Those who think they've heard it all from Mobb Deep, think again. Building on their powerful opus that earned them 4 1/2 mics the first time The Source got its hands on it, the Mobb has taken the expression, "They murdered that shit!" to a whole new level. Memorable joints that remain part of the previous musical massacre include the gritty "Allustrious," the Eightball-assisted, boisterously in-ya-face "Where Ya From" and the highly emotional "Streets Raised Me." And while the absence of "Mobb Comin' Thru," "F#ck That B!tch" and "Pile Raps" is no doubt noticeable, the drama-inspiring, horn-laced "Spread Love" quickly reassures that Hav and P knew exactly what they were doing when making their final cuts. To aid them in their murda spree, the Mobb enlisted some notable co-defendants. Lil' Cease pops up on the keyboard-sprinkled "I'm Goin' Out," and Raekwon sets up shop on the slightly bounce-flavored (but still unmistakably Mobb) "Can't F#ck Wit," on which the time-tested Shaolin-QB connection reminds MCs to stop talking shit and "see me when you get a record deal." And just when you thought "Quiet Storm" was the epitome of murda raps, the remix raises the stakes once again, as Lil' Kim joins the Mobb in bringing the "re-e-e-eal hip hop" to the people. But the true gem of the added joints has to be "It's Mine," featuring Nas Esco, himself. The Scarface-inspired bassline and drums harder than public school lunch rolls should make it an instant QB favorite. Overall, the 19 tracks (out of the nearly 30 tracks recorded for for their fourth album) that make up the newest installment of Murda Muzik should remove any irrational doubts about Mobb Deep's status as the sanctioned soothsayers of seriously sanguineous slang. Revisit it below...
When discussing the Bootleg Version of Murda Muzik, here's what they had to say back in 1999: "We leaked some of that shit ourselves. It was some ghetto street promotion for us," says Prodigy. 'It [the bootleg Murda Muzik] probably went gold on the streets. It worked out for the better.'" I'd agree. You can compare the tracklists for the retail version of Murda Muzik and the bootleg version below to see what tracks you might've missed. I remember coppin' one of the bootlegs at a damn car wash out in Queens on Woodhaven Boulevard. It was definitely reminiscent of the Nas "I Am..." situation, which later became a lot of the tracks for his "The Lost Tapes" release [and that other album we don't talk about much]. There was a ton of quality music on the streets in Queens at that time. Rest In Peace to Prodigy, one of our culture's most talented MCs. Read more below...
