Mobb Deep - Infamy (CD)

All Music Guide

Long considered New York's most rugged and hardcore rap group of the '90s to ever make it big, Mobb Deep finally softened up a bit on Infamy. The album is a turning point for Prodigy and Havoc -- and a timely one indeed. Shortly before Infamy hit the streets, Jay-Z had blasted Mobb Deep -- as well as Nas -- on "Takeover," berating Prodigy in particular for being fake. Nas fired back on his Stillmatic album with the cutting song "Ether"; Mobb Deep didn't. Instead, the Queensbridge duo went about its business and released Infamy, its most accessible album yet -- the sort of album many fans never would have expected. Granted, Mobb Deep still repped the street life here, as songs such as "Kill That Nigga," "My Gats Spitting," and "Hurt Niggas" no doubt illustrate. However, songs such as "Pray for Me," "Hey Luv (Anything)," and "There I Go Again" sent quite a different message; the first featured Lil' Mo, the second 112, and the third Ron Isley -- each there to smooth out Mobb Deep's rough ...sound for the masses. And it worked, particularly in the case of the ballad "Hey Luv (Anything)," which garnered the most exposure the duo had yet experienced and introduced Mobb Deep to a new audience of thug passion-seeking women. So there's little debating the fact: Mobb Deep did the unthinkable on Infamy, softening its sound a bit. But you really can't complain. This is Mobb Deep's most well-rounded album to date, though unfortunately a bit out of character. After all, you have to wonder: Are Prodigy and Havoc selling out or softening with age? The answer is unclear at this point, and it's safe to wager that longtime fans were left scratching their heads in wonder -- and surely some in dismay. Nonetheless, Mobb Deep needed a change of direction at this point. Jay-Z had berated Prodigy on the most talked-about rap song of the year, and the duo's previous album, Murda Muzik, had sounded tired relative to Hell on Earth. So for the time being, Infamy made Mobb Deep relevant again, albeit for a more mainstream audience. - Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide Read more Less