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As a diehard Mobb Deep fan (theyre probably my all-time favorite rap act of all time), I was so worried about them being G-Unit-ized. Its one thing when its a new artist like Banks, Buck, Game, etc. But the Mobb had a Deep legacy.
I remember feeling like, damn, 10 years in the game and they have to sign with someone else to get hot, that's what it's come to? Shouldn't they be bosses? Of course, 8 years later these kinda moves are becoming commonplace (Busta to YMCMB comes to mind) and don't get nearly the same backlash.
And then the "Outta Control" remix dropped. I shut my ass up. This shit was bananas, classic killer Dre beat, catchy 50 Cent hook (back then he was what I guess someone like Drake is - the hip hop hook KING), and some cool Mobb Deep rhymes. Yeah, they were spitting some shit about the ladies, but it didn't feel corny the way the 112 joint did. It was gangsta yet smooth.
The first single was cool. Kinda ordinary, but fine, did nothing to tarnish the Mobb sound or feel. I thought, hey, maybe this won't be so bad.
Then the album leaked. It was our worst fears come true!
You said you hadn't heard it since it came out but didn't know why it didn't work? All it would take for you to realize why could be accomplished by putting it on.
Sure, they had a few great songs ("Pearly Gates" belongs near the very top of any Best of Mobb Deep list), it felt and sounded so wrong. One Alchemist beat. No Big Noyd. 5 appearances from 50 Cent. In fact, zero 0 zero QB artists. But Banks, Buck, Yayo were all on there.
C'mon.
And those songs didn't work for the most part. The Nate Dogg joint is so god damn corny and shitty and unoriginal, it's low key as much of a blemish on their discography as the 112 joint that everyone cites as the alleged Mobb Deep falloff point/evidence Jay had P shook/whatever else is said (I still say the beat bangs, but it was too much of a diversion from their norm, we as a fan base weren't ready for that)
Anyway, it sucks.
>I haven't listened to this since it came out but in
>retrospect I don't know why it didn't work. Even them rapping
>at 40% over those beats should have been doper. Maybe we've
>just lowered our expectations since then
>
>I remember seeing a massive ad for them in Times Square
>thinking "Oh shit they're gonna be as big as 50 now"
___________________________
OL' DIRTY BASTARD on himself:
"I may curse, I may have a bad mouth, whatever whatever. I'm not that bad, yaknow'mean. Bad to y'all, I dunno how y'all... I don't give a fuck. Um, I'm a good person at heart, for real and shit.
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