It’s been 20 years since Mobb Deep released their breakthrough LP The Infamous. Since then, Havoc and Prodigy have become staples in New York hip-hop and has influenced nearly every artist that has emerged from the depths of Queensbridge. One veteran rapper in particular, Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, became their mentor and influenced their work on the album. See what Mobb Deep had to say about Q-Tip after the jump!
Mobb Deep continues to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Infamous. Havoc and Prodigy hit up Baohaus in the East Village and spoke about the effect the album had on hip-hop as a whole. They also reflected on Q-Tip’s influence on the beginning of their career. After Tip helped get them a record deal, he became a mentor to both Havoc and Prodigy while still maintaining his own image.
“You know what I liked about him on that song?” said Havoc. “He didn’t try to get on our level and be hard. A lot of artists do that based on who they’re doing a song with. They try to cater to what their style or get on their level when they need to just be them. That’s the reason why the other artists wants them on the song because they want you to be you. We were just so fresh in the game. We were thankful for Tip just rockin’ with us.”
The Queensbridge duo also spoke about the lyrics on the album and how many times they’ve been sampled over the years. Their most memorable songs like “Shook Ones” and “Eye For An Eye” featuring Nas and Raekwon have been sampled at least 500 times since the album’s release in 1995. Mobb Deep will be continuing the celebration this Sunday with Funkmaster Flex at B.B. Kings with The Alchemist and Smif N Wessun. Cop your tickets here and check out the interview below.
Source: WatchLOUD
