The Infamous
Studio album by Mobb Deep
Released	April 25, 1995
Recorded	1994–1995
Genre	East Coast hip hop
Length	66:51
Label	Loud Records
Producer	Prodigy, Havoc, Q-Tip, Schott Free, Matt Life
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Entertainment Weekly B+ link NME link Rolling Stone link The Source link Rap Reviews link XXL (XXL)
Mobb Deep chronology
Juvenile Hell (1993) The Infamous (1995) Hell on Earth (1996) Singles from The Infamous "Shook Ones Pt. II" Released: 1995 "Survival of the Fittest" Released: 1995 "Temperature's Rising" Released: 1995

The Infamous is Mobb Deep's breakthrough album, perhaps one of the most influential hip hop albums of the East Coast hardcore rap genre. Embedded with hypervisual lyricism, dark soundscapes, and gritty narratives, it marked Mobb Deep's transition from a relatively unknown rap duo to an influential and commercially successful one. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Mobb Deep are a hip hop duo which consists of rappers Havoc and Prodigy. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... East Coast hip hop is a style of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the early-1970s. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Loud Records is a subsidiary of Arista Records See also List of record labels Categories: Record label stubs | Record labels ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Q-Tip (born Jonathan Davis in Brooklyn, New York), USA, is a North American hip-hop emcee, actor, and hip hop producer who was the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Stars10080. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Steve Flash Juon is an American journalist and web master who writes about hip-hop music and culture. ... Image File history File links Stars10090. ... A 2005 cover of XXL, featuring Snoop Dogg and The Game. ... Mobb Deep are a hip hop duo which consists of rappers Havoc and Prodigy. ... Juvenile Hell is Mobb Deeps debut album released in 1993. ... Hell on Earth is a 1996 album by hip-hop group Mobb Deep. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Shook Ones Pt. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Survival of the Fittest is the second single from Mobb Deeps The Infamous album. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Temperatures Rising is the third, and last single from Mobb Deeps album, The Infamous. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Mobb Deep are a hip hop duo which consists of rappers Havoc and Prodigy. ... A seminal work [semen = seed (from the Latin seminalis)] is a work from which other works come--it is an engendering work which is so important in its ideas or technique that other people take these up and create new works too. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... East Coast hip hop is a style of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the early-1970s. ... Hardcore hip hop is a form of hip hop music that has confrontational, often violent lyrics, and generally sparse, gritty urban beats. ...

Acclaim

The Infamous garnered much acclaim and was, by some, considered to be a cornerstone of New York hardcore rap.^[1] Publications usually gave it their highest possible ratings, such as All Music Guide, which gave it five stars.^[1] One writer for Rolling Stone magazine said that with the help of Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep elevated the spirit of New York hip hop to the highest that it has been since the mid-1980's.^[2] The Infamous also received positive commercial acclaim upon release: it spent 18 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at #18, and spent 34 weeks on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, peaking at #3.^[3] It was certified Gold by the RIAA on June 26, 1995.^[4] Hardcore hip hop is a form of hip hop music that has confrontational, often violent lyrics, and generally sparse, gritty urban beats. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Wu-Tang redirects here. ... The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with RIAA certification. ... The RIAA Logo. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

The Infamous has received many accolades since its 1995 release. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums.^[5] It has also found its way onto Blender magazine's "500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die" in 2003 and Vibe's "51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement" in 2004.^[6] Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Blender is an American magazine that bills itself as the ultimate guide to music and more. ... For the Pontiac brand car Vibe, see Pontiac Vibe. ...

Musical Style

The album's haunting style, defined by its evocative melodies, sullen rhymes, and rugged beats, followed the recent success of Wu Tang Clan and reflected the dark side of New York City's urban landscape in a manner that garnered special recognition and critical praise. Furthermore, the album helped redefine the sound of the Hardcore rap genre using its production style—which incorporated eerie piano loops, distorted synthesizers, and sparse bass-lines. The Wu-Tang Clan is a pioneering hardcore rap group, originally from Staten Island, New York, USA (Staten Island is referred to as Shaolin in their lyrics). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

The album also features several notable Mobb Deep songs, including "Survival of the Fittest", "Up North Trip", "Temperature's Rising", "Give Up The Goods (Just Step)", "Drink Away The Pain", and "Eye for an Eye" (featuring Nas and Raekwon). However, the focal point of the album is "Shook Ones Pt. II": a street anthem that has since become Mobb Deep's signature song. Survival of the Fittest is the second single from Mobb Deeps The Infamous album. ... Temperatures Rising is the third, and last single from Mobb Deeps album, The Infamous. ... For other uses, see Nas (disambiguation). ... Raekwon (born Corey Woods, January 12, 1970, Brooklyn, New York, United States) is an American East Coast rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. ... Shook Ones Pt. ... A signature song is the one song (or, in some cases, one of a few songs) that a popular and well-established singer, or band, is most closely identified with, even if they have had success with a variety of songs. ...

Influence

The Infamous was an important contribution to a regional stylistic change. Along with artists such as Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep's songs were often dark stories of crime and poverty in the city streets. Consequently, the New York style of production greatly changed from upbeat and jazz-influenced, into raw, gritty, stripped-down, and minimalist beats. This style of production, often characterized by low-fidelity drum samples and heavily filtered bass lines under melodic loops, would soon be recognized nationally as unique to New York City. The Wu-Tang Clan is a pioneering hardcore rap group, originally from Staten Island, New York, USA (Staten Island is referred to as Shaolin in their lyrics). ...

Track listing

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Survival of the Fittest is the second single from Mobb Deeps The Infamous album. ... For other uses, see Nas (disambiguation). ... Raekwon (born Corey Woods, January 12, 1970, Brooklyn, New York, United States) is an American East Coast rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. ... Big Noyd (born TaJuan Perry on May 7, 1975) is a rapper from Queensbridge, New York City. ... Q-Tip (born Jonathan Davis in Brooklyn, New York), USA, is a North American hip-hop emcee, actor, and hip hop producer who was the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. ... Temperatures Rising is the third, and last single from Mobb Deeps album, The Infamous. ... “Ghostface” redirects here. ... Shook Ones Pt. ...

2004 Re-issue

The Infamous was re-released in 2004 with a remastered audio quality and two bonus tracks:

1. "Shook Ones Pt. I (Original Version)"
2. "Survival Of The Fittest (Remix)"

Shook Ones was a 1994 promotional single by hip-hop group Mobb Deep. ...

Album chart positions

Chart positions from Billboard magazine (North America) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ...

Singles chart positions

Chart positions from Billboard magazine (North America) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

“Hot 100” redirects here. ... The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, formerly known as Top Soul Singles, Top Black Singles, and Top R&B Singles (before the hip-hop term was added in the late 1990s), is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. ... Hot Dance Singles Sales (formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales) is a Billboard is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. ... Shook Ones Pt. ... Survival of the Fittest is the second single from Mobb Deeps The Infamous album. ... Temperatures Rising is the third, and last single from Mobb Deeps album, The Infamous. ...

References