This is not a blog.
The purpose of this piece is to manifest a particular outcome. Though I’m still ironing out the details of the desire, the broad vision is to collaborate on a creative project with Nas and/or Havoc of Mobb Deep. My appreciation for these artists from Queens, NY stems from their astounding output in the hip hop space, as their work has inspired me beyond measure.
Two of my favorite albums, regardless of genre, are Nas’ debut masterpiece, Illmatic, and Mobb Deep’s sophomore project, The Infamous. These classic works motivate me in different, but evenly impactful, ways. When it comes to Illmatic, my adoration for this album derives from its impeccable diction, immaculate production, and vivid storytelling. For anyone like me who is striving to produce material that is chockfull of creative writing, I couldn’t recommend this album enough. Outside of picking up on its wonderful vocabulary, Illmatic is a powerful listen for those aiming to enhance the personalization of their own output. I’ve never been to Queensbridge, but after one listen, I felt like I was from there. Follow along to all the lyrics in solitude, and you’ll find that Nas was able to study his environment, and place pieces of it into his art in an enjoyable manner for the consumer.
Then we have the Infamous. My love for Prodigy & Havoc’s work blossomed through personal research on the dynamic duo. Before the Infamous hit the streets, Mobb Deep dropped a project titled ‘Juvenile Hell’. Both artists were just teenagers when they released the record, and were still developing their voice as a premier hip-hop duo. Due to their freshness in the industry, their debut album lacked appeal, and failed from a commercial standpoint. As a result of this, Mobb Deep was dropped from their label.
At a moment in time where most creatives would lose faith in their abilities, Prodigy and Havoc used the bad news as fuel, and skyrocketed into their highest forms. They continued to work, and, in a short period of time, evolved their sound, phraseology, delivery, and energy on the mic.
While harnessing their craft, Mobb Deep was given another chance, which is rare in the music industry. They were scooped up by Loud Records, a record label that started in 1991. Loud had just signed Wu-Tang and released their debut smash Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), so if there was ever a home for raw talent to find its audience, it was here.
From here on out, the rest was history. In 1995, Mobb Deep released The Infamous, which, by all accounts, is a certified classic. Tracks like “Shook Ones, Part II” and “Survival of the Fittest” are, according to my ears, two of the greatest records in the genre’s rich history. Havoc’s mind-boggling production, blended with Prodigy’s unique rhyme style, mixed with the sharp street energy created a showpiece on wax. The album sounds like the gutters of New York, but is put together in an inspirational-like manner due to Prodigy and Havoc’s self-confidence/fearlessness on the mic.
As a creative with dreams, my goal is to tell a story that has the diction and vividness of Illmatic, plus the rawness of The Infamous. This will give me the best chance to collaborate in some capacity with these icons.
In working towards this objective, I’ve discovered that there’s a place in the world that houses Illmatic, The Infamous, and my project, Trust The Grind (See photos). With an active library card to Queens Public Library at Central, one could head into the public building in Jamaica, NY and borrow work from Nas, Mobb Deep, and myself. Fun to think about.
Since the universe stores our products under the same roof, maybe my target of working with the all-time greats already has some life to it…