Noyd came practically out of nowhere when he released this album. Big Noyd blows away all of his non-believers with his impeccable flow especially on "Recognize & Realize (Part 1)", "Infamous Mobb", "Usual Suspect" & "Episodes Of A Hustla". The beats on the EP were all composed by Havoc as he is closely affiliated with Mobb Deep & The Infamous Mobb.
The album is inconsistent, but Noyd definitely coulda done betta- especially on his first dolo. Now, Mobb Deep obviously put him on so expect that original QB sound. Havoc does most of the beats- their all from that golden era when the Mobb dropped the Infamous album. so here's a track by track;
1. it's on - basically an intro. annoying chorus repeated mad times. they wasted a good beat.
2. the precinct - this track has a skit off mobb deep's infamous where someone get's shot, then another skit comes on with Noyd at the precinct. corny.
3. recognize and realize pt. I - hot beat by Havoc. Noyd spits on this track.
4. all pro - beat starts off shaky but gets better at like 0:20. Ty Knitty, Twin, and Prodigy appear on this track. ok posse cut, but with an intro, 2 skits, and the 2 joints with guests u begin 2 wonder if Noyd is just P and Hav's man. i mean can he spit, or can he spit?
5. infamous mobb - beat is listenable. in all honesty, it sounds like a throwaway from the Mobb's Hell on Earth album. u see Noyd's potential, but there are rare gems on this album. 3/5: filler, ok track.
6. interrogation - skit, waste of time. 0/5
7. usual suspect - good beat. first dolo track on album. hungry rhymes. 5/5: beat sounds like Hell on Earth track.
8. episodes of a hustla - sick beat from Hav. Noyd gets focused. when u hear a track like this u wonder y he played himself with the previous bullsh!t. some of the previous tracks sound like demo tape joints, but this joint is phat. P guests. 4/5
9. recognize and realize pt. II - beat by Hav. Both P and Hav r on this. Noyd is fire on the 2nd verse. 4/5
10.i don't wanna love again - features sek'hou singing. Hav does the beat. r & b joint sounds out of place on this album.
11.usual suspect (stretch armstrong remix) - hot beat. Cormega uses this beat on his Love in Love out joint on The True Meaning. Prodigy guests on this joint. Hav beat. Cormega rocked it better.
there r hot beats. but ultimately this is a Prodigy ep featuring Noyd with 2 much skits, and I'm sorry 2 say it's not worth buying. dub the hot joints off a friend. wait for the second goaround. he can spit, but the songs sound like freestyles. Hav is inconsistent. If you wanna hear good Mobb-Noyd collabos cop Hell on Earth or the Infamous album(s). Those joints r guaranteed satisfaction- damn near masterpieces. when u hear sh!t like that u wonder how trash like this comes out. i gave it a 2.5 but for all the work P and Hav put I rounded it up to a 3.
Noyd's debut album is tight. Noyd's ruff voice comes through well and Hav's beats are bangin! This album is essential to Mobb Deep fans and fans of q.b. The only problem I have is that it only has 11 tracks! But it's still an impressive debut and I can't wait for his new one (which has been delayed but hopefully is on it's way). The Infamous does it again!
If you were a fan of Mobb Deep's The Infamous, you'll like this album. Not that many tracks but all of em are ill.
After being featured on every Mobb Deep release, Big Noyd steps out on his own to release his debut Episodes Of A Hustla. Keeping it in the family, eight of the eleven were produced by Havoc. Unfortunately, he didn't give the same tracks as he would for Mobb Deep to help Noyd out more for where he's lacking as did for Prodigy helping out with some lyrical artillery on six of the songs. "All Pro" featuring Infamous Mobb & Prodigy should have been "Infamous Mobb" instead and vice versa as the lyrics and tracks could fit either way. On a more mainstream style, "I Don't Wanna Love Again" featuring Se'kou adds depth for Noyd as the album lacks. Both versions of "Usual Suspect" hold it down as the remix comes to conclude this LP with a strong finish. Big Noyd doesn't have the presence as he does on Mobb Deep's albums, but Queensbridge could chalk another one for them.
