City, My Infamous Life is written by a man who was on the front line of the last great moment in hip hop history and who is still fighting to achieve his very own American Dream.
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Originals -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xBAMjqdJXc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD67cCgkE60
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixcE9cbJVjQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRBv-xUEtRI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3iYrTRGWtQ
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Originals -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xBAMjqdJXc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD67cCgkE60
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixcE9cbJVjQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRBv-xUEtRI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3iYrTRGWtQ
Damn, so they even took vocals from previous P solo albums :'( that's fucked up tbh. It ain't a actual new Mobb Deep album either then... Kinda spoiled the excitement for me
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The Infamous Mobb Deep "Infinite" Album Celebration, Gun Fiya -
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPnufjPDUkz/
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Prodigy daughter praises album -
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPjnfvHjfh1/
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Havoc and Alchemist new Infinite interview -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePx_BDFDHJI
Mobb Deep stop by The Zane Lowe Show to discuss their newest record, Infinite. Listen to the new album out this Friday, October 10th. They discuss creating this project posthumously, loyalty, and creating a legacy.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP4c_bK6ZPc
Havoc pulled up to the Power106 studios to discuss Mobb Deep's latest project "Infinite", the features on the album and more!
He also discusses classic Mobb Deep songs and shares classic stories from those sessions
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If ya liked the 'Pour Henny' sample -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94w3Hjm4GU4
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Alchemist post's rare Mobb studio footage -
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPokOqIkVyr/
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXbIxu5BLIM
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Off five complete listens, I can say this is easily my third favourite Mobb album.
The opener is perfect…I also love Pour the Henny (should’ve been the album closer) and Clear Black skies. Like, I LOVE those joints…they giving me the feeling I’ve been missing from rap. Maybe it’s the nostalgia or something. But the drums on here are crazy, and this the best Havoc productions in awhile. Hoping he’s got heat for his joint album with Meth
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Damn, so they even took vocals from previous P solo albums :'( that's fucked up tbh. It ain't a actual new Mobb Deep album either then... Kinda spoiled the excitement for me
I get what you are saying, but Havoc made these joints sound like some vintage Mobb Deep shit
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Havoc made these joints sound like some vintage Mobb Deep shit
Word, Alchemist laid down 4 aces too.
Guests rappers all put in work, but on this album Prodigy's star shined brightest.
''I'd rather rhyme with your spirit (Prodigy) than these other niggas'' - Pusha T
25 songs were completed for this album, Alchemist plans to release a deluxe in the future.
If that Havoc/Meth album can happen next year :o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEGQH0rC_bE&list=RDaEGQH0rC_bE&start_radio=1
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Mobb Deep – Infinite | Review
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When Havoc announced Infinite, the first full-length Mobb Deep album since 2014 and the first released after Prodigy’s death, the response mixed excitement with unease. The idea of new Mobb Deep music without both members in the studio felt risky. But Infinite—a 51-minute project built from unreleased Prodigy verses, new Havoc material, and production handled by Havoc and The Alchemist—lands with control and purpose. It feels lived-in, faithful to the duo’s voice without leaning on nostalgia or forced sentiment.
Mobb Deep’s history carries heavy weight. Havoc and Prodigy came out of Queensbridge in the early 1990s, teenagers turning street life into precise narrative. After a lukewarm debut with Juvenile Hell in 1993, they refined their sound on The Infamous (1995), a record that reshaped East Coast Hip Hop. Its cold drums, minor-key loops, and clipped realism created a template for a darker, more disciplined New York sound. Hell on Earth (1996) and Murda Muzik (1999) followed, building on that approach with sharper production and deeper focus. Their run through the late ’90s established them as a defining voice in hardcore Hip Hop.
Infinite reconnects with that aesthetic but doesn’t repeat it wholesale. Havoc and The Alchemist bring the same grit through a modern lens—clearer mixes, subtle low-end movement, and layered sampling that balances sharpness with space. The production keeps the spirit of The Infamous alive without trapping it in the past.
The album opens with “Against the World.” The beat is built around eerie piano chords and a faint jazz sample, held together by dry, snapping drums. Prodigy’s voice enters with authority—rough, confident, and unhurried. His delivery has that familiar chill, every word landing with weight. Havoc answers with lines about loyalty and discipline, his tone weary but firm. The hook—“It’s Mobb Deep against the world”—summarizes the mood: defiance without drama.
“Gunfire,” the first of four Alchemist productions, brings a looser rhythm. The drums shuffle under a filtered horn loop, giving the track a sense of motion without rushing it. Prodigy delivers short, direct bars—“King of all kings, Don of all dons, Chief of all chiefs, God of all gods”—while Havoc sharpens the imagery with lines about paranoia and retaliation. The Alchemist’s touch is unmistakable: grainy textures, open space, and details that sound like they were dug from a worn cassette.
“Easy Bruh” returns to Havoc’s production. The drums are raw, the bassline thick, and the hook repetitive in a way that recalls early-2000s street anthems. The track doesn’t break new ground, but it holds energy through attitude. Prodigy’s verses carry casual menace, and Havoc’s tone adds weight. It’s one of the grimiest cuts on the album, relying on rhythm and phrasing rather than melody.
The energy shifts on “Look at Me,” featuring Clipse. Havoc and The Alchemist co-produce, creating a hypnotic groove built from a descending bass pattern and tight percussion. Pusha T and Malice trade verses that balance self-assurance with reflection, connecting easily with Mobb Deep’s worldview. Prodigy and Havoc handle the chorus and bridge sections, giving the record a sense of shared code among veterans. The chemistry is natural, the beat polished but still cold.
Big Noyd joins “The M. The O. The B. The B.,” which plays like a reunion of Queensbridge comrades. The beat is sinister and minimal, anchored by a muted horn stab and crisp snare. Noyd’s tone is animated, pushing against Prodigy’s steadier delivery. Havoc closes the track with a verse that reflects loyalty and legacy without turning sentimental. It’s straightforward and effective, and a nice nod to a Boogie Down Productions classic.
“Down for You,” featuring Nas and Jorja Smith, widens the emotional range. Havoc builds the track around warm chords and a relaxed drum pocket. Nas opens with reflective lines about commitment and reputation, while Jorja Smith adds a smooth, understated hook. Prodigy’s voice appears at the center, grounding the song with his calm authority. The mix gives the vocals space to breathe, and the beat’s restraint makes it one of the album’s most melodic moments.
“Taj Mahal,” another Alchemist production, reimagines a Prodigy track that first leaked in 2011. The loop is psychedelic, a spiraling progression that feels hypnotic without excess. Prodigy narrates a late-night escapade through casinos and backroom dealings. His writing is visual, and the details carry rhythm—times, places, small gestures. Havoc adds a fresh verse that connects the story to the present, tightening the structure.
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8OgjlJdgUFaDkRFMUCrXZ8v9a5f6B_WDing&s)
“Mr. Magik” stays in motion with a sharp snare and uneasy strings. The mood is paranoid but energetic. Prodigy’s verse deals with perception and illusion—“My words turn nothing into something”—and Havoc follows with similar precision. The beat works in layers, each one fading in and out, giving the track a pulsing tension.
“Score Points” continues the Alchemist’s run with one of the album’s strongest beats. A dusty vocal sample hovers over firm drums, and the bassline moves in slow waves. Prodigy’s writing on this song is some of his rawest: “My intuition forces me to pay attention, like AK-47s force bullets through them vests.” Havoc’s verse mirrors that intensity, pointing at dishonesty in the industry. The record hits hard but never overwhelms; it’s a study in balance.
“My Era” closes Alchemist’s production contributions. The tone is reflective—vintage in feel, but crisp in sound. Prodigy and Havoc trade shout-outs to the 1990s generation—Wu-Tang Clan, Big Pun, Nas, JAY-Z—and underline their own role in that lineage. The hook is short and declarative. The track lasts just over three minutes but sums up decades of experience.
“Pour the Henny,” featuring Nas, is a late-album highlight. The beat opens with somber keys before settling into a smooth mid-tempo rhythm. Nas and Prodigy share the track with quiet intensity. Nas raps about survival and faith—“Keep God close on purpose”—while Prodigy’s delivery edges toward reflection without losing bite. Havoc anchors the record, mixing toughness with maturity. The chemistry among the three veterans feels effortless.
“Clear Black Nights,” featuring Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, delivers the album’s most cinematic atmosphere. Havoc’s beat uses layered strings and subtle percussion to create a smoky haze. Raekwon and Ghostface trade bars filled with rich imagery—luxury, danger, loyalty—while Prodigy threads the verses together. The song evokes the shared DNA of 1990s East Coast Hip Hop without sounding dated.
“Discontinued” turns the focus back inward. The production is bare: a tight drum pattern, low piano notes, and faint vinyl crackle. Havoc’s verse critiques imitation and trend-chasing—“They don’t make ’em like the Mobb anymore.” The delivery is restrained but confident, and the hook drives the point home without repetition fatigue.
“Love the Way (Down for You Pt. 2)” revisits the earlier Nas collaboration, this time adding H.E.R. Her voice brightens the hook while maintaining the tone of loyalty and introspection. The instrumental is nearly identical to the first version, but the switch in vocal color gives it a new contour. While its placement near the end slightly disrupts momentum, it adds closure to the album’s R&B thread.
“We the Real Thing” ends Infinite with energy and defiance. The drums hit harder, the bass deeper, and the hook is direct—“We the real thing, no pretending.” It’s a closing statement that reaffirms identity without self-mythology. Havoc uses the last verse to reject superficial beefs and remind listeners that real conflict exists beyond music. The production is tough, straightforward, and conclusive.
Throughout Infinite, Havoc’s engineering is clean but never slick. The drums sit up front; the bass hits deep but controlled. He keeps Prodigy’s vocals high in the mix, preserving their dry, immediate tone. There’s no artificial gloss, no digital overproduction. The record’s polish comes from clarity, not compromise.
The Alchemist’s involvement deepens the texture. His four tracks—“Gunfire,” “Taj Mahal,” “Score Points,” and “My Era”—fit seamlessly into the album’s rhythm. His sampling style complements Havoc’s structure: loose where Havoc is tight, warm where Havoc is cold. Their chemistry remains as consistent as ever.
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSlTB80OMs6vpwcrlviHv56ZAKZakEQ4fFPDtQ9izy3iZ30EQs23UvKva474Xc9lW8V7-U&usqp=CAU)
What makes Infinite work is intention. It does not attempt to modernize Mobb Deep through trend or revivalism. Instead, it presents their core language—grimy drums, sparse melodies, unflinching lyricism—with the calm of experience. Prodigy’s voice carries urgency and familiarity; his verses, though recorded years ago, sound alive. Havoc’s rapping has grown steadier, his writing more reflective, but his edge remains.
The album’s cohesion is impressive for a project assembled from different periods. The sequencing moves logically: confrontation in the early tracks, introspection in the middle, affirmation at the end. There are no filler skits or unnecessary interludes. The sound is consistent from start to finish.
Infinite does not rewrite Mobb Deep’s story, but it keeps the line unbroken. Havoc treats the material with precision and respect, never framing Prodigy as a relic. The production holds to the duo’s principles—clarity, discipline, and truth told without decoration.
In 2025, when much of Hip Hop leans toward maximalism, Infinite sounds deliberate. It’s not nostalgic, and it’s not experimental. It’s Mobb Deep, distilled: tense, rhythmic, focused. Havoc’s beats carry the chill of Queensbridge nights; Prodigy’s words remain sharp as ever. The guests—Nas, Clipse, Ghostface, Raekwon, Jorja Smith, H.E.R., Big Noyd—fit naturally into the architecture without overshadowing it.
The record closes quietly, without grand statement or epilogue. It ends the way Mobb Deep always operated—direct, measured, self-contained. Infinite is not a farewell. It is a continuation. A final chapter written with care, precision, and the weight of history intact.
8.5/10
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Album: Mobb Deep - Infinite
A solid tribute to a legendary history
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRkRY2018dzlcIRhlttSOwwxMmAA9c66kVxZA&s)
Eight years after Prodigy’s untimely passing, Mobb Deep are gracing our sound systems once again with unreleased vocals and brand new music. With production from both Havoc, Mobb Deep’s second half, and world-renowned hip-hop powerhouse The Alchemist, Infinite brings back a strong boom-bap essence that fans have been missing, with zero missteps.
The duo have been an integral part of New York hip-hop history since their 1995 single “Shook Ones Part II” cemented itself in the rap hall of fame. Though their discography after that golden era had its highs and lows, Havoc continued to shape the sound of East Coast rap, producing for Eminem, Nas, 50 Cent, and, a pretty questionable moral choice on Kanye West’s “Famous”…
Despite the bands recent history of lackluster music, Infinite feels less like a cash grab and more like a carefully curated love letter to Mobb Deep’s legacy. Prodigy’s verses, gritty, introspective and coldly poetic, sound hauntingly timeless, as if they were recorded yesterday. Havoc’s production, complemented by The Alchemist’s signature dusty loops and heavy off-time drums, creates a soundscape that is both nostalgic and forward-looking. Tracks such as “Against The World” and “Love The Way (Down For You PT2)” featuring Nas and H.E.R stand out, carrying that raw street narrative and atmospheric tension that defined the duo’s best work.
Lyrically, the album does not aim to reinvent Mobb Deep; it refines them. Prodigy’s bars cut through Havoc’s eerie piano samples with surgical precision, reflecting on betrayal, loyalty and survival with a veteran’s calm. The chemistry between the two remains palpable, even from beyond the grave.
Ultimately, Infinite serves as both a requiem and a revival. It reminds listeners why Mobb Deep’s influence still echoes through every grimy underground beat today. This is not just another tribute; it is proof that Mobb Deep’s sound, and Prodigy’s voice, truly are infinite.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NaDORuGE18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9HRKGa01x4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeWOp5tkcMs
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MOBB DEEP
Infinite (Mass Appeal)
(Buzz)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS52_eMd7-TID4itieH9_NAEFsTCXebMrK5BoAvjyaNvnNVOjjbY4Tjw00yeqQAasfFMe4&usqp=CAU)
One of the all-time great rap duos, New York’s Mobb Deep have been a man down since 2017 when Albert Johnson, known on record as Prodigy, died after a short illness. The emergence of an album of all-new material, then, is remarkable, and industrious on the part of surviving member Havoc, aka Kejuan Machita.
With production credits shared between him and The Alchemist (11 and four tracks respectively), they’ve collected enough unheard Prodigy raps for Havoc to work with and sound like, you know, they’re side by side in the booth. You’d probably be within your rights to find it a bit ghoulish, but they legitimately haven’t half-arsed it.
Set against classic-era Mobb Deep, with its all-Havoc productions and bonecrackingly hard beats, Infinite is a musically gentler experience, with the sense that Alchemist’s dusty-wax, sampladelic style exerts its influence even when he’s not actually involved. Appropriately for an album that forms part of a series, Legend Has It…, where iconic oldheads are commissioned to cook up some new material (another of whom, Big L, will also be doing so from beyond the grave), involved parties seem happy to celebrate their legacy rather than try anything especially new or groundbreaking.
This does ensure that Infinite sounds consistently, satisfyingly good, bolstered by guest spots by comparably venerable rap peers (Nas on three songs, Raekwon and Ghostface teaming up on one, Clipse making Look At Me sound buoyantly Clipse-esque) plus a token bout of chorus-crooning from Jorja Smith.
“See you on the other side,” mutters Prodigy on album opener and pre-album single Against The World. When the time is right, hopefully, and we should also hope that he’d give Infinite his approval if he could.
★★★★☆
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Mobb Deep Is Infinite: Havoc On Prodigy’s Legacy, The Alchemist’s Evolution & What Hip-Hop Would Be Like Without “Shook Ones”
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(hotnewhiphop)
Havoc offers rare insight into crafting "Infinite" with Prodigy’s posthumous verses, unpacks Nas’s evolution from rapper to generational mogul, and reflects on the enduring power of "The Infamous" nearly thirty years on.
It took about four or five tries to get Havoc on the phone—but that’s something I expected. The rapper-producer extraordinaire and one half of Mobb Deep has always been an enigmatic force: a man who crept through the pissy hallways of Queensbridge projects and quietly turned that into a cornerstone of hip-hop history.
The last time I spoke with Havoc was during the rollout for Wreckage Manner, his collaborative album with Styles P. I remember jumping on a Zoom call where Styles was the only one there at first; Havoc slid in a few minutes later, answered a handful of questions, and bounced. Still, in that short window, there was no shortage of enthusiasm: for the music, for his collaborator, for the craft. He was gracious, kind, and engaged in a way every journalist hopes for when speaking with an artist who’s acutely aware of his own gravitas. It was during that interview where Havoc said, “there's no one that you could rhyme alongside with better than Prodigy.”
Since Prodigy’s passing in 2017, there have been promises of a new Mobb Deep album, but nothing panned out the way fans had hoped for. That is, until Nas announced the Legend Has It series earlier this year: a string of albums to be released under the Mass Appeal umbrella from Slick Rick, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Mobb Deep, among others.
For Havoc, Infinite was a project that he felt needed to happen — unfinished business, he tells me over a Zoom call. After Prodigy’s passing, Hav knew that Mobb Deep and their supporters needed a final hurrah to commemorate a legacy that has undoubtedly shaped hip-hop into what it is today. That’s not even a hyperbolic claim but a testament to how Prodigy and Havoc’s artistic vision since The Infamous has turned their legacy into something carried deep within hip-hop’s soul. However, this process was distinctly different for Hav: it was the first time he had to execute their collective vision without Prodigy by his side.
“The way we used to lock in, I could play any beat for Prodigy, you know, from the best beat to the weakest beat, and he would do a song to it, you know? And that was the process, and that's the process that I miss. Man, it's really tough not having him here,” Havoc tells HotNewHipHop.
The approach to this project was distinctly different. Since Hav doesn’t own Prodigy’s verses, he had to “make things come together” while being extremely mindful of honoring P without his input.
“Any verse that I give you from Prodigy that I'm blessed to have is quintessential Mobb Deep, right? We can't pick, you know?” he continues. “Whatever verse that I present to you from Prodigy is quintessential Mobb Deep. It doesn't get no better than that, and it's just something that I have to work with. But once I get it, I gotta try to at least match his vibe on that.”
We caught up with Havoc earlier this week to discuss the new Mobb Deep album, working with Nas and Mass Appeal, and why artists like the Clipse and Rome Streetz have his utmost respect.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
HotNewHipHop: This has been a project that fans have been waiting on for years, and it feels like one of the most important releases of the year as well. Where did the process begin, beyond just ideating this Mobb Deep album?
Havoc: You know, to me, the process begins, maybe a few years later, after Prodigy passed. I knew that Mobb Deep had unfinished business. I knew that I wanted to send Mobb Deep off with a last hurrah. So I would say a few years after Prodigy passed. But I don't own Prodigy’s verses, so it is a process. And you know, you just have to kind of make things come together.
What were some of the first songs you worked on for this? Especially just given some of the hurdles to get these verses. How did they lay the foundation for the album?
Okay, one of the first songs I definitely worked on was “Mr. Magik.” You know, I usually don't answer questions like that, but “Mr. Magik” is one of those songs that I really like a lot. I got to experiment. I tried at least 10 beats before I got to that beat, and then after that, I settled on it.
What were some of those early feelings for you, or some of the memories you were getting while you were putting this album together in the early stages?
The earliest feelings that I was getting were like, yo, you know, I really want to satisfy the supporters more than anything, because they've been waiting for a while for a Mobb Deep project. So I was really insecure in that regard, like making sure that I satisfy the true Mobb Deep fans.
Was there a particular moment where everything clicked? A moment where you were like, “Yeah, I'm on the right path with this project.”
I would have to say the day that I flew to L.A. and just got with The Alchemist. I knew I was where I was supposed to be because he was playing me some phenomenal songs that he already had and that he would later change to make even better. I think that was the time when I was like, “Yes, we're going in the right direction.”
You’ve mentioned that there were moments on this project where it felt like Prodigy was making premonitions. Was there one verse in particular that gave you chills or that felt eerily prophetic?
I would have to say “Pour The Henny.”
That’s the one I was thinking, too.
Yeah, you know, on “Pour The Henny,” man, you hear Prodigy say, “I did songs with Mary J. Blige and Nas, my n***a,” you understand what I'm saying? And then he says, “I lived a full life. Don't cry for me.” I mean, [chuckles] I just got to stop there.
You touched on The Alchemist earlier. He has said he's learned a lot by watching you, and he's considered one of the greats in his own right. As somebody who saw him in his early stages and witnessed that development, what's it like seeing him produce today? And how did working with him help bring this album to life without Prodigy by your side?
You know, watching The Alchemist come to where he is right now, to the position that he is, is something that, as a producer, you want to see other producers that are coming up–you want to see them reach that level. So I have known Alchemist for a long time. I always knew he was dope. I always believed in him. And it's something that you definitely want to see, you know? It's just so dope. It's like, wow. Like, he's still–because, you know, a lot of people don't have strong beliefs in hip-hop, especially when it's sample-based, right? Everybody wants to do these interpolations of hip-hop that don't really sound like hip-hop, and to have somebody like Alchemist and me to still be doing hip-hop, but, like, heavy sample-based is the sight to behold.
In terms of just the community that Alchemist has brought up and the people that you've influenced, do you think hearing that type of production, the more sample-based production, does that give you more faith in just the future of hip hop?
No. And the reason why you would think I would say yes, but I'm going to say no, because I never left off the sample-based hip-hop. The Alchemist never left off the sample-based hip hop, and what I believe is “what goes around comes around.” So I always knew it would come back around to the sample-based [sound], always. I mean, that's how hip-hop started.
As both a producer and a rapper, how was it like balancing the production and the writing for this project compared to previous Mobb Deep albums?
The one significant thing was that Prodigy wasn't here. You understand what I'm saying? You know, all the other projects, Prodigy was here. So he wasn't here, so we really had to be mindful of that and pick the best Prodigy verses.
If you don’t mind diving into it, what was the workflow like between you and Prodigy on previous Mobb Deep albums?
Ah, man. I miss him dearly. I miss him so much. The way we used to lock in, I could play any beat for Prodigy, you know, from the best beat to the weakest beat, and he would do a song to it, you know? And that was the process, and that's the process that I miss. Man, it's really tough not having him here.
“Against The World” really set the tone perfectly for this album and the campaign for this album’s release. And of course, it has just the quintessential Prodigy shit-talking toward the end of the song. Even after his passing and then the creation of this project, how does that kind of delivery reinforce Infinite as a true Mobb Deep statement?
Listen, you got to think about it like this: any verse that I give you from Prodigy that I'm blessed to have is quintessential Mobb Deep, right? We can't pick, you know? Whatever verse that I present to you from Prodigy is quintessential Mobb Deep. It doesn't get no better than that, and it's just something that I have to work with. But once I get it, I gotta try to at least match his vibe on that.
What was the message you wanted to convey with the music video?
With this video, I wanted to convey that, look, Mobb Deep is here. We’re going out with a bang. Prodigy is not here, obviously. We’re not trying to make it like he's here. Like to trick the audience, but it's like, we want to let you know that, yes, Prodigy is not here, but you know, we’re still going to give you a video anyway. We're going to give you a good product, and we're going to let you hear the best of Prodigy.
I wanted to touch on a few of the features. The Clipse’s appearance on “Look At Me” is fantastic, and Push has been very vocal about the influence that Mobb Deep had on him. What elements of Mobb Deep do you see in the Clipse?
You know what I see? Consistency. That's the element that I see. That I see in Mobb Deep, that I see in the Clipse. Consistency in a group that, no matter what they go through, that would never break up.
Did that consistency make it easier to work with them on this track?
I mean, the Clipse made it easy. I only had to ask them once. I said, “Hey, can I get a you know, verse from you?” And they said, “What?” Before they could say yes, they sent the track back.
That’s amazing.
I mean, it truly was amazing. And what was more amazing was that they were working on a phenomenal project without even spilling the tea about it.
Oh, so this was in the middle of them working on their album?
They gave me a verse. And I had no idea that they were putting out an album.
So what was your reaction when they dropped their album earlier this year?
Oh, my God. I was like, what a gift to hip hop this is. And it also raised the bar to what I was about to put out.
I mean, I feel like when we get to the end of the year, we’ll be looking at this Mobb Deep album and the Clipse album as two of the best, you know what I mean?
For sure, for sure. And I just want to shout out my new radio station on Shade45, because every time I'm airing on Shade45 at 3 p.m. EST on Sunday, I'm playing the Clipse.
Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Big Noyd, and Nas all appeared on The Infamous. Why was it important to bring them back alongside newer voices like Jorja Smith and H.E.R.?
I mean, you know, without those people that you just mentioned, there is no Infamous album, right? There is no Infamous album. So I wanted to bring it as close as I could to an Infamous album, and I think that I did it.
I mean, we’re hearing everyone at their highest level of rapping, and obviously, the production is amazing as well. I think it’s a real gift to hip-hop fans.
And you know, I follow your sentiments exactly. Listen, the attention around this album, I couldn't even ask for better. What we’re about to do right now, like, right now, I'm in the studio, and I got Live Nation here, and we’re in rehearsals for the 30th anniversary of the Infamous album, and everybody's excited. So I've never seen this before. The only time I ever seen this before is when we made The Infamous album.
How did this idea come about to bring this album to Mass Appeal as part of the campaign they’ve been running this year alongside albums from Raekwon, Ghostface, Nas, and more?
I mean, look, we got into the fold. I was happy to get into the fold of what Mass Appeal was doing. And, you know, I trusted Nas. I trusted him. It was all about trust. And he's doing Slick Rick, he's doing De La Soul. He's doing all these people, you know. Nas is like… [he] might be the entrepreneur of our generation, you understand what I'm saying? To be part of that was just phenomenal.
What were his early sentiments about this project? Just based on the relationship, I would imagine he was very passionate about releasing this album under Mass Appeal. What were some of those early conversations with him like, or some of the things he said about this project?
The conversations that me and him had about having this project, I'm always going to keep private, you know? Of course, I'm not going to shit on the interview that I'm doing right now, but I'm going to keep it private. I will say this: he was super supportive of putting out a Mobb Deep album, and I think it was very special to him, which helped me make the decision on making sure it was on Mass Appeal.
MTV Presents Sucker Free Week With Mobb Deep
Pitchfork just released their top rap albums of all time list, with The Infamous topping it. It made me think about the parallels between Illmatic and The Infamous. How do you think those two albums painted a broader picture of Queensbridge at the time you were all growing up?
Check it out, it paints a broader picture, because at that time, our paintbrush wasn't that vocal or that big, you understand what I'm saying? So whatever we said during that time, you have to believe, right? Because it was unfiltered, right? Like, it's like, yo, this is Nas you’re talking about. This is Mobb Deep you’re talking about. It's very, very unfiltered messages. So I think within the rap game, like I don't even think you could get a better partnership. Between Mobb Deep and Nas, it’s like the realest partnerships you ever could get. And when they get this album, I think they’re going to feel that. I don't even have to say that. Nas don’t got to say it. Nobody gotta say it. Just listen to the album.
I know you've answered a lot of questions about “Shook Ones” in the past and how you nearly scrapped the beat, but I’ve wanted to ask you: how do you think the trajectory of hip-hop would’ve changed if that song never came out or if you scrapped that beat? When we look back, there’s so many moments attached to that song and that beat, whether it’s Kendrick Lamar at the BET Cypher or the final scene of 8 Mile, right?
It's a beautiful question to ask. We kind of imagine if this didn't hap–that's like asking, like, “what if there was never a Dr Dre?” You understand what I'm saying? But what we do know is that Dr. Dre does exist. We do know “Shook Ones” exist. We know all of these songs exist. Imagine if they never happened, right? And I could ask you the question! It's like this, the world will feel empty.
Interesting. Can you elaborate just a bit on that?
[Laughs] I wasn't trying to elaborate on that, but I will elaborate on that.
I appreciate it.
[Laughs] Oh, yo, listen, man, yo, like, think about it, right? Like, holy shit, this thing that we’re creating. Like this music that we’re creating, and we’re creating it from experiences, you know? And then to say, like, yo, what would it be like without “Shook Ones?” Like, I can't even imagine a world without that, you understand what I'm saying? What would the world be without Illmatic or Stillmatic? What would the world be like? We know what the world would be like. We wouldn't have it, X, Y, and Z, and then maybe, this will be a different conversation, and that's how important hip hop is. But I think the YNs don't understand that. We’re the only ones that understand, because we’re the only ones that ask the question: what would it be like without this or that, and the third? And if you ask the YNs, they're going to be like, “who?” Right? So it's important that we ask that question, because I love the answer to it, because there's not only one answer.
Do you feel like the young cats will ever grasp or understand the gravity of how hip-hop evolved to where it is today?
No, they'll never fully grasp it, and it's not their job to. It's our job to document and then put it out so they can see it. Let them live their life.
On “My Era,” you talk about all of the rappers that you came up with and the feeling that they gave. In 2025, which artists are giving you that same feeling that you came up in?
Rome Streetz.
Could you say a bit more about that?
The reason why I fuck with Rome Streetz is because I could tell he’s not doing it for the money. He’s doing it because he loves it. And if somebody is doing it because of that, that's an artist of my own heart.
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When Havoc met Dre -
Nas appears on SiriusXM’s The Infamous Hour with Havoc
Nas recently appeared on SiriusXM’s The Infamous Hour with Havoc.
During the interview, Nas opened up about collaborating with Mass Appeal and why he wanted to work with Mobb Deep.
Havoc also detailed the first time he met Dr. Dre.
Nas on Collaborating with Mass Appeal
Nas: I kind of have this love hate relationship with the word legend. I’m sure you probably do too, but legend has it is more about the word is on the street about some great shit about to happen. It was a cool thing I felt because Slick Rick would be the first record that came out, so I was thinking like, “Yo, the music I listen to mostly is you, is Raekwon, is Ghostface, is Slick Rick, is De La, is Biggie, is Pac,” and on and on, so that’s just a natural thing for me to want to do to rock with my guys. You know what I’m saying? So, it was not really that deep of a thought. It was more about how to make it happen. Can it happen? ‘Cause this would be like a dream.
Story Time with Havoc & Dr. Dre…
Havoc: I bumped into Dr. Dre at your party, bro. You know, I never met Dr. Dre before?
Nas: Nah. Stop playing.
Havoc: Yo. I’m deadass. I never met Dr. Dre before in my life and to see him, and I had on my shades and he had walked by me and one of my people was like, “Yo, Dre, this is Hav,” but you know, the music is up or whatever. He didn’t even recognize me, who I was, so he just gave me a dap, but later on, 10 minutes later, he came back, was like, “Oh shit n****. I ain’t know this was you.” He was like, “Yo.” I said, I took my shades off and I started talking to him and he was like, “Yo. Man, you brothers inspired me,” and I’m like, I’m looking at this n**** like, “Inspired you?”
Nas Gives His Rationale on Working with Mobb Deep
Havoc: What made you want to grab the Mobb Deep project and when the opportunity came, what was your thoughts on that?
Nas: What? You Crazy? It’s Mobb Deep. I mean, it’s Mobb Deep. Mobb Deep is pure. Mobb Deep was original when it came out and it hit the scene, so what you represent set the example for what was to come later in rap music, so everybody took a page out of your book from what you were saying lyrically, what your messages was, being the voice of the streets in a way that nobody could do it, especially at the time. Your production is like the best production in the world. When you mentioned Dre, I see you in the lines of it coming up. You had to probably been listening to all the great producers from Bomb Squad and this one and that one to even have that type of ear.
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ICE T
@FINALLEVEL
I've always made it clear that @MobbDeep
is my favorite group... I was with P and Havoc the night P passed away in Vegas.... This is gonna be a hard album to listen to.. the Love is INFINITE
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Mobb Deep – Infinite (Album Review)
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(blackouthiphop)
The fourth album in Mass Appeal’s “Legend Has It…” series is none other than that of Queensbridge icons, Mobb Deep. Hip-Hop is still mourning the loss of Prodigy, even 8 years after his passing, which makes the fact that Havoc and The Alchemist have faithfully captured his essence on “Infinite,” that much more meaningful. When the first single appeared, it was evident we’re in store for a proper Mobb Deep album.
Its first single is also the first track.
From the get go, “Infinite” sets the right tone and builds excitement for what’s to come with its powerful opener, “Against The World.” When the first tones reveal themselves and Prodigy proclaims: “I’m back!”, it is clear that you’re about to embark on a pure Hip-Hop journey. As the songs continue to roll in, the diversity of the album starts showing itself. “Infinite” is grimy, raw, unrelenting, yet smooth and dynamic. Each song carries its own vibe, with only slight exceptions, all while holding that specific Mobb Deep feeling.
It is best not to go into too much detail about individual songs, because they’re something every fan should experience for himself. It’s sufficient to say it’s going to be hard not to nod your head to bangers such as “My Era”, “Easy Bruh”, “Look At Me”, and “We The Real Thing”.
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Features are placed at the right moments throughout the album. Each of them adds a different type of flavor to the already great Mobb Deep formula. The star-studded lineup of guests includes 2025 home-runners Clipse, classic collaborator Big Noyd, Wu Tang’s Ghostface Killah & Raekwon, and Queensbridge legend Nas; who appears on three songs. It seems apparent that everyone involved in the album’s creation approached it with absolute love.
“Infinite” encompasses everything that made Mobb Deep such an iconic act throughout the years, and successfully connects it in a whole. It gives you that raw portrayal of street life, paired with compelling lyricism and gritty production, which first cemented Mobb Deep’s place in Hip-Hop. It honors and leaves room for the sounds of their G-Unit era, and even manages to include two R’n’B-styled tracks, with vocals by Jorja Smith and H.E.R. Despite all that, “Infinite” can still surprise you at times, such as with the emotional note of “Pass The Henny.” Both Havoc and The Alchemist have truly worked wonders with the production.
Another thing that the project does sublimely is showcase Prodigy’s timelessness. His presence throughout the album is felt so heartly, that it’s hard to believe those verses were not recorded alongside Havoc’s. Not only have Havoc and The Alchemist shined on the production part, they’ve also created a beautiful tribute to P, who we all know left us way too soon.
Hip-Hop fans can only be delighted with the fact they’ve been gifted a classic Mobb Deep album in 2025, and one which is a powerful reminder that Mobb Deep’s spirit truly is “Infinite.”
You can purchase physical editions of “Infinite” via the Mass Appeal Shop or the HHV Records shop.
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This album is yet another example of a classic era duo bringing an updated classic sound and absolutely knocking it out the park.
Dre should be ashamed honestly….i mean, I really enjoyed Missionary, but his refusal to tap into what made him and Snoop so revered in the first place is very frustrating. This mobb album has all the right features while the Snoop and Dre album had Jelly Roll lol (he actually killed it but I don’t want him on a Snoop album).
Hopefully Dre gets inspired by this Mobb Deep, LL and Tip, Clipse, Common and PR, and Nas and Premo…
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This album is yet another example of a classic era duo bringing an updated classic sound and absolutely knocking it out the park.
Dre should be ashamed honestly….i mean, I really enjoyed Missionary, but his refusal to tap into what made him and Snoop so revered in the first place is very frustrating. This mobb album has all the right features while the Snoop and Dre album had Jelly Roll lol (he actually killed it but I don’t want him on a Snoop album).
Hopefully Dre gets inspired by this Mobb Deep, LL and Tip, Clipse, Common and PR, and Nas and Premo…
big facts
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album is flames .. really got that classic mobb deep sound
:urwelcome:
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album is flames .. really got that classic mobb deep sound
:urwelcome:
Glad to see others on the forum enjoying the album. Pretty amazing what Havoc was able to put together with some old P verses. Havoc is mad underrated…has a style all his own, and his drums are crisp AF
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AXQZd8CFlI
Infinite is a rare posthumous album that is actually commendable and very solid on its own merits.
Hi, everyone. Yathony Ahtano here, the internet's busiest music nerd. It's time for a review of this new Mobb Deep album, Infinite.
Game-changing New York hip hop duo Mobb Deep is back with their ninth and final full-length album. Produced by both Havoc and The Alchemist. Now, this record is essentially one more example of the dreaded posthumous album in a sense, since obviously the album features vocals from the late great Mobb Deep co-founder Prodigy, who passed away in 2017.
Even though these sorts of albums tend to, much of the time, disappoint or undergo a lot of extra scrutiny, personally, I think an album like this from Mobb Deep at this point is an interesting prospect. With it being 2025, you definitely can't accuse Havoc and The Alchemist of rushing this thing out because certainly the best time to capitalize on this sort of thing would have been 2018-2019. So after all this time and with all this lead-up to the point where we are getting this album now, I would think there is at least some essential material on this thing.
On top of it, from the descriptions of this record we have gotten from Havoc and The Alchemist. It does sound like they've put a lot of thought and time into this record, like really a lot of focus and care into what these songs were going to be, what they were going to say. With Havoc and Alc essentially working off of and writing around many of the central ideas in the verses that Prodigy had left with us.
So it really was like Havoc was doing his best to collaborate with Prodigy as best he could. It sounds like the verses came from a variety of different places, too, some of which were on beats that worked for this album. Others got changed around, shifted onto other instrumentals, or placed in other contexts. Apparently, some of Prodigy's verses came from his family and estate as well.
So again, it does sound like cumulatively, Havoc and Alchemist have put years of effort into making this tracklist and making these songs come together seamlessly as well as cohesively. I feel like, at this point in Mobb Deep's legacy, I wouldn't say the duo has undergone a critical reassessment, as they've been seen as one of the most classic groups to come out of New York ever for a very, very, very long time.
But it is the case that a lot of different publications have pulled together all-time lists of hip hop singles, albums, groups, and beats. Often these days you do see Mobb Deep either landing at number one or somewhere in the top 10. So there really is a lot of Mobb Deep love and appreciation going around right now, with a lot of their back catalog aging like fine wine.
And I'm sure Havoc and Alchemist want this album to live up to that standard as much as it possibly can. In addition to that, I thought this record had a pretty respectable features list as well. You've got guys who obviously have a really big and deep history with Mobb Deep, be it Big Noyd, Nas, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon "The Chef", and Clipse is in the mix, too. You also have one song we get two versions of with vocal features from Jorja Smith as well as H.E.R..
It's after all of that description that I say, Infinite is actually a pretty surprising album because despite the fact that Prodigy's verses and vocal bits are from a variety of different places and were obviously not intended for an album like this when they were originally written and recorded, I presume. This record, lyrically and topically, is about as focused and cohesive as you would want it to be and is actually a very respectable addition to the Mobb Deep catalog.
You get a really slick, laidback, charismatic killer opening track with "Against The World", which features chill beats, soul chops, and cold-blooded rhymes from both Prodigy and Havoc. The song "Down For You" that I was talking about earlier features both Jorja Smith and H.E.R., depending on which version you're listening to. And yes, of course, I love their contributions to the track, the very dour chord progression, the chilly atmosphere, the reverb, and the production. But what I love most about this track are the thoughtful and thorough verses from Havoc and Prodigy describing love and desire and the things that make attraction to the fairer sex so beautiful and alluring and exciting and amazing.
But simultaneously, they're also addressing a darkness there as well. They portray this love, they portray this attraction as something almost like an addiction or something that you feel powerless in the face of because of how much it can take over your mind, your emotions, everything.
We also have "Mr. Magik", which I thought was a great lyrical highlight on the album. With a title like this, you might think this song is maybe going to be playful, cute, and in a way, I suppose it is the former. But it's actually a very nasty and hilariously dark song about how you're going to make someone physically disappear, murder them with bars and refrains about how you're going to make someone disappear like a magic trick. Witty and funny trades between Prodigy and Havoc, going on about how Criss Angel and David Blaine are his sons, [and] "I make your body float when I throw you in the Hudson."
Deeper into the album, there are tracks that are really, really, really enhanced by how eerie and haunting some of The Alchemists' production touches are. Tracks like "Score Points", which directly address these feelings of trauma and paranoia that one may be overcome with when they've seen friends of theirs killed, die tragic deaths.
There's something honestly foreboding about Prodigy's vocals on the song "My Era", a track that is very much about Mobb Deep and other artists' lasting legacies within hip hop. But the way his voice sounds on this song, not just the lyrics, but how bellowing and deep his voice sounds, and the reverb effects on it at some points. He comes across like the ghost of hip hop past.
And going deeper into the production as well. I mean, it's very much a pro, very much a positive for this album, generally. Though it is maybe a bit of a double-edged sword. I mean, in true Alchemist fashion, there is something like very vintage and rough around the edges and like raw and underground, the way a lot of the beats on this record sound.
It's a very modern presentation of how we perceive underground hip hop to sound. It's not exactly like a complete and accurate representation or recreation of the earliest works of Mobb Deep or anything like that when it comes to the instrumentals. Between the loops and some of the fuzzy mastering and weird vocal EQs here and there, you have a lot of very familiar Alchemist trademarks when it comes to the way some of these tracks are produced.
A lot of the beats on this thing are simple, they're moody, they're evocative, occasionally cinematic too. But sometimes these beats and the way they're mastered and the way the vocals are EQ'd here and there, it's so rough around the edges. It does feel like maybe this could have gotten another pass, especially in the case of tracks like "Gunfire", where the vocals really overpower the instrumental.
And weirdly, "Look at Me", which features Clipse – this would be a track that you would think you'd really want to nail the mixing on and have it sound really clean, when this track actually ends up being one of the most narrow and thin-sounding songs on the entire record. The bass, especially on this track, sounds absolutely squeezed into such a narrow frequency range. Still, with that being said, the lyrical contributions of everyone on this track are fantastic, along with pretty much every other song on the album.
I mean, if anything really is the selling point of this record, it is the verses, it is the bars. It is, again, the cohesiveness that Havoc is able to strike up with Prodigy's leftover verses. But even with this album sounding as effectively collaborative as it is, it still doesn't prevent the final moments of the tracklist from feeling a little all over the place. The album overall still does come across a little bit like a compilation. Esthetically, it's definitely not the most cohesive Mobb Deep album out there for sure.
But given how good the writing and the choruses and the features are across this LP. Havoc and Alchemist have still managed to come through with one of the best tracklists we have heard on a Mobb Deep project in years, really, since Murda Muzik and Hell on Earth. And given the conditions under which this album was created, that's actually a pretty impressive feat, which is why I'm feeling a decent to strong 7 on this record.
Anthony Fantano, Mobb Deep, Forever.
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Glad to see others on the forum enjoying the album. Pretty amazing what Havoc was able to put together with some old P verses. Havoc is mad underrated…has a style all his own, and his drums are crisp AF
i'm sure they got tons of unreleased prodigy material still
they been at it for 30+ years .. not surprising tbh
but great production through n through
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i'm sure they got tons of unreleased prodigy material still
they been at it for 30+ years .. not surprising tbh
but great production through n through
I doubt that there's "tons" of unreleased material left since they already took vocals from previous released Prodigy projects for this album (which is a goddamn shame imo)
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I doubt that there's "tons" of unreleased material left since they already took vocals from previous released Prodigy projects for this album (which is a goddamn shame imo)
that doesn't mean anything
there's tons of unreleased pac stuff that we know of via leaks, yet they still used previously released stuff for his posthumous albums
sometimes they go with what sounds better over what's exclusive
if u think a rapper who's been active for 30 years doesn't have tons of unreleased stuff u lyin to yaself
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that doesn't mean anything
there's tons of unreleased pac stuff that we know of via leaks, yet they still used previously released stuff for his posthumous albums
sometimes they go with what sounds better over what's exclusive
if u think a rapper who's been active for 30 years doesn't have tons of unreleased stuff u lyin to yaself
How many of Pac's posthumous albums had previously released vocals? Can't think of too many, except for a couple of rare features or b-sides.
Don't get me wrong: I really hope there's actually tons of unreleased P verses left – he's one of my favorite rappers ever. I'm just not sure how much they really got that they also gonna release, if they didn't even wanna use 'em for a brand new Mobb album.
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How many of Pac's posthumous albums had previously released vocals? Can't think of too many, except for a couple of rare features or b-sides.
Don't get me wrong: I really hope there's actually tons of unreleased P verses left – he's one of my favorite rappers ever. I'm just not sure how much they really got that they also gonna release, if they didn't even wanna use 'em for a brand new Mobb album.
there's more than a few examples .. some were even singles ("runnin" with biggie, "i wonder if heavens got a ghetto") .. can't think of all of them off the top of my head but i know there's been a lot more
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there's more than a few examples .. some were even singles ("runnin" with biggie, "i wonder if heavens got a ghetto") .. can't think of all of them off the top of my head but i know there's been a lot more
I know Runnin was kinda like a indie type single back then for someone's project, but that's exactly what I meant: They mostly took rare vocals from underground features or b-sides whereas here they took vocals from P's studio albums like HNIC 3. I don't think Afeni or Death Row ever used any vocals from a Thug Life or Me Against The World album for a "new" Pac album.
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I know Runnin was kinda like a indie type single back then for someone's project, but that's exactly what I meant: They mostly took rare vocals from underground features or b-sides whereas here they took vocals from P's studio albums like HNIC 3. I don't think Afeni or Death Row ever used any vocals from a Thug Life or Me Against The World album for a "new" Pac album.
they probably felt most people haven't heard HNIC 3
shit, i bet more people heard "runnin" by the time it was released as a single than HNIC 3
at the end of the day, im pretty damn sure there's no lack of unreleased prodigy material
i could be wrong tho
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checkn right now! 8) 8)
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ater the 1st listen its hard as phuck!
legend has it to me now:
Victory>Infinite>Supreme Clientele 2>The Emperor's New Clothes
watin for the big l and de la albums too!
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ater the 1st listen its hard as phuck!
legend has it to me now:
Victory>Infinite>Supreme Clientele 2>The Emperor's New Clothes
watin for the big l and de la albums too!
I wish the tracks were longer a 16er from slcik, but I'm remixing the album right now
but Nas, thanks for that
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This is a very stellar project but it's not AOTY. I'm kinda shocked they put 2 R&B style/radio bait joints on here. Can't recall Mobb Deep having much of that. They not going mainstream in 2025.
Also, to keep it a buck, a lot of the Prodigy verses are just okay. Makes sense, considering it's leftover/cutting floor material. Really enjoyed hearing him again though. Few of the verses are dope.
But production is very dope and they totally pull it off. This album certainly doesn't take away from their legacy. It's a stellar project that honors them appropriately. A worthwhile addition to their classic discography. Shout out to Havoc and Alchemist.
Pour the Henny is incredible.
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Nas dropping all those albums, all original hip hop, no pop music, no Drake features. Snoop could do the same thing with Death Row, releasing 7 G funk records!
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Album of the year easily. Beats, rhymes, everthing dope. This joint with jorja is crazy. Mobb deep winnong a grammy would be crazy thing. Havoc always dope, but he is laid back not in your face person. Humble dude.
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3rd best Mobb Deep album tbh
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Ordered the 3 cd’s versions of the album. Standard, O-card & matchbook edition!
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Ordered the 3 cd’s versions of the album. Standard, O-card & matchbook edition!
wait, what!?
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Today would've been P's 51st birthday :'(
Rest in INFAMY BANDANA P
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Rip