At a record store event for their 1993 debut, the staff played the Illmatic advance instead of Mobb Deep's music. Nasir Jones hadn't even released the album yet. Havoc and Prodigy left embarrassed and went back to Queensbridge.
They did not quit.
They went back to the bedroom with the MPC-60, the Ensoniq keyboard, and the records Havoc's father used to spin in the house. They found a piano sample from Herbie Hancock, pitched it down until it sounded less like music and more like a warning. April 25, 1995. The Infamous arrived and nothing sounded like it.
Shook Ones Part II. Survival of the Fittest. Temperature's Rising. The Notorious B.I.G. heard early versions and gave them advice on structuring the album. Biggie, Q-Tip, Nas, and Raekwon all had a hand in what came out of that Queensbridge bedroom. The album cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 and informed every crew that came after it.
Then came the label years. Loud went under. Jive dropped them. They signed to G-Unit. In June 2017 Prodigy died from accidental choking while hospitalized in Las Vegas for complications of sickle cell anemia, an illness he had battled since birth.
In October 2025 Havoc released Infinite, the final Mobb Deep album, built on previously unissued Prodigy vocals. Nas, Clipse, Raekwon, and Ghostface appeared on it. The last word from Queensbridge.
Read the full story at the link below.
From the Crate
"Havoc and Prodigy left embarrassed and went back to Queensbridge. They did not quit. They went back to the bedroom with the MPC-60, the Ensoniq keyboard, and the records Havoc's father used to spin in the house."
One More Thing
The full Mobb Deep catalog is in the shop. From Juvenile Hell in 1993 to Infinite in 2025. The Infamous on CD and 2xLP vinyl. Hell on Earth CD. Infinite on CD and white vinyl 2xLP. Every title chosen with a reason behind it.
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