Originally Posted by
Slim T
Let's see what do I think about the album one year later.
TRACK BY TRACK
01. Intro
Weird track. Havoc experimenting with creepy sounds and mafioso horns... Could be better.
3.5/5
02. Streets Raised Me (feat. Big Noyd & Chinky; prod. Havoc)
Yes, it's banger. Havoc made a mellow somber beat, a nice backdrop for urban nightmare lyrics are about, Havoc verse being best.
4.75/5
03. What's Ya Poison? (feat. Cormega; prod. Havoc)
Song is obviously meant as continuation of sound and lyricism from Hell on Earth, with classical scratchy sample and mafioso lyrics, but it just doesn't come as effective. Cormega stole the show on this one.
3.75/5
04. Spread Love (prod. Havoc)
Dramatic beat and dramatic "don't-fuck-with-me" lyrics; usually I wouldn't mind for such a song, but Mobb at that point was still able to suck a listener into their paranoid world.
3.75/5
05. Let a Ho Be a Ho (prod. Havoc)
Whoa, here we have the first sign where would they go with Infamy: beat is still creepy, but has an obvious R'n'B influence. Song is just straight up cruel - exactly what I like about Mobb.
4.5/5
06. I'm Going Out (feat. Lil Cease; prod. Havoc)
Another R&B influenced beat that captured their darkness but didn't have the edge. Another badass lyricism - thanks got they still had enough force to make it credible.
4/5
07. Allustrious (prod. Havoc)
Finally a classic beat by Havoc - all elements are here, creepyness, power, darkness and violence. Could be used better, though, as Mobb here stays limited on talking shit. Good talking shit, but still just talking shit.
4.5/5
08. Adrenaline (prod. Havoc)
Beat is again in Hell on Earth vibe, but simply not to same effect. Not quite helped by uninspired lyrics either.
3.5/5
09. Where Ya From (feat. 8Ball, prod. T-Mix)
Beat is almost straight-up R&B - too soft, too soft. Again we have lots of shit-talk - where 8Ball managed to outshine Mobb. Not impressed.
3/5
10. Quiet Storm (prod. Havoc)
Most people call it classic, but I simply could never get into this song. Beat lacks energy, misuses "White Lines" sample (Hav should never use it in the first place, it's just not his steez) and Prodigy spat a rap that fails to be as dark and real and dope as his best shit in the same vibe.
3.5/5
11. Where Ya Heart At? (prod. Havoc)
Another pillow-soft beat by Havoc. I don't have nothing against soft beats, but Havoc doesn't know to do them, period. He used wind chimes - goddammit, straight Puffy, this beat could easily be on No Way Out. Thanks God that they dropped some heart-felt shit, soulful, sad.
4.25/5
12. Big Noyd Interlude
Wasted space.
2.5/5
13. Can't Fuck Wit (feat. Raekwon; prod. Havoc)
Mobb Deep spat some uninspired, phrase-filled, formulaic shit over beat where Havoc experimented with staccato synths and failed at that. Got so badly outshined by Raekwon's complex storytelling it was almost painful to listen.
3.5/5
14. Thug Muzik (feat. Infamous Mobb & Chinky; prod. The Alchemist)
Over Alchemist's somber but somewhat empty beat we have a posse cut that was clearly meant to be a sequel to "Shook Ones" (check last two Prodigy's lines). Nah, that's not it.
3.5/5
15. Murda Muzik (prod. Havoc)
Decent long verse by Prodigy over boring beat.
3.5/5
16. The Realest (feat. Kool G Rap; prod. The Alchemist)
Another time Mobb got badly outshined on their own album. Beat? Nah, skippable.
3/5
17. U.S.A. (Aiight Then) (prod. Epitome, Shamello & Buddah)
One more time: uninspired verses over watered-down and empty beat.
3/5
18. It's Mine (feat. Nas; prod. Havoc & Prodigy)
Havoc tried to duplicate G.O.D. Pt. III by using Scarface soundtrack sample again; he didn't succeed, but finally provided an intriguing beat after almost a half of the album filled with yawners. I'd enjoy lyrics too - if they didn't get outshined AGAIN. What a sorrow.
4/5
19. Quiet Storm (Remix) (feat. Lil' Kim; prod. Havoc)
Much better than the original. And not because of Kim.
4/5
TOTAL: 3.75/5 a.k.a. 7.5/10
FINAL IMPRESSION
You know something is wrong when almost every guest spot on your album manages to outshine you.
I know, it's unfair to expect Mobb to repeat Infamous for the second time, but this album is clearly the transition from "Hell on Earth" Mobb to "Infamy" Mobb.
The most noticeable is change in production: Havoc clearly lost his edge and his grit. From wicked, scratchy, lo-fi samples of Hell on Earth he came into spacey keys and smooth synths on this album (with few honorable exceptions): it often resulted in uninspiring and sluggish soundscape. Usage of outside producers is also a mistake - as their beats got even weaker than Hav's.
As for lyricism, of course it's nice to hear Mobb get angry at the wicked hood ("Streets Raised Me"), of course it's dope to hear them sounding as cynical, mean bastards again ("Let a Ho Be a Ho"), it's even better to hear them actually showing emotions and regrets ("Where Ya Heart At"). So why is the album so damn filled with... yeah, filler, with verses repeating washed-out Mobb phrases and non-credible threats? It's even worse when paired with a guest spot on the album, because only Big Noyd and Lil' Kim didn't manage to steal the show on the album. Noticeable is that they appeared on actually inspired tracks. Yeah, Mobb was still technically powerful, but on the album is obvious lack of inspiration. When you know that they spent $1.5 million and two and a half years it sounds even more wrong.
So, to put it shortly, album showcases Mobb on top of their success, in the moment when they were still a mighty and revered crew, but it's obvious that their grip started to loosen here.
Yes. It's where it all started to go wrong.
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