thats their third album
shyt, got them mixed up. Good catch
thats their third album
A big misconception is most of 90s rap was "boom bap" this is all the way false. There was way more rap from the 90s that doesn't fall in that category than does.
Common, Da Brat, Bone Thugs N Harmony, MC Breed, DFC, Dayton Family, Twista, Do or Die, Crucial Conflict, Psychodrama, Eminem were most definitely "poppin" in the '90s, G.
Common, Da Brat, Bone Thugs N Harmony, MC Breed, DFC, Dayton Family, Twista, Do or Die, Crucial Conflict, Psychodrama, Eminem were most definitely "poppin" in the '90s, G.
Can’t forget Slum Village and a rising J Dilla too.
As a matter of fact, didn’t Nelly’s first single “Country Grammar” came out in ‘99?
FACTSFacts. nikka had the nerve to be on some child ass homotional bytch shyt because a lot of us aren’t in this illusion that No Limit had some bomb ass talentNo Limit was one of the prototypes for today’s Rap talent. They music do be crankin at times but at the end of the day, a strong number of them are basura on the mic.
Common, Da Brat, Bone Thugs N Harmony, MC Breed, DFC, Dayton Family, Twista, Do or Die, Crucial Conflict, Psychodrama, Eminem were most definitely "poppin" in the '90s, G.
Dude, Prodigy admitted that Nas' Illmatic had an effect on their success with their 2nd album
And dude, you've got it backwards.
"Illmatic" is the reason "It Was Written" was so heavily criticized when it came out.
"Illmatic" was being called the best album of all-time in '94 or at least one of them. As you said, he was being compared to Rakim, FFS.
"The World Is Yours" & "It Aint Hard To Tell" dominated Rap City's top 10, so you can't say it made no real impact. Back then that mattered.
If Nas had put out "It Was Written" first, he would've been the biggest star in Hip-Hop, but since "Illmatic" came first, actual Hip-Hop heads viewed it and Nas as a sellout and back then that mattered. It sold a ton of records, but it was still seen as a disappointment .
But I think you're talking from a pop perspective and I'm talking about a Hip-Hop perspective, which back then mattered.
Now, there's no divide between what's pop and what's actually respected Hip-Hop,![]()
I get your point but most of those people weren't really popping like that. Not on the level of a Death Row or BIG. BONE is about the only one and Em didn't blow up until '99.
And for the record I'm probably the biggest Psychodrama fan on the site. Even copped Buk/Dawreck's limited edition album when it dropped. But those cats, Crucial Conflict, Do Or Die, Dayton Family, etc. was semi-underground. Da Brat was seen as a Snoop clone, nobody took her seriously. Nobody in my age bracket back then, but I was 18 when her album came out.
Fred.
I was talking about the misconception that in 1994, Illmatic had IMMEDIATE influence and that it opened the doors for Mobb Deep.
I said what I said. To me, "opening the doors" mean that helped others to be put on. And I said again, Mobb Deep was already was put on. Then had a 2nd shot because of Q-Tip. Those were actual facts. Prodigy could say Illmatic "helped" to get people to peep The Infamous, but you HONESTLY going to tell me the The Infamous wouldn't of ever existed or be revered in it's own right because of Illmatic? No. Mobb Deep was in the middle of making The Infamous while Illmatic was just released. They weren't asking Nas to help them to be put on and had Q-tip to mentor them. Again, if ANYONE who pushed the door open for them was Tip.
The ONLY rapper who benefited from Illmatic was AZ. He was immediately signed to a deal after he sole guest appearance. We don't need to over exaggerate Illmatic. There's a REASON why Nas shifted his direction from Illmatic to It Was Written and Biggie's success had a lot to do with that.
And Rap City isn't the barometer to gauge at the time because there were PLENTY of East and West Coast videos that were on heavy rotation. Nas only had 3 videos that came and went that summer of '94 not counting Halftime because that came out in 92. And those singles WEREN'T the biggest rap singles of '94. Not over Juicy, Flava for Ya Ear remix, Manifest, CREAM, Electric Relaxation, and so on....stayed on HEAVY HEAVY rotation while Illmatic hit that year. There were A HUGE AMOUNT of great EAST COAST albums and singles that were burning at the same time making it hard for Illmatic to standout.
It was NOT that instant influential album. A perfect understanding of an instant influential album was THE CHRONIC. It instantaneously changed the west coast sound and making sing songy G-Funk beats. It opened a WAVE of west coast rappers doors that we still respect todayto include rap icons.
Illmatic had the hype, but didn't meet it's reverence until years later after It Was Written. Mobb Deep still would of been Mobb Deep and The Infamous still would of been The Infamous had Illmatic or Nas NEVER existed because Illmatic wasn't an album that inspired to produce and write The Infamous. Their own experiences and eyewitness reports and Q-Tip's mentorship and assistance in production did that. It's why The Infamous sounds NOTHING LIKE Illmatic both musically and lyrically.
Prodigy Reveals Nas’ Illmatic Was A Blueprint For Mobb Deep’s The Infamous (Video)
In April of 1995, Mobb Deep released The Infamous, a legacy-ensuring sophomore LP that kept the rugged, unadulterated reputation of Queensbridge alive and well. Featuring Ghostface Killah, Q-Tip, Raekwon, Nas, and others, Prodigy and Havoc’s second album would arrive the same year as equally enduring albums from Smif-n-Wessun (Dah Shinin), Big L (Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous), Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (E. 1999 Eternal), Rae (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…), GZA (Liquid Swords), and The Pharcyde (Labcabincalifornia) but still managed to set them apart as two of Rap’s most authentic voices. But in addition to the authenticity and skillful musicianship the two brought to their work, Mobb Deep clearly approached Rap with a deep appreciation for the Queensbridge legacy founded by artists like Marley Marl, MC Shan, Roxanne Shanté, and also their contemporary, Nas.
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Prodigy Details Mobb Deep’s Journey From “Embarrassed” Juveniles To Infamous Stars (Video)
Despite releasing their debut LP, Juvenile Hell, a full year before Nas dropped his introductory album, Illmatic, Prodigy says The Infamous was in many ways structured on the album Ambrosia for Heads readers voted the greatest Hip-Hop album of all time. In a recent interview with Mass Appeal, the legendary rapper discusses Nas’ influence on how they approached the structural ideas for their now iconic album. “When Juvenile Hell first came out, it didn’t do well,” he begins near the 1:55 mark. “We were still figuring out what Mobb Deep is, and how we should present ourselves and how the music industry works. Right around the time that album came out, Nas dropped Illmatic and it was just incredible,” he recalls.
Calling the album a “work of art,” Prodigy says “it made us look at ourselves, like ‘what the f*ck is we doing? Look at this masterpiece this kid just made. We with him damn near every day.'” He says their relationship with Nas and the first-hand perspective they had on Illmatic‘s success made Mobb Deep realize “we weren’t telling our story correctly, and Nas, with Illmatic, helped us to realize that, ’cause he told his story so perfect.” Prodigy says he and Havoc then decided that they needed to “come correct and really dig deep to tell people who we are,” arguing that it was crucial to “share your pain, your fears, everything with the people.” “We was like, ‘we ain’t gonna get another chance after this. If we flop again, it’s over.'” That’s when, he remembers, the duo “regrouped, went in the crib with mad 40s, mad weed, and started grinding.”
you don't think dudes was smoking whoolies, coolies, and dust blunts? eating acid, mescaline, shrooms, etc.? drinking codeine, eating percocets, vicodins, etc.?Could you please produce specific evidence of his claim?
If not don't post in this thread ever again
You are the 4th guy to present ZERO specific proof of rappers in the 90s fukking Transgenders and gays and doing hardcore drugs to the extent like modern rappersyou don't think dudes was smoking whoolies, coolies, and dust blunts? eating acid, mescaline, shrooms, etc.? drinking codeine, eating percocets, vicodins, etc.?
and gay dudes been around forever
You are the 4th guy to present ZERO specific proof of rappers in the 90s fukking Transgenders and gays and doing hardcore drugs to the extent like modern rappers
it's funny to me that anyone would say cats weren't doing drugs. for everyone that rapped about it, plenty more were doing itplenty of rappers talked about the drugs themselves and in their rhymes breh. Wu was always talking about dust and woolies and all that. Southern cats were constantly taking about fry/dip/syrup etc as you got into the later 90s plenty of cats made songs about ecstasy. It’s known plenty of 80s rappers were coked up as fukk and it’s well known that some NOLA rappers had a heroin problem, BG is prob the most well known, 36 Mafia spot about snorting and stuff a lot too.
As far as the gay/tranny shyt goes, Mr Cee is one 90s figure that has been caught out about it and I’m sure there are/were more. It never amounted to more than rumours back then because there was no social media, no camera phones so not everything got captured on camera etc.