Happy 17th Birthday "The Infamous", Does this album ever get OLD????

rapmastermind
rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited June 2012 in AllHipHop Daily News
What's up The Reason, I'm back again with another Anniversary Thread. After "Life After Death, The Blueprint, Food and Liquor, STILLmatic and Hard Core" I bring another Hip Hop Classic. 17 years ago On 4/25/95, Mobb Deep followed up their lackluster debut album "Juvenile Hell" with a follow up for all ages. "The Infamous" was released on the heels of Classic New York albums like "36 Chambers, Ready To Die and ILLmatic" and a few others that help spearhead the East Coast Renaissance. The album actually sold very well for a ? east coast rap album at the time going Gold in 2 short months which was better than any East coast album during that time outside of "Ready To Die". The album was produced mostly by Havoc and Q-tip but additional production came from Scott Free and Matt Life. With Havoc's haunting production and Prodigy amazing flow and rhyme schemes. "The Infamous" is clearly one of the greatest rap albums of all time.
«1

Comments

  • rapmastermind
    rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2012
    mobb_deep.jpg

    The Start of Your Ending (41st Side) - 5 MICS
    (The Infamous Prelude)
    Survival of the Fittest - 5 MICS
    Eye for a Eye (Your Beef Is Mines) featuring NaS and Raekwon - 5 MICS
    (Just Step Prelude)
    Give Up the Goods (Just Step) featuring Big Noyd - 5 MICS
    Temperature's Rising - 5 MICS
    Up North Trip - 5 MICS
    Trife Life - 5 MICS
    Q.U. -- Hectic - 4.5 MICS
    Right Back at You featuring Raekwon, Ghostface and Big Noyd - 5 MICS
    (The Grave Prelude)
    Cradle to the Grave - 4 MICS
    Drink Away the Pain (Situations) featuring Q-Tip - 5 MICS
    Shook Ones Pt. II - 5 MICS
    Party Over - Featuring Big Noyd - 4 MICS

  • rapmastermind
    rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2012
    17 Years later I can play this album straight through. It's crazy cause I just turned 15 years old when this dropped. With the recent Mobb Deep Drama you can't help but look back and realize they are clearly one of the greatest rap duo's of all time. This album can go toe to toe with almost any Classic in Hip Hop History. "Shook Ones Pt. II" and "Survival of the Fittest" are anthems for anyone who grew up on 90's Hip Hop. Posse cuts like "Eye for an Eye" and "Right Back At You" were so ILL you had to push rewind. There was even some good storytelling on tracks like "Temperature's Rising" and before NaS was a gun on "I gave you power", Prodigy used alcohol as a unique metaphor on "Drink away the pain". The interludes were dope too. There isn't a single weak song on the album. I couldn't find one. So props to Hav and P for dropping this Masterpiece.

    Mobbdeeptheinfamous1995.jpg

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Infamous

    MOBB DEEP THE INFAMOUS APRIL 25, 1995 JUNE 26, 1995 RCA/LOUD STANDARD GOLD ALBUM GROUP
  • rapmastermind
    rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2012
    Complex's 10 Things You didn't Know about The Infamous and The Making of The Infamous

    http://www.complex.com/music/2012/04/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-mobb-deeps-the-infamous/


    http://www.complex.com/music/2011/04/the-making-of-mobb-deep-the-infamous/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP0wsET8__Y

    "Shook Ones P.II" is a Hip Hop Masterpiece. The Beat alone is one of the greatest produced beats EVER. This song is so Classic many Hip Hop Fans never heard or even know about the original. After years of speculation Havoc finally revealed the song was sampled from Herbie Hancock.
  • FyHunnit
    FyHunnit Members, Writer Posts: 9,699 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The start of 3 straight classics from the GOAT Duo (IMO).
    Good drop, the Infamous should be in every Top 10 NY Albums list.

    I personally think this album >> IWW & Reasonable Doubt.
  • rapmastermind
    rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
    imILL wrote: »
    The start of 3 straight classics from the GOAT Duo (IMO).
    Good drop, the Infamous should be in every Top 10 NY Albums list.

    I personally think this album >> IWW & Reasonable Doubt.

    I agree that i'd put "Infamous" over "I.W.W.", it's neck and neck with "RD" but I wouldn't be mad at someone who said it was better. It's just one of those albums. I think "Hell On Earth" and "Murda Muzik" are superb LP's but I can't put either over "The Infamous".

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qz0PgqrXd0

    I use to bump this before all my football games in High School to get hyped.
  • tompetrez3
    tompetrez3 Members Posts: 6,669 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jay Z dont have anything in his catalog bigger than Shook Ones, neither does Biggie or Nas
    Prodigy is the GOAT ? or not. Havoc is only 2nd to RZA in terms of being GOAT Producer
    The Infamous>Illmatic, RD, RTD. When I think of NY I think of Mobb Deep before anybody else
    and the Infamous cant even ? with Hell On Earth or HNIC. Mobb Deep was way ahead of the times with this album
  • FyHunnit
    FyHunnit Members, Writer Posts: 9,699 ✭✭✭✭✭
    imILL wrote: »
    The start of 3 straight classics from the GOAT Duo (IMO).
    Good drop, the Infamous should be in every Top 10 NY Albums list.

    I personally think this album >> IWW & Reasonable Doubt.

    I agree that i'd put "Infamous" over "I.W.W.", it's neck and neck with "RD" but I wouldn't be mad at someone who said it was better. It's just one of those albums. I think "Hell On Earth" and "Murda Muzik" are superb LP's but I can't put either over "The Infamous".

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qz0PgqrXd0

    I use to bump this before all my football games in High School to get hyped.

    Yes, Survival of the Fittest is my favorite track on that album.

    Don't even get my started on Murda Muzik.
    I'd end up makin this a Mobb Deep appreciation thread, lol ..
  • BackInWhite
    BackInWhite Members Posts: 23,591 ✭✭✭✭✭
    never heard not 1 song off this album
  • BobOblah
    BobOblah Members Posts: 9,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
    never heard not 1 song off this album

    yet somehow, it's still a classic
  • a_list
    a_list Members Posts: 4,886 ✭✭✭✭✭
    classic ? ,,,,,drop give up the goods and the party would shut down
  • BackInWhite
    BackInWhite Members Posts: 23,591 ✭✭✭✭✭
    BobOblah wrote: »
    never heard not 1 song off this album

    yet somehow, it's still a classic

    says who?
    ? ain't a classic to me
  • YamoleySensei
    YamoleySensei Members Posts: 8,508 ✭✭✭✭✭
    2nd best album to drop in the 90' behind OB4CL...
    the only track I skipped on this album was "Cradle 2 the grave", other than that these two midgets dropped a grimy, NY classic followed by two more.
    smh @ Infamy being their downfall
  • DMTxTHC
    DMTxTHC Members Posts: 14,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2012
    One of my favorite Hip-Hop albums.

    And that Complex article is a good read too. I woulda never thought Biggie wanted Temperature's Rising to be a single.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdF8wEfP6MQ
  • Elzo69Renaissance
    Elzo69Renaissance Members Posts: 50,708 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Top 5 album ever
  • Built 4 cuban linx
    Built 4 cuban linx Members Posts: 12,285 ✭✭✭✭✭
    one of my favorite albums.
  • rapmastermind
    rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2012
    One of my favorite Hip-Hop albums.

    And that Complex article is a good read too. I woulda never thought Biggie wanted Temperature's Rising to be a single.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdF8wEfP6MQ


    It's crazy that Matty C who introduced Puff to Big was the executive producer of "The Infamous", he was also responsible for doing Big's unsigned hype article. Anyways, that's cool Big like "Temperature's Rising" cause it's easily one of my fav's off the album. The storytellin was dope. I also loved the fact that they admitted "The Infamous" did influence Cuban Linx and that the recording of "Eye for an Eye" lead to "Verbal Intercourse". Mind you this album had Rae on 2 tracks and Ghost too. Both articles were great, Complex did a good job. Amazing album. When you think about it Mobb is more underrated than anything. This is why my generation holds on to these albums. Will any of you guys from this generation be able to go back 17 years and play the stuff now straight through like "The Infamous"?, doubtful.

  • BackInWhite
    BackInWhite Members Posts: 23,591 ✭✭✭✭✭
    nobody but NY ? give a ? about this album or all the lil trivia you ? is spoutin out
  • rapmastermind
    rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2012
    nobody but NY ? give a ? about this album or all the lil trivia you ? is spoutin out

    The album went GOLD In 2 months with no real mainstream single and is a certified Hip Hop Classic and at this point 17 years later it's far loved beyond NY's borders. Mobb Deep brought the mainstream to them, one of the few groups ever to keep it grimey and still manage to move pretty good units. Just cause you sleepin on it don't mean the rest of Hip Hop and the world did:

    Accolades

    About.com United States 100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums 2008 74
    Best Rap Albums of 1995 2008 4
    Blender 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die 2003
    The Source The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time 1998
    Vibe 51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement 2004
    Hip Hop Connection United Kingdom The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005 2005 4
    Melody Maker Albums of the Year 1995 28
    Pop Sweden Albums of the Year 1995 11
    OOR Netherlands Albums of the Year 1995 43
    Spex Germany Albums of the Year 1995 13
  • tompetrez3
    tompetrez3 Members Posts: 6,669 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nas, Jay Z or Biggie were not spittin nowhere near the level of Prodigy at the time this album dropped. This album is more lyrical than illmatic. Instead of copying Rakim like Nas did for Illmatic Prodigy just introduced a whole new flow. Non rhyming words, sinister, grimy yet educated and polished. His stories are more detailed than the ones on RD,Ill,RTD. His vocab is more extensive than Nas on Illmatic. He has more flows than Biggie on RTD and the production and rap harmonies are a million times more memorable than anysong on RD. I aint even about to act like I knew Mobb Deep since JH. The Infamous the first time I heard them ? but soon as I heard Prodigy rip that album he been my top 5 GOAT. He had me at first listen. Illmatic didnt do it. Neither did RTD. dont even mention RD. Infamous is signature NY hip hop. Like I said Hell On Earth is 100 times better than this album what that tell you about Mobb Deep. Put Nas, Jay Z and Biggie first 3 albums up against Infamous, Hell On Earth and Murda Muzik and its NO CONTEST. MOBB DEEP ALL ? DAY>>>>>>>>>>>>
  • BackInWhite
    BackInWhite Members Posts: 23,591 ✭✭✭✭✭
    nobody but NY ? give a ? about this album or all the lil trivia you ? is spoutin out

    The album went GOLD In 2 months with no real mainstream single and is a certified Hip Hop Classic and at this point 17 years later it's far loved beyond NY's borders. Mobb Deep brought the mainstream to them, one of the few groups ever to keep it grimey and still manage to move pretty good units. Just cause you sleepin on it don't mean the rest of Hip Hop and the world did:

    Accolades

    About.com United States 100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums 2008 74
    Best Rap Albums of 1995 2008 4
    Blender 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die 2003
    The Source The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time 1998
    Vibe 51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement 2004
    Hip Hop Connection United Kingdom The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005 2005 4
    Melody Maker Albums of the Year 1995 28
    Pop Sweden Albums of the Year 1995 11
    OOR Netherlands Albums of the Year 1995 43
    Spex Germany Albums of the Year 1995 13

    certified hip hop classic TO SOME NY ?
    this is a regional classic just like most of the so-called "classic" albums
  • rapmastermind
    rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2012
    Tromp, "The Infamous" is Legendary, but let's not really bring in "Ready To Die, Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt" you know what those 3 emcee's status are so naturally their debut albums will have the clout. "The Infamous" can be mentioned with them and that's all that matters cause after their average debut they could of been ran out of hip hop but they followed up with a masterpiece. And "Hell on Earth" is great but it's not 100 times better than "The Infamous", Hav was more on his Rza ish on that album where this album he established his sound.
  • Slim85
    Slim85 Members Posts: 459 ✭✭✭✭
    Still remember seein the Shook Ones video for the first time. classic. Gotta love the Hennesy jerseys lol.
  • tompetrez3
    tompetrez3 Members Posts: 6,669 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Tromp, "The Infamous" is Legendary, but let's not really bring in "Ready To Die, Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt" you know what those 3 emcee's status are so naturally their debut albums will have the clout. "The Infamous" can be mentioned with them and that's all that matters cause after their average debut they could of been ran out of hip hop but they followed up with a masterpiece. And "Hell on Earth" is great but it's not 100 times better than "The Infamous", Hav was more on his Rza ish on that album where this album he established his sound.

    im bringing those albums up because they are overhyped and cannot touch the impact of Infamous. Infamous and OB4CL had progressive NY sound and concepts to it. Illmatic is boring. Nothing but sappy jazz loops and Nas trying to sound like Rakim. that album had no impact until the blog era. same thing with boring ass reasonable doubt. If Jay Z wouldnt had referenced it in his crying after ether 99% of Jay Z fans wouldnt even known it existed. RD aint nowhere near coheisve as the Infamous. And then Ready To Die is nothing but a rip off Redman/Strictly4MyZaggin album. Everytime I hear ready to die Images of Dare Iz A Darkside pops up in my head. Then again Craig Mack was cool with Hit Squad and Das EFX at the time so when he was writing Ready To Die i can see his influence from his friends. None of them ? was flowing harder than prodigy nor exhibited a new style like P did. And Im not gonna over look Hav because he ripped the album also. 2 Ill coldhearted no future little ? gave NY that credibility back. No other NY gangster tales I cared for until I start hearing Mobb Deep spit that dark NY rap to make me interested. Infamous is leagues ahead of them fake "hedz" albums. Illmatic sounds dated and does not hit in the car. How the ? somebody gonna ride around listening to them sleepy ass jazz samples. Illmatic is boring. Not even in Nas top 3 albums. RD is boring as ? . and RTD is a below average albums compared to 1994 standards.
  • Kairo
    Kairo Members Posts: 942 ✭✭✭✭
    N/h you have to be my favorite poster. Ths album is timeless.
  • real_hh_rep
    real_hh_rep Members Posts: 1,868 ✭✭✭
    Praise this thread! Infamous is top 5 hip-hop albums of all time. Other than Prodigy's lyical skills, we should be praising Havoc's production. He created unique, dense and grimey world of fear, paranoia and danger with his production. No other album can match its atmosphere.