In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Legendary Mobb Deep rapper, Havoc, recently chatted with SiriusXM host Coach PR on SiriusXM’s Shade 45, where he discusses his life, legacy and music.
During their conversation, Havoc reveals that his favorite Mobb Deep album is The Infamous and shares that he looked up to Q-Tip & Preemo. He also opens up about their fans and how incredible it is to see them reciting Mobb Deep lyrics.
Check out Havor speak on his favorite Mobb LP HERE
We’ve all heard the opening seconds of Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones, Part II”: A gas stove getting lit, clicking over and over until it turns into the cymbal beat of the song. It’s iconic and classic at this point. This became Mobb’s most popular song back in 1994. And while the stove sample is legendary, New York rapper Havoc is here to set the record straight. Via the SiriusXM radio show WkndWork, Havoc talked about how they got that sound and that the real story isn’t as cool as the myth that it came from an actual burner stove.
“You know when a myth [takes] a life of its own? You just be like, f*ck it, you don’t wanna hurt nobody’s feelings,” Havoc said in the interview. “So you just agree with the myth. I [will] be like, ‘Alright, f*ck it. Yeah, it’s from the stove.’” However, while people believe it’s a stovetop providing the sound behind the song, it’s actually a hi-hat. According to Havoc, “The truth of the matter is that the hi-hat that I used on the actual track of ‘Shook Ones’ sounds similar to a project stove.”
Mobb Deep was a hip-hop duo that rose to prominence in the 90s, right when hip-hop was taking off into mainstream consumption. It consisted of Havoc and Prodigy, two rappers working off each other and creating inventive sounds, like the hi-hat “stove” on “Shook Ones, Part II.” Sadly, Prodigy passed away in 2017 due to sickle cell anemia complications. The musical artist was 42 when he died.
As for Havoc, he conducted the SiriusXM interview while celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. “Shook Ones, Part II” was Mobb Deep’s most well-known track, showcased in Eminem’s movie 8 Mile. Havoc was known for creating new sounds with Mobb Deep’s music, including using a Herbie Hancock piano sample from the song “Jessica.” He slowed down the piano and altered it so that it gave an eerie vibe. He was so creative that people thought he used a real stove for the beat!
Legendary rapper Prodigy of Mobb Deep passed away six years ago on June 20. His death in 2017 shook the hip hop community, leading to a widespread commemoration of his significant contributions to the culture. Prodigy died from accidental choking while receiving hospital treatment for sickle cell anemia, which he battled throughout his life.
Both as one half of Mobb Deep and as a solo artist, Prodigy was a hip hop mainstay and consistently carried the flag for east coast hip hop. He was respected among the best rappers throughout his career and continues to be regarded as such even after his death. Today, we remember Prodigy of Mobb Deep.
A Member Of One of Hip Hop’s Most Iconic Duos
Prodigy was most known for being one half of Mobb Deep along with Havoc, alongside rapper and producer Havoc. Together, the Queens, New York rappers became one of hip hop’s most iconic duos. In 1993, they released their debut studio album, Juvenile Hell. Two years later, Mobb Deep shared The Infamous, a landmark project for ’90s hip hop, and cemented them as one of the most significant rap groups of all time. The album’s rough and rugged sound remains influential today.
The Infamous included classic songs such as “Survival of the Fittest” and “Shook Ones (Part II).” The latter is considered by hip hop heads as one of the greatest rap songs of all time. The track’s instrumental has been utilized in the final battle scene of 8 Mile and the Top Dawg Entertainment cypher at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards. Prodigy and Havoc’s work after The Infamous were also held in high regard as albums like Hell on Earth, Murda Muzik, and Infamy had classic moments of their own. Although Havoc’s production is a significant reason for the quality and influence of Mobb Deep’s music, many of the most classic lyrics came from Prodigy.
Toward the end of Mobb Deep’s run as a duo, Prodigy and Havoc briefly beefed, leading to a short-lived breakup in 2012. The two eventually reconciled and released their final album as a group, 2014’s The Infamous Mobb Deep. To this day, Havoc continues to tour Mobb Deep’s music in honor of Prodigy.
A Prolific Solo Career
Prodigy may have been most prolific in his music as a part of Mobb Deep, but he consistently released albums as a solo artist as well. His debut solo release, 2000’s H.N.I.C., stuck to the spirit of Mobb Deep but tapped various producers to create a different sound. The song “You Can Never Feel My Pain” saw Prodigy opening up about his sickle cell anemia. He also discussed his long term battles with his disease in his 2011 memoir.
The biggest single from H.N.I.C., “Keep It Thoro,” still remains as Prodigy’s biggest and most classic solo track. The Alchemist, who had previously produced Mobb Deep’s “The Realest,” produced the song. Prodigy and The Alchemist developed a close relationship and collaborated on two studio albums: 2007’s Return of the Mac and 2013’s Albert Einstein. Throughout his career, Prodigy rapped about theories of the Illuminati, a central theme of his final studio album. He released his final album, 2017’s The Hegelian Dialectic (The Book of Revelation), five months before his death. His estate posthumously released a sequel to the album in 2022.
Prodigy Often Embraced The New Generation Of Lyricists
Though many rap purists respected Prodigy and considered him an essential figure of ’90s hip hop, he actively embraced the new generation of rappers and collaborated with many of them. Albert Einstein notably featured Domo Genesis and Action Bronson. During his later career, Prodigy also worked with Evidence, Curren$y, Blu, Mac Miller, Childish Gambino, and Wiz Khalifa. He cosigned Griselda early in their career, collaborating with Conway for an EP and performing with them just days before his death. Prodigy’s presence in hip hop is deeply missed. Since his passing, only a few verses of his have been released posthumously. These verses appeared in songs with Statik Selektah, Masta Killa, Conway the Machine, and Sean Price.
Much more successful than their debut, The Infamous is hailed as a New York classic. Its gritty underground style is a staple in the hardcore movement going on at this time in New York. This album helped New York Hip Hop separate itself from the mediocre backpacker style that was popular a few years prior. Havoc and Prodigy‘s production shaped a new sound that could separate them from any NYC crime rhymer at the time.
Helping to pave the way for future artists like The Diplomats or A$AP Mob, The Infamous promoted a sound a lifestyle that appealed to a side of New York that wasn’t being spoken to or about by the politically charged artists that came in the late 80s and early 90s. Much like Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Mobb Deep acted as street prophets, spitting the truths of the hood without trying to be outwardly righteous about it. Featuring artists like Ghostface Killah, Nas, and Q-Tip, this project is a titan among its peers.
The album was a commercial success debuting at #15 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the R&B/Hip Hop charts. The album was certified gold within the first month of its release, and the three singles from the project all made appearances on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, with “Shook Ones Pt. II” and Survival of the Fittest” both making it on to the Billboard Hot 100.
Juvenile Hell was the first album by duo Mobb Deep that paved the path for many other East Coast rappers of their genre, which only a few know preceded their most revered LP, The Infamous.
Dubbed as one of the most acclaimed East Coast rap duos of all time, MCs Havoc and Prodigy came together to release their first album, Juvenile Hell on this day, April 13, 1993. Hailing from Queensbridge Housing projects in New York City, Mobb Deep was rather young when they released their first album, at the early age of 19.
At the time of its’ release, Juvenile Hell wasn’t received on groundbreaking levels. The new sound of the duo was too hardcore for some, very street-oriented, and the album provided one major single entitled “Hit it from the Back”; which peaked at 18 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart that same year. It wouldn’t be until later that Mobb Deep would become a Hip Hop classic and household name. In time they have gained longevity with their sound inspiring practically all other east coast rappers of their caliber. Had it not been for their first album, and their street poetry over tracks produced by the likes of DJ Premier and Large Professor, the map would never have been drawn for much of the major East Coast sound.
Video network Vevo teamed up with Public Enemy’s Chuck D to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop. There will be programming including “Legends In Concert,” “Hip-Hop International,” “2K Hip-Hop Legends,” and more. The world’s leading video network will also collaborate with a hefty, yet, impressive list of hip-hop artists with appearances throughout 2023 from legends such […]
The long-awaited posthumous album from Prodigy arrived in its entirety on Friday morning. The Hegelian Dialectic Volume 2: The Book Of Heroine is 12-songs in total with some epic features. DJ Premier, Big Daddy Kane, Faith Evans, Remy Ma, Big Noyd, and more appear on the tracklist.
The Hegelian Dialectic is a trilogy that Prodigy began prior to his death. The rapper released Hegelian Dialectic (The Book Of Revelation) in January 2017, months before his passing. His estate is currently plotting on the release and the final installment of the project.
The Hegelian Dialectic Volume 2: The Book Of Heroine is a reminder of the power of Prodigy’s pen to narrate vivid street tales with vulnerability and honesty.
