Happy 20th Anniversary to Prodigy’s debut solo album H.N.I.C., originally released November 14, 2000.
There’re several directions you can take when discussing the etymology of “gangster rap.” Traditionally, most discussions begin in Los Angeles, and credit Ice-T as the godfather of the subgenre. It was interviews with Ice-T himself that helped bring attention to the unsung originator of reality rap, Schoolly D, and his vivid lyrical depictions of the rugged streets of Philadelphia, PA.
Fifteen years after the release of Schoolly D’s seminal classic “P.S.K. What Does it Mean?,” which Ice-T credits for inspiring the cadence of his 1986 single “6 in the Mornin,’” a son of the Big Apple helped bring the subgenre full circle with his solo debut H.N.I.C.
No rapper on the planet had a hotter pen than Prodigy going into Y2K, and P knew it. Wisely, he took advantage of the opportunity that many members of legendary rap groups either prematurely jump to or prolong when launching solo careers. Before the smoke cleared from Mobb Deep’s legendary three-album run, Prodigy was in the studio with some of the best producers in the industry, showing why his pen specifically made Mobb Deep one of the best rap groups of the ‘90s.
Mobb Deep’s sophomore LP The Infamous (1995) was groundbreaking and helped raise the bar for the entire hip-hop community, but the East Coast specifically. Where albums like Mobb Deep labelmates Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu Tang: 36 Chambers (1993) and Queensbridge neighbor Nas’ Illmatic (1994) rebranded New York City hip-hop, Mobb Deep solidified the grittiest of the new sound with their vivid narrations that took you deep inside everyday life in public housing.
Their 1996 follow-up LP Hell on Earth picked up right where Infamous left off, but saw Havoc mature as a producer. Perfecting the group’s sinister and eerie late-night sound, Havoc further evolved as a premier beatmaker and Prodigy bolstered his resume of being one of the formidable emcees of his generation. Never truly outshined no matter his collaborator or competitor, Prodigy sparred with Nas, Wu-Tang swordsmen Raekwon and Method Man, and even engaged in a lyrical back and forth with Tupac Shakur before his untimely passing later in 1996.
Mobb Deep’s fourth release Murda Muzik (1999) found the duo showing no signs of slowing down, as the group earned their highest commercial success and continued their streak of critical acclaim. Prodigy gave one of the year’s most impressive lyrical performances throughout the entire project. His confidence as an emcee was in full stride as evidenced in songs like “Allustrious,” where P throws down the lyrical gauntlet to any and all challengers with his bars “Yo, the lost page of a wild rhyme writin' n***a / P holds the pen tightly, explode nightly / I count on one finger all y'all rap n****s that excite me / Y'all n****s is trash rap - wanna fight me?”
It could have been the collab with one of P’s admitted rap heroes, Kool G Rap, on the song “The Realest” that helped his swag skyrocket. Kool G Rap, who is the subject of another important chapter of gangster rap, inspired the likes of Mobb Deep, Nas, AZ, and a list of other emcees who came of age circa 1989, while listening to songs like “Road to the Riches” and “Streets of New York.”
After a long run of success as a group member, Prodigy set out to expand the Mobb brand by writing his own chapter of reality rap with a long-awaited solo LP. The lead single “Keep it Thoro” adds New York flavor to the tradition of records like “P.S.K.” and “6 In the Mornin’” that eagerly draw you into their narratives and skip the formalities of introductions and choruses. The opening bars have become legendary (“I break bread, ribs, hundred-dollar bills / peel on Ducati’s and other four-wheels / write a book full of medicine and generate mils / then tour the album, only for more sales”). The Alchemist, who shared in the celebration of Murda Muzik’s success by producing two tracks, provided the beat for “Keep it Thoro.” Prodigy’s signature penmanship and delivery over Alchemist’s fresh sound created the rugged street anthem of Y2K, redefining what would be the new sound of gangster rap for the young decade.
Prodigy and Alchemist’s chemistry continued with other tracks throughout the LP and, in fact, helped create many of the album’s most memorable moments. “Three” which features another Queensbridge native and frequent collaborator, Cormega, continues the pace set by “Keep It Thoro.” Sticking to the neighborhood ethos of remaining relatable to the everyday hustler, P opens the song by painting a lyrical picture, “Yo dunn, we got guns in the grass, it's three at night / I'm about to take the last swallow of the Eases Jesus / who got fifty on the next tree, we gotta stop at the store / we need D batteries for the theme music.” In lines like this and many more, Prodigy steered away from the “Big-Willie” rhymes that bragged of Cristal sipping, which seemed to dominate radio at the time.
“Veteran’s Memorial” is another noteworthy offering by the red-hot rapper/producer duo of Alchemist and Prodigy. The melancholy memoriam is dedicated to loved ones lost during the infamous “crack era” that cast a dark shadow over NYC and most of urban America like a pandemic during the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Prodigy tapped an A-list of producers to help cement his solo debut including Bink, Rockwilder, a still fairly unknown Just Blaze, and Bad Boy hitmen Nashiem Myrick and EZ Elpee. Produced by the latter soundsmith, the title track “H.N.I.C.” comes across as the mission statement for the LP and provides a feel reminiscent of urban folklore when real life gangsters like Bumpy Johnson reigned in NYC, with Harlem as their home base. The chorus “The H.N.I.C, The Head N***a in Charge / the guns, the drama, the love, the Mobb / the boss, the Captain Crunch dog, the sarge / The M.O.B.B, the status - we large,” is equally effective in adding the old-school feel, particularly with P’s methodical delivery.
Mobb Deep even reunited several times during the project, as Havoc provided vocals and beats for “Dealt With the Bullshit” and “Wanna Be Thugs.” These collaborations reinforced that Prodigy was still number one over Havoc’s sinister drums and obscure samples, although his production was in high demand at the time, being called upon by big name artists such as LL Cool J and Faith Evans.
Aside from collaborating with New Orleans Hot Boy B.G. on the track “Y.B.E”, H.N.I.C. is mostly a family affair. Big Noyd, Mobb Deep’s unofficial third member, makes three appearances, including a freestyle skit with another close affiliate, Littles. It appears that Prodigy intended for the LP to launch the careers of proteges Bars & Hooks (a.k.a. Mike Delorean) who make several appearances throughout the LP as well. Prodigy’s wife Kiki credited as B.K. (a.k.a. Mz. Barz) appears on “Trials of Love” which added a layer of authenticity to the cinematic lover’s quarrel.
The album, which gives listeners just over an hour’s worth of entertainment to rival any Crime Drama of its era, ends on a solemn note, with the deeply personal “You Can Never Feel My Pain.” P allows a rare moment of vulnerability as he provides intimate details of his lifelong struggle with sickle cell anemia.
Mobb Deep is usually categorized as an integral part of the NYC renaissance that helped reestablish the Big Apple during the mid ‘90s. This of course is true, but I believe the group also expanded the subgenre of gangster rap, with their gritty detailing of NYC youth violence of the ‘90s. A few years younger than Havoc and Prodigy myself, I recall Mobb Deep representing for my peers what N.W.A was a few years earlier. We named the pair of Timberlands that Havoc wore on The Infamous album cover the “Mobb Deeps,” tried to copy the “Dunn Language,” and embraced their choruses as personal anthems. Before notorious gangs like the Bloods and Crips made their way to the East Coast, youthful tribalism was expressed through reppin’ your block, hood, or housing project, and Mobb Deep’s lyrics contained an explicitly accurate depiction of that anger and comradery.
With H.N.I.C., Prodigy took the brave step to distinguish himself apart from a successful group, and further establish himself as one of hip-hop’s premier lyricists. Drawing influence from the benchmarks that came before, the album landed as one of the first great offerings of the new millennium. Prodigy’s beat selection helped set a constant and deliberate tone in the vein of his predecessors Schoolly D, Ice-T, and MC Ren, while his ever-evolving penmanship also continued the lyrical traditions of New York rap giants like Kool G Rap and Tragedy Khadafi.
H.N.I.C. was also successful in establishing Alchemist as one of hip-hop’s premier producers. His cinematic style would make him one of the most sought-after producers in the 20 years since H.N.I.C.’s release, and the chemistry he shared with Prodigy has become the blueprint for modern movements like Griselda Records and their in-house producer Daringer.
Mobb Deep deservedly sit comfortably atop fans’ and critics’ lists of top-tier hip-hop groups, but with H.N.I.C., Prodigy launched one of the most formidable solo careers apart from an established group. It was constructed by a true student of hip-hop and has been studied by students since. H.N.I.C. is an important block in the infrastructure of reality rap and does what the best albums of its kind do, in offering unique perspective and introducing new sounds to the culture.
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