Mobb Deep
The Infamous

“The Infamous (stylized as The Infamous…)” is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Mobb Deep, released on April 25, 1995, by BMG, RCA Records, and Loud Records. Featuring guest appearances by Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Q-Tip, the album was predominantly produced by Havoc, with Q-Tip contributing to production and serving as the mixing engineer. Leftover tracks from the album sessions later appeared as bonus tracks on “The Infamous Mobb Deep” album in 2014.

The album achieved significant commercial success, debuting at number 15 on the US Billboard 200 and number 3 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA on February 21, 2020. The album spawned four singles: “Shook Ones, Part II,” “Survival of the Fittest,” “Temperature’s Rising,” and “Give Up the Goods (Just Step),” with “Shook Ones, Part II” being the most successful.

“The Infamous” is noted for its dark style, characterized by evocative melodies, rugged beats, and introspective lyrics about crime in New York’s inner-city neighborhoods. The album received critical acclaim and is credited, alongside albums like “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),” “Illmatic,” and “Ready to Die,” with contributing to the East Coast Renaissance. It redefined the sound of hardcore hip hop with its production style, incorporating eerie piano loops, distorted synthesizers, eighth-note hi-hats, and sparse filtered basslines. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked “The Infamous” 369th on its updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.