Mobb Deep

Born out of the infamous Queensbridge projects in New York, Mobb Deep made their debut as something of a novelty act. On Juvenile Hell the duo of Prodigy and Havoc come off as Kris Kross' twisted evil twins; postpubescent teenagers talking gunplay. Their debut is memorable only for the DJ Premier–produced, "Cop Hell." With this inauspicious entry into the rap world, it seemed like the Mobb might fade into obscurity.

Instead, they made one of the great rap albums of the '90s. The Infamous sounds like a rainy project courtyard at night; tense, morbid, and wary. Havoc's production (noisy drum samples with eerie piano and string loops) set a dark scene, and Prodigy's threats and tales of betrayal, fear, susbtance abuse, and violence colored it all in. The album has practically no filler, but highlights include the anthem "Shook Ones, Pt. 2," "Survival of the Fittest," and "Eye for an Eye," which features the Mobb's Queensbridge neighbor Nas in one of his greatest post-Illmatic verses.

Hell on Earth had the unenviable task of following a classic, but it was almost up to the task. If Infamous was a chilling documentary, Hell on Earth is a crime saga of mythical proportions. The stickup kids of the last album become hitmen and corner drug pushers become crime kingpins. "Drop a Gem on 'Em" and "Nighttime Vultures," among other tracks, feature Prodigy's increasingly blunt delivery and Havoc's sparse, gothic production at levels they would never again reach. With its deluded dreams of Mafia invincibility, Murda Muzik is only decent. It was the source of the East Coast rap radio hit "Quiet Storm," but all in all, it's a case of going back to the well one too many times.

Prodigy experienced something of a rebirth on his solo album, H.N.I.C. While he doesn't stray from his kitchen, content-wise, he sounds reinvigorated by carrying an album on his own, with the single "Keep It Thoro" standing as one of his great vocal performances.

By the time the group reunited on Infamy, Prodigy had lost his lust for the trife life. He sounds exhausted with the gunplay, and Havoc seems stuck in a production rut. The only memorable track is the single "Burn." Stuck in label limbo, the group released a semiofficial mix tape–style CD called Free Agents, which harkened back to their more passionate youth but sounded sketchy and unfinished. (CHRIS RYAN)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide