"...You should be aware of two ying-yangish type facts: hip-hop's preoccupation with the gangsta aesthetic is problematic, and Mobb Deep are probably the most intense, most authentic, most powerful practitioners of a specifically Eastern hardcore feel to touch the mic this decade! The duo's second effort, Hell On Earth, is a tour de force. All of the elements that the Mobb have been lauded for - Havoc's pulsing production, P's icily cold poetics, and a creeping sense of aggression that invests the most herb-ivore type n!gga with temporary ice-grill capacity - have been taken to new heights; creating an album that, although lacking a single shot with the body-rocking power of "Shook Ones Pt.2." is a more comprehensive effort than their classic debut. To put it simply, them n!ggas have just gotten better. A Mobb Deep album ain't complete without mad referencing of QBC. The Bridge pervades the album, not only in a contextual sense, but also through the flavorful blessings of several of the Mobb crew, including the infamous Rapper Noyd. Labelmate Raekwon ("Nighttime Vultures"), Wu-Banger Method Man ("Extortion"), and Bridge Messiah Nas ("Give It Up Fast") also add their particular verbal alchemy to the mix.... But this is still a thoroughly Mobb joint, with all its angst-causing glory. 'Cause for every gun skit and sliced-grill, there's a solemn refrain - "I'm tired of living life this way / Crime pays but for how long?" from "Animal Instinct" - and moments of sheer joy in being moved by hip-hop's power. In the end, Mobb Deep may not be the site upon which to resolve the schisms in hip-hop's soul, but them two two brothas shake, rattle and roll said soul like no one else." - The Source, December 1996. Revisit Mobb's Hell On Earth below...
The full album review in The Source + OG promo below...
