“Curtis-Billion Dollar-budget Jackson!!…Get mad at that man he’s the one who made us rich….we taking advantage…G-Unit, Infamous Mobb Deep, WE BACK!!” – Prodigy, “Put Em in Their Place”.

“MOBB DEEP IS DEAD!”. This is what Benz0 was hollering in Mexico City when the new Mobb Deep video came on. I hadn’t even really listened to the video or really watched it. I just saw it was them “sellouts” Mobb Deep on Los’ big screen and started raining insults on them as Brother J aka Jermaine was protesting. My core issue with Mobb Deep at that time was that almost every track they did after signing with G-Unit had a painfully irritating commercial hook to it with some crooning R&B dude singing in the background. Good for the R&B thugs and Mobb’s bank account but bad for the Hardcore thugs like Benz0 and the rest of the true Mobb fans. Even worse is they even had new flashy nicknames like Hollywood Hav (Havoc) and V.I.P. (Prodigy).

So I just knew 50 Cent had brought them fully over to the “dark side” they call commercial rap and that it was the demise of Mobb Deep. I was prepared to lead the charge against what was once my favorite rap group of all time and denounce their newest album BLOOD MONEY. Then all of a sudden something funny happened. I took time out to listen to their first single again and couldn’t deny that is was pure “fire”. Cam’Ron’s new album got held back and I found myself at the record store wondering what else to buy. And there they were….sitting in front of a pile of “blood money” on the front of their CD staring at me.

“Ah F$$$ it let me cop this and see what’s up and give them another chance. After all they used to be my favorite rap group” (My ex’s can only wish that I gave them that much of a chance to redeem themselves!). What followed afterwards was a rebirth in my respect for Mobb Deep as the first 13 tracks were unbelievably solid. I couldn’t believe it!! I text messaged like 8 of my boys at 12 AM in the morning telling them of my incredible discovery. But how could this be? Mobb Deep was supposed to be dead! But as one famous NBA coach (Rudy T) said. DON’T EVER, EVER, EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HEART OF A CHAMPION”. The champion of hardcore rap is back!! Welcome back Mobb Deep. WE MISSED YOU!

Soon as the intro comes on you realize Mobb Deep is on that same murderous tone that made them rich as “Smoke It” takes things back to the basics as Hollywood Hav and VIP take turns warning suckas what can happen to them if they approach the wrong way. Then the CD bumps to Track 2 and M-O-B-B commences to “Putting em in their place” on the song “Put Em In Their Place”. This song features a hardcore track enhanced by what can only be described as some hardcore TUBA music loops in the background. Prodigy once again throws his hat in the ring as “one of the Kings Of New York” letting us know that he has a “tank for a car, ice for an arm, building for a crib, Manhattan for a backyard…Condo for a piggy bank”.

Meanwhile on the same song Havoc chimes in and drops them hizzoez a classic line “Me? I let the Henny Flow, Meet me at the tely ho, You don’t do the tely [hotel]? Oh…F$$$ a b$$$$ she gotta GO!, Working with a lotta dough and a little bit of time, b$$$$ don’t want to f$$$, I don’t want to know what’s on her mind…..”. Yeah now that’s the Mobb Deep we know and love! More witnesses to Mobb Deep’s continued hardcore faith are the songs “Backstage Pass” – where P and Hav proceed to tell them groupies (usually someone’s wifey) what they can and can’t do for them – , “DayDreamin’” – that takes things back to the “Allustrious” days of Mobb Deep as they reflect on how they came up back in the day – and the Alchemist produced “The Infamous” – featuring an old school beat with the MOBB providing the new school hardcore kick to the track.

We also get treated to some patented Mobb mellow madness in the form of “Speakin So Freely”, “Capital P, Capital H” and “In Love With the Moula”. The latter has got to be the best RAP LOVE SONG about money ever. Check VIP’s line: “It’s all about YOU [money] MY PRECIOUS, I’ll never ignore you again for a b$$$$, I put that on my organs, Got these other n$$$$$ jealous cause you all over me in public, YOU BE ALL INSIDE MY JEANS, took me all across the planet to places like Europe, you taught me NEW tricks at the bank out in ZURICH [Switzerland]…”.

BUT THAT’S NOT IT! Enter G-unit from stage left. What really helps to elevate this album to Must Have status are the G-Unit Cameos. “Pearly Gates” and “Creep” feature 50 Cent who really blends in seamlessly with his Queens brethren on both tracks. You can see 50’s influence on the duo in “Pearly Gates” as 50 and company contemplate the dirt they’ve done in their life and wonder if they’ll get to heaven but figure “Homie if I go to Hell and you make it to Heaven, just get me to the gate, And I’ll talk my way in, Got a gift, I’m special with the flow, I’m good, S&^^ I TALKED MY WAY UP OUT THE HOOD!..”. Surprisingly Tony Yayo does not ruin the song when he makes a cameo on “Click Click” and Young Buck adds some solid flavor on “Give It To Me”.

But the coup de gras of the G-Unit collaborations is on the song “Stole Something” where Lloyd Banks makes a welcome appearance and totally closes out the song and the competition with lines like “My crew greater, Yeah I’m talking to YOU hater, I’m too major, Two tone blue gator, New Blazer, Big Gun, Little Razor, SO raise up!, That ain’t how ya mamma raised ya…”. Not to be out done though Prodigy hits us with a totally new style and tone on his verse which can only be described as S-I-C-K with lines like “Back on the East Coast I BURY, now I’m partying with Halle Berry, but this Hollywood s$$$ will catch ya slippin if you let it, Some n$$$$$ started grilling like they was gonna take my things, So I assume I had to set it…Now there’s blood splattered all on my ice and jewelry, [but] they don’t know I did it cause I did it smoothly…”.

Man P be rippin it!! What I can’t explain is the new “Don” type inflections of his voice as he was telling his story. Same ol genius Prodigy man. He ain’t changed since the “I’ll stab your brain with your nose bone” days. He’s just a millionaire these days is all.

But there you have it kiddies. Mobb Deep is back and this time they brought friends! You know them friends that your momma instantly wants to kick out the house? Yeah Mobb Deep and G-Unit. A match made in hell to produce more “Blood Money”. A match that has produced a MUST HAVE album. This album represents the best G-Unit affiliated album since 50’s breakout solo album entitled “Get Rich or Die Trying” and easily the best Mobb Deep album since MURDA MUZIK. You simply cannot burn 3 or 4 of the best songs on this album and feel like you aren’t missing out on anything.

EVERY song is deftly crafted and well thought out. They even throw the R&B thugs a bone by including as a bonus two of their semi-embarrassing previous commercial G-Unit hits at the end of the album and throw in a Mary J Blige song using Alchemist’s “Tick Tock” music track with Nas on the 1rst INFANTRY album as well.

But that doesn’t take away from the THIRTEEN super solid tracks on here. MOBB is back and they belong back in your CD changer as well. (Remember also that some of Mobb Deep’s best stuff was released independently on their FREE AGENTS – THE MURDA MIX TAPE double Cd that is also up there with this album. All Mobb fans need to pick that up as well. )

Benz0
Contact Benz0: BenzWritings@Hotmail.com

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