Disco de Prodigy: “H.N.I.C.”

Mobb Deep has always been known for the real hip hop. They have always been known to bring us memorable tales from the QB. The three CDs they have released that everyone has paid attention to are "The Infamous", "Hell On Earth", and last year's "Murda Muzik". Real hip hop fans will know their hits like "Shook Ones Part 2", "Survival Of The Fittest", "Give Up The Goods", "Drop A Gem On Em", "Quiet Storm" and "It's Mine" w/Nas. This time around, however, Prodigy decides to test the solo waters. Havoc, who is usually known for producing all of Mobb Deep's songs, is given a break this time around and only raps on and produces 2 tracks. The Alchemist takes most of the weight this time around but the formula stays the same as Prodigy still has haunting stories to tell about the QB and rappers trying to stand in his way. This is definitely evident on the first single, "Keep It Thoro", which is also featured on DJ Clue's "Hard Knock Life: Backstage Mixed Tape" CD. Prodigy, over a wicked track by The Alchemist, gives his fans more than what they are probably ready for on this track. The mood is kept the same on this whole CD with songs like "Three" w/Cormega, "What U Rep" w/Noreaga, "Wanna Be Thugs" w/Havoc & "Diamond" w/Bars & Hooks. The stand out track on the CD has to be "Infamous Minded". The track starts out as a parody of the BDP classic "Criminal Minded" and Prodigy rips it throughout. "H.N.I.C." has the Mobb Deep sound throughout and that will win fans over just because of that fact. Although Havoc only produces two tracks, Prodigy still keeps the Mobb Deep sound with his solo release. Any Mobb Deep fan will enjoy this CD.

If you are considerning whether you should buy this album or not, i can greatly help you. However, this album isn't for everyone ! If you listen to Cash Money Millionaires and like machine gun beats this album is not really for you. If the only thing you only listen to songs because the artist is popular than this album isn't really for you. You need to understand and appreciate REAL HIP HOP! This has everything bomb-beats, killa-rhymes, and excelent overall producing. Just by listening to the album you can see how much work was put into it and that this is actually an album! You can listen to it frm begining to end without getting bored or skipping tracks. This is an album which deserves your money. There are some hot tracks like ROC DAT SHI#,WHAT U REP, KEEP IT THORO, INFAMOUS MINDED,TRIALS OF LOVE, DIAMOND, VETERANS MEMORIAL, YOU CAN NEVER FEEL MY PAIN ETC. If you get CD's illegaly, i swear to god you should go to the music store and pickup this album because it's worth it. Every song is like a story. To me this is definetely the best CD of 2000. Its the only CD that has come out in a while which doesn't just featue a single and then the rest of it is trash, this is a solid album. Go cop this right now!

This was a very good album. I just wanted to say though that P was not born in Queensbridge, like one of the reviewers said he was. He was born and raised in the town of Hempstead in Nassau County.

I don't really listen to lot of rap. But i enjoy listening to this cd. My roomate offered me to listen to this cd and i immediately hook on to it. Compare to Outkast and Mystikal, I think Prodigy is one of the top rap artist.

Prodigy, one half of the group of Mobb Deep, came out with his debut in mid-late 2000 called H.N.I.C. When I first heard this album was the first time I heard Mobb Deep, and fell in love with it right away.

Just about all the cuts are mostly uptown grimy normal Queensbrigde cuts. Some are dark as heard on the second track called "Genesis" and on the track "Three" which features Cormega, where Prodigy enforces the quote "Queensbridge heads don't play..."

P's lyrical content is also swell behind the mic. On the lead single "Keep It Thoro" where he says "I throw a TV at you crazy/ b*****s say 'P you crazy'/ a pain in the a**, nah but f*** you, pay me..." Or on the story about cops accusing them of a murder on the next track "Can't Complain" which features Twin Gambino of The Infamous Mobb. "Infamous Minded" if you haven't noticed, is that it borrows BDP's song "Criminal Minded", a track that features Big Noyd and Havoc doing the ad-libs. Speaking of Hav, the other half of Mobb Deep, he makes two more appearances on the songs "Wanna Be Thugs" and "Delt With The Bulls**t". One of the best tracks is "Y.B.E." (was that another single?) which features former Cash Money/Hot Boy's member B.G. The second to last track on the album "You Could Never Feel My Pain" Prodigy talks about his genetic disease Sicle Cell and what he has been going through with the problems.

There are some tracks I didn't like that much. "Rock Dat Sh**" which uses elements from the Mobb Deep hit back in 1999 "Quiet Storm (remix)" to make the hook. The track "Diamond" sounds okay which features local QB group Bars & Hooks.

Overall Prodigy proves to Mobb Deep fans that he can carry a solo album while his friends from QB come and make a few appearances (Havoc, Noreaga, Noyd, Cormega, and others). Like I said, this was the frist Mobb Deep album that I purchaced and enjoyed mosy of it from beginning to end. Recommended to Mobb Deep fans or people who like what classics have came from QB in the past.

Lyrics: A-

Production: A-

Guest Appearances: B+

Standout Tracks: Genesis, Keep It Thoro, Wanna Be Thugs, Three, YBE,