Mobb Deep was an American hip-hop group formed in Queens, New York, in 1990. The group was made up of rappers, songwriters, and record producers Prodigy and Havoc. They are seen as some of the most important artists in East Coast hip-hop. Mobb Deep is one of the most successful rap groups in history, with over three million records sold. Their most famous albums include The Infamous (1995), Hell on Earth (1996), and Murda Muzik (1999). Their most popular songs were "Shook Ones (Part II)" and "Survival of the Fittest." The group was known for using a serious and intense style in their music.

The group briefly broke up in 2012 but came back together the following year. Prodigy passed away in June 2017.

Biography

Havoc and Prodigy met while they were students at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, a school that helped train famous artists like Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Amy Heckerling, Lee Quiñones, and Fab Five Freddy. In 1990, they formed a musical group called Poetical Prophets. The name reflected their interest in New York conscious hip-hop, a style of music that focuses on social issues and personal experiences. The duo began making a demo tape and used a creative way to promote themselves. They found addresses of record label headquarters on the back of music albums, brought a cassette player, and asked artists to listen to their music. Only one artist, Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, stopped to hear their music. Q-Tip introduced them to Chris Lighty and others at Rush Associated Labels in the Def Jam office, which helped them connect with people in the music industry.

Later, Prodigy signed a solo demo deal with Jive Records and had an uncredited part on the song "Too Young" by Hi-Five, which was on Hi-Five's debut album released in the fall of 1990. The song later appeared on the Boyz n the Hood soundtrack in the summer of 1991. Jive Records decided not to sign Poetical Prophets as a group.

In July 1991, the duo was featured in Matty C's "Unsigned Hype" column in The Source magazine, which helped promote their demo Flavor for the Nonbelieves. The Source described Poetical Prophets as a "dynamic duo … making a big name for themselves in talent shows and radio stations in the New York area." The following year, they changed their name to "Mobb Deep," partly based on a suggestion from Puff Daddy, who wanted them to be the first artists on his new record label, Bad Boy Records. Prodigy explained that the name came from the idea of a large group of people hanging out together, using the slang word "deep" to describe their social style. The name "Mobb Deep" included two "B"s to make it look more unique.

In 1992, Mobb Deep signed with 4th & B'way Records. They released the single "Peer Pressure" to promote their debut album Juvenile Hell, which came out in 1993. The album included music production from DJ Premier, Large Professor, and Kerwin Young, who was connected to the group Public Enemy. Later that year, Havoc appeared on the Black Moon album Enta da Stage on a song titled "U da Man."

Mobb Deep's first major success came with their second album, The Infamous, released in 1995. The album helped them rise to the top of the hardcore hip-hop scene, as Havoc and Prodigy shared honest stories about street life. The album's title was inspired by a friend named Yamit, a boxer who lived near Havoc in Queensbridge, New York. Yamit had a tattoo that read "The Most Infamous," which led to the group being called "The Infamous Mobb Deep." The album used dark, sample-based music production, mostly created by Havoc, with some help from Q-Tip. The hit single "Shook Ones Part II," a remix of an earlier song, received widespread praise. In 2020, The Infamous was named one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Mobb Deep's third album, Hell on Earth, was released in 1996 and reached number six on the Billboard Album Chart. The album continued their focus on harsh street life and helped them become prominent in the hip-hop scene alongside artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Wu-Tang Clan, and Nas, who also appeared on Hell on Earth.

In 1996, Mobb Deep participated in the America is Dying Slowly compilation CD, which aimed to raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic among African American men. The compilation was praised as a "masterpiece" by The Source magazine. In 1997, they appeared on the album track "Know Da Game" from Frankie Cutlass's Politics & Bullsht, which also featured Kool G Rap. In 1998, they collaborated with reggae artist Bounty Killer on the track "Deadly Zone" for the Blade soundtrack and were on the remix of Mariah Carey's song "The Roof (Back in Time)," which used a sample from "Shook Ones Part II." In 1999, they released the album Murda Muzik, which faced delays due to leaked songs. When officially released, the album reached number three on the Billboard 200 and earned a Platinum certification. The album's popular single was "Quiet Storm." Later, Prodigy released his solo album H.N.I.C*, working with artists like B.G. and N.O.R.E. and producers such as The Alchemist and Just Blaze.

Mobb Deep was involved in the East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop rivalry, which was fueled by media coverage. The conflict began when Snoop Dogg and the West Coast group Tha Dogg Pound released the song "New York, New York." Mobb Deep and others responded with the song "L.A. L.A." on Capone-N-Noreaga's debut album The War Report. This song was released during the final days of rapper Tupac Shakur's prison time. Members of Tupac's group, Outlawz, reportedly attended a Mobb Deep concert and later visited Tupac, who was upset about rumors that Mobb Deep had ignored them. Tupac criticized Mobb Deep in songs like "Hit 'Em Up" and "When We Ride on Our Enemies," joking about Prodigy's sickle-cell disease. Other diss tracks included "Bomb First (My Second Reply)" and "Against All Odds," which were on Tupac's posthumous album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. Mobb Deep retaliated with the song "Drop a Gem on 'Em" on their 1996 album Hell on Earth.

Havoc later said he was happy that Tupac had criticized them, as it helped their music gain attention. He explained that he had never met Tupac before his death in September 1996.

In 2001, Mobb Deep released the album Infamy, which included the song "Burn" (featuring Vita), seen as a response to Jay-Z's diss song "Takeover" on The Blueprint. Another track, "Crawlin'," mentioned Jay-Z in Prodigy's verses. The album marked a shift in the group's style, moving toward more commercially friendly music, which led to criticism that they were "selling out." In 2003, Mobb Deep ended their contract with Loud Records and released Free Agents: The Murda Mixtap.

Legacy

Mobb Deep helped make popular a type of 1990s slang called the "Dunn language." This term was first recorded in the 1999 song "Quiet Storm," where Prodigy raps: "you's a dick blower, [you] tryin' to speak the Dunn Language?/ 'what's the drilly' with that though? 'It aint bangin'/ you hooked on Mobb phonics, Infamous 'bonics."

The word "dunn" is believed to have started in the Queensbridge housing projects with a friend of Prodigy's named Bumpy. Bumpy had trouble pronouncing the letter "S," such as in the word "son." This difficulty made him use his tongue against his front teeth or palate, creating a "th" or "d" sound. Mobb Deep has claimed they helped create this slang. They also planned to release an album called The Dunn Language in 2002, but the project was put on hold because of problems with their record label.

Mobb Deep appears as themselves in the video game Def Jam: Fight for NY, which was released in 2004.

On September 15, 2018, during an interview for HipHop4Real, Havoc said he was working on a new Mobb Deep album, which would be the group's final album. He is also working on a joint project with The Alchemist, which was announced several years earlier.

In December 2019, Havoc went on a "Murda Muzik 20th Anniversary Tour" with Big Noyd and L.E.S.

Discography

• The album Juvenile Hell was released in 1993.
• The album The Infamous was released in 1995.
• The album Hell on Earth was released in 1996.
• The album Murda Muzik was released in 1999.
• The album Infamy was released in 2001.
• The album Amerikaz Nightmare was released in 2004.
• The album Blood Money was released in 2006.
• The album The Infamous Mobb Deep was released in 2014.
• The album Infinite was released in 2025.