Soul Strut 100: # 43 - Mobb Deep - The Infamous

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  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    batmon said:
    Overrated

    Agreed. It's pretty good, but wouldn't even make a top50 rap albums of all-time list of mine.

    And to go as far as calling it one of the "last great hip hop albums" is more an indication of when dudes personally stepped out of liking rap music, than the state of rap music itself.

  • good point

  • Assuming you're serious, I'd like to see the list of 50 greater hip hop albums.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Possum Slim said:
    Assuming you're serious, I'd like to see the list of 50 greater hip hop albums.

    Just repeat "UGK - Ridin' Dirty" 50 times to yourself and you'll be straight.

  • HarveyCanal said:
    Possum Slim said:
    Assuming you're serious, I'd like to see the list of 50 greater hip hop albums.

    Just repeat "UGK - Ridin' Dirty" 50 times to yourself and you'll be straight.

    To be fair, can you see how your statement is exactly the kind of statement you're challenging? Different tastes, but you're doing exactly the same thing.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Controller_7 said:
    HarveyCanal said:
    Possum Slim said:
    Assuming you're serious, I'd like to see the list of 50 greater hip hop albums.

    Just repeat "UGK - Ridin' Dirty" 50 times to yourself and you'll be straight.

    To be fair, can you see how your statement is exactly the kind of statement you're challenging? Different tastes, but you're doing exactly the same thing.

    I simply pointed out a great album that came out since The Infamous.

    But now it's a comment on you to be citing "different tastes" as if UGK and Mobb Deep can't be mentioned in the same breath.

    But here you go, from that same year, I liked Da Shinin better than The Infamous, let alone Only Built for Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords.

    Shook Ones, yes...up for single of the decade. But The Infamous as an album is kinda boring IMO.

    And notice I'm not saying it doesn't belong on the Soulstrut100. Just surprised at some of the grandiose comments.

  • I know what's cool to be is to proclaim things in complete absolutes but the Mobb Deep album is fucking amazing AND there are also many great rap albums (some, even better than The Infamous) that have come out since then.

  • I didn't mean all that. No reason they can't be in the same breath. Ugk repeated 50 times leaves no room for mobb deep. I didn't even mean anything grand by it, just that it's all personal taste so you can't take away his top 50 placement anymore than he can yours.

    I actually agree with you and Batmon in a sense. I like a lot of stuff on here, but some of it has a softness to it. I know that's not popular opinion, but it's not an end to end banger for me and I think its mostly because of some of the beats. The production is good, but some songs just don't fit the vibe for me.

    Proceed to throw stones.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    No stones, just discussing. Glad to hear what you and Paycheck chimed in with.

  • batmon said:
    Temperature's Rising

  • asstroasstro 1,754 Posts
    It might be a little overrated, but when people think of NYC hip-hop in the early/mid 90's this is what they are thinking of. The sound of Timberlands, blunts, 40's and guns on a cold ass subway platform at 2am.

  • Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords were the only albums I listened to more in 95.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Possum Slim said:
    Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords, Sittin On Chrome, Livin Proof, Lifestyles of The Poor and Dangerous, Soul Food, Return to the 36 Chambers, and KRS-One, were the only albums I listened to more in 95.

    ------------------------

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
    People really think this record is overrated?

    I certainly wouldn't call it one of the "last great hip-hop albums", but then I'm not that guy who thinks nothing good has come out since Deltron 3030/Operation Doomsday/Dr. Octagon/The Cold Vein/[insert 'critically revered' rap album here]. However, I've always felt that it exemplified a particular style or approach that came to define East Coast rap for a lot of people during what was a very fruitful period for the music generally. If someone were to ask me to draw up a list of records that I thought summed up New York hip-hop during the first half of the 90s, this would be in the top five, easily.

  • pcmrpcmr 5,591 Posts
    The-gaffler said:
    batmon said:
    Temperature's Rising

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    batmon said:
    Possum Slim said:
    Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords, Sittin On Chrome, Livin Proof, Lifestyles of The Poor and Dangerous, Soul Food, Return to the 36 Chambers, and KRS-One, were the only albums I listened to more in 95.

    ------------------------

    Just limiting it to NYC rap, I was still very hooked on each of The Extinction Agenda, Word...Life, and Magnum Opus throughout '95.

    But yes, dudes, if The Infamous made you feel that great about speaking the dunn language, then so be it.

    I definitely played my Shook Ones cassingle in my headphones more than any tape since Life Is Too $hort.

    Just never thought the album was all that.

  • piedpiperpiedpiper 1,279 Posts
    tripledouble said:
    piedpiper said:

    Looks a bit awkward and unintentionally funny IMO.

    umm...what you talking about?? i dont see much to laugh at and i definitely wouldnt roll up to that loading dock expressing those opinions.

    Well, mostly it??s just a low budget video, but I especially refer to the part that starts at the loading dock around 0:35 and frequently reappears then, where they perform with their crew/gang/supporters... their expressions, dance moves or whatever this is supposed to be - and all these dudes appearing and standing around in the background. It looks a bit unintentionally funny IMO and worse than in many other videos of the time.

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,095 Posts
    haven't read the whole thraed so not sure if this was brought up, but i wanted to say that i had friends BITD who thought Havoc's production on this and Hell On Earth was overly repetitive with the "snare".

    and even though i listened to The Infamous... back to front, again and again when it dropped, I was initially let down by Hell on Earth for the same reason (before it grew on me).

    i guess i'm wondering if that's what some of you are let down by with this album: the H.A.V.O.C.?

    but yeah, i'm a big fan of their first two albums.. very unique sound for that era/place. and the skits were hard.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    People really think this record is overrated?

    I certainly wouldn't call it one of the "last great hip-hop albums", but then I'm not that guy who thinks nothing good has come out since Deltron 3030/Operation Doomsday/Dr. Octagon/The Cold Vein/[insert 'critically revered' rap album here]. However, I've always felt that it exemplified a particular style or approach that came to define East Coast rap for a lot of people during what was a very fruitful period for the music generally. If someone were to ask me to draw up a list of records that I thought summed up New York hip-hop during the first half of the 90s, this would be in the top five, easily.

    It was a powerhouse at a time when there were other great albums and factions.

    Ill give them props for being on some relaxed story tellin shit but lyrically they are not killin shit at all.

    I also feel like they became fetishized by suburban dudes like NWA years prior. "Oh shit they so real while posturing in the mirror".

    And yes the overused hard snare is a weakness.

    The bangers on this album are timeless. But dont act like the shiit is filler free.

  • what's the filler? "Up North Trip"? "Party Over"?

    I'm not hearin that at all.

    Hard to be impartial, though. shit was the sound of NYC when I first arrived. This and the purple tape were out of every Pathfinder, in every club, every walkman, on every mixtape sold in those binders at Jimmy Z. To me it's not really about there being weak or strong tracks, the whole thing is a bleak ass statement from a particular area and era.

    Analyzing the shit cut-for-cut is like missing the projects for the buildings (does that work? I'm rolling with it regardless)

  • edpowersedpowers 4,437 Posts
    Minus "Party Over" The Infamous is Hip Hop perfection.

  • didnt up north trip have that ridiculous intro...daaa da da da da daaaaah

  • I always thought the drum programming was heavily influenced by Q-Tip, who had those huge snares all over Midnight Marauders and of course produced a number of the joints on Infamous

    maybe Extra P too?

  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    Here's me listening to this record still: :face_melt:
    For those that are :ehhx2:
    Me and P got this mug on our faces to question if you really rael: :icegrill:

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,095 Posts
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    I always thought the drum programming was heavily influenced by Q-Tip, who had those huge snares all over Midnight Marauders and of course produced a number of the joints on Infamous

    maybe Extra P too?

    Interesting - I never thought of it that way. I was actually guessing that the Mobb co-production credit on Drink Away The Pain must have been to add the heavy snare texture that the rest of the album had to make the whole album more cohesive.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    The_Non said:
    Here's me listening to this record still: :face_melt:
    For those that are :ehhx2:
    Me and P got this mug on our faces to question if you really rael: :icegrill:

    Yes, midgets who get their asses kicked on the regular talking bout I'll shoot you, that's where the raelly rael is at.

    I'm actually just kidding. But then again, I was never fully convinced. Black Moon though, I'll admit, I pretty much bought the same sort of thing from them. So I guess it's pick your poison.

  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    How DARE you call me a midget sir!
    :lol:
    I really like this record. I also like UGK, particularly Supertight more so than Ridin Dirty. But Supertight nor Ridin Dirty (imo) is a complete record like this.
    Anyhoo, for those that suggest there's filler/garbage tracks, what are they? Ed said Party's Over, which I admit is prolly the snooziest track on the record. Any other suggestions?

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    The_Non said:
    How DARE you call me a midget sir!
    :lol:
    I really like this record. I also like UGK, particularly Supertight more so than Ridin Dirty. But Supertight nor Ridin Dirty (imo) is a complete record like this.

    Couldn't lose me anymore than you just did. Ridin Dirty is both complete and never had to be revisited. It's never left and is still as contemporary sounding as it gets.

  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,471 Posts
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    I always thought the drum programming was heavily influenced by Q-Tip, who had those huge snares all over Midnight Marauders and of course produced a number of the joints on Infamous

    maybe Extra P too?

    According to that Check the Technique book, Q-Tip did a lot of uncredited production work on the album in addition to his credited work. That would certainly make sense.

  • ketan said:
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    I always thought the drum programming was heavily influenced by Q-Tip, who had those huge snares all over Midnight Marauders and of course produced a number of the joints on Infamous

    maybe Extra P too?

    Interesting - I never thought of it that way. I was actually guessing that the Mobb co-production credit on Drink Away The Pain must have been to add the heavy snare texture that the rest of the album had to make the whole album more cohesive.

    Interestingly, it's the chopped drums that kind of tire for me. They sound good and bump, but I could have used a break here and there. That is 100% personal taste. Sometimes the single kick single snare single (loud) hi hat thing tires for me.

    This record is way up there for me, but I guess I spent more time with Cuban Linx and this never sank in as a full repeated listen. That's just me. More breaks please.
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