Mobb Deep’s Infinite: A Celebration of Life and Legacy

No matter if you’re a casual or hardcore fan of Hip-Hop, the influence of The Infamous Mobb Deep and their legendary status cannot be denied. For over three decades, the collective of Havoc and Prodigy held it down, dropping classics and bringing Queensbridge to the forefront. With the unfortunate passing of Prodigy, this latest project, Infinite, comes as a welcome surprise. Despite the scrutiny placed on posthumous albums, Infinite proves to be a solid addition to the group’s heralded discography—if not the final album of the duo.

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The top-notch production by Havoc and The Alchemist is evident, delivering that classic Mobb Deep New York sound throughout the project. Fans will appreciate them remaining true to themselves; even the more introspective rhymes are still layered with their signature grit. This is evident on the lady-friendly homage “Down For You” featuring Nas and Jorja Smith, in which Havoc proclaims, “None of these btches come close / Fck it, on my mama, you the GOAT.” The duo keeps things authentic throughout the album. The album flows seamlessly, albeit with one head-scratching decision: the inclusion of a “Part 2” to the aforementioned song. The only difference is H.E.R. singing the hook, and since Nas still references Jorja in his verse, it makes the inclusion feel awkward and unnecessary. However, that is about the only hiccup I can find in the tracklisting.

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As with almost any Mobb Deep album, the rhymes are always on point and relevant to the theme of the song. Although there are times when it feels as though a Prodigy verse may have been written for a different beat, this is a common issue in posthumous albums and is nothing that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the project. While there isn’t an abundance of features, the ones present definitely add to the project. Clipse delivers as always on “Look at Me,” and Ghostface Killah and Raekwon continue their run of good verses on “Clear Black Nights.” Nas also graces the project on two tracks, and closely affiliated Big Noyd makes an appearance, keeping his streak of Mobb Deep album appearances intact.

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Overall, there is not much fault a listener can find in this project. Infinite should prove to be an album that not only satisfies Mobb Deep fans but should earn a place in the rotation of anyone who loves Hip-Hop. If this is the last true Mobb Deep album we get, it serves as not only a worthy entry but a well-earned celebration of life for the legendary Prodigy.

Standout Tracks: “Look At Me,” “Down For You,” “Taj Mahal,” “We The Real Thing,” “Clear Black Nights”

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 (9/10)