With the charts decidedly dominated by acts based outside of the Empire State, loyal listeners of New York City gritty Hip Hop this month turn their lonely eyes and ears to Queens as Havoc and Prodigy traffic the goods with the Black Cocaine EP, Mobb Deep’s first studio release in several years.
Five tracks might not be enough for rabid Infamous fans who have patiently waited for this event since Prodigy finished his prison term this past spring; but Black Cocaine soundly and efficiently serves its implicit purpose: to whet appetites until Hav and P drop their next long play. Heavy on threats, light on concepts, Cocaine delivers more familiar Mobb music, that which defined an era and provided the soundtrack to crime rhyme life in the Rotten Apple – especially in the outer boroughs. This bullet-train ride begins rather inauspiciously, though, with “Dead Man Shoes,” 
a standard murder movement over plodding, militant drums. Bounty Killa appears for what simply feels like an uninspired hook (Cocaine is cut with these); it does not detract from the track, but fails to add anything to it.
The title track finds Hav and P reuniting with The Alchemist, and it feels so good. Mr. Maman has a knack for bringing out the best in the artists with whom he works; and the dust-crown dynamic between the three is well known and appreciated. Smooth drums, killer keys and filthy verses – “Black Cocaine” is another example of a proper product born of the right rap relationship.
So it should come as no surprise that Al’s cinematic sound drives the EP’s strongest track, “Get it Forever.” A seemingly reinvigorated Nas picks up the package, joining the Mobb for a dirt-infused diatribe crafted from the perch of a project park bench. It’s cold-hearted quality, and may remind some of past triple-threat gems such as “Live Nigga Rap” or “It’s Mine.” Their collaborative efforts often deftly depict the soulless nature of street life, but there is an undeniable sinister soul in every Mobb-Nas creation. The guitar-driven “Last Days” wraps up this solid extended-play effort smuggled to murder music junkies by the pioneering tag-team from Queens.
While it does not harken back to the singular symphonies from The Infamous… or Hell on Earth – and no one will mistake it for those classic Mobb records – Black Cocaine is still raw in the right ways.
And so are the purveyors.
Mobb forever!
I can’t see someone honestly buying a mobb album in the year 2011 lol
your being generous i gave it a 1 star very weak………and im a big mobb fan….i liked them before the infamous cd…lol most people think thats their first project…im a real mobb fan…..the beats are fuckin mad weak on this new ep…is Havoc getting high or drinking too much whats going on you mjean prodigy was gone all this time and this the best yall can do….THE GAME IS CHANGED MUSIC IS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE AND MORE COMPETITION THAN EVER….THIS SOUNDS LIKE A LOCAL ACT CD..NOT COMPETING WITH THE BEST AT ALL ..NOWHERE AND HAVOC AINT EVEN PRODUCING HARDLY…IF IT WASNT FOR PRODIGY THIS WOULD BE REALLY SORRY…ITS STILL A THROW OUT THE WINDOW OR ROLL WEED ON CD…..NIGGAS LIKE RAKIM SAID BACK TO THE LAB….FUCK THESE ESTABLISHED ARTIST PRODIGY…YALL NICKAS SEARCH FOR THAT KID THAT AINT SIGNED YET THATS IN THE HOOD AND STILL MAD HUNGRY BRING HIM IN AND LET THEM RUB OFF ON YOU I DONT HEAR NO HUNGER IN YOU NICKAS
They need to use outdated beat systems and software to make their classic shit again. All the tech that goes into beat making today does not sound anything like what the Mobb should sound like. Little hope for us deep fans.
i hope this isn’t the best they can do. this sounds like Amerikkas nightmare leftovers. and i acutlayy like that album as well as imfamy, but i’m starting to question is it really over.
I think all of the songs are up to a good standard actually…
I’d give it a 3.5.. but then again how much variation can you have with only 5 songs?
But damn.. the hook for Black Cocaine was SO bad that it was funny…
yo yah people that are talking shit about the mobb are bugging…this is just a warm up project and i think its pretty damm good…the beats are raw..no over produced bullshit..just raw gritty shit..if u in the mood to hear anything besides gritty raw hardcore hiphop then this aint for u..this music wasnt made to please those who arent into that..im a fan of drake and other artist whos musuc isnt as hard or more main stream..but the game needs balance and the mobb balances hip hop out..
p drop some dope verses on this..
Enough with them alliterations already. I mean, that shit nice, but leave that to Eminem reviews.
Can anybody PLEASE tell me where to get the limited edition with 7 tracks?
crazy ep.is a real hip hop release.its all about only if you like it or not.if you dont then you dont like some real stuff and its ok.dont hate it.many of you in your posts made some comments real funny xaxaxax not all.mobb did a great warm job
What is “real hip hop”?
something your wiz khalifa waka flocka gucci mane ass wouldnt understand
worst project Mobb Deep’s released to date. Ugh.
Crazy. This ep goes hard son.
Is it because them niggaz didn’t feature Drake?
Nah. It’s cause they forgot how to rhyme and Havoc pawned his equipment.
4 stars
Only two songs bang on this ep which is a f’n shame to be a mobb joint.
YOU SUBURBAN WHITE KIDS WOULDN’T KNOW HIP HOP IF IT SMACKED YOU AND CALLED YOU NANCY.
Nothing to do with being suburban and white my man.
Uhh I am all 3 of those and I know real hip hop. I listen to NaS, AZ, Pharoahe Monch, Eminem, Jay-Z (minus most of his recent stuff,)Slaughterhouse,The`Roots,Big Pun, Biggie, 2pac, etc.
not talkin bout all of yas. there’s a lot of suburanites that don’t know shit. like 85%. This tape is crazy and if u don’t think so ur wrong. real simple.
Classic EP can’t wait for the album. We get it forever niggaz/haters.
this shit is classic for real.
Dope!
They didnt even mention the classic song ”conquer”. on some shook ones 2011 shit boy.
people that talk about white kids shit are sooo stupid. Its not about where your from. or what race you are. Dope music is dope music and any race that understands music can get that.
im an arab and this album is crack
queens is back
nas and mobb depp what more can you ask for
queens is back
nas and mobb deep what more can you ask for
quality music dumbass
YOU obviously dont relate to the music. i bet 50% of what they say goes over ur head, simple ass dude. go play on ur blue slide kid, gtfoh
Mobb is dope…this shit is a dope appetizer…now comes the full length main course. If y’all don’t like it, that’s you…to each his own. Them at 50% is better than most of the nonsense coming out in this era…good release. M.O.P. Is sick with that Sparta shit too.
Shits good not their best but good. Best Mobb song I heard so far was twilight and dog shit with nas. Should’ve released those two but this black cocaine ep is cool for now
hiphopdx, u gotta review that sparta! wanna kno what u think
gonna be 4 stars, you betcha!!
m.o.p. that is
boring as anything EP from this somewhat overrated group.
theres no super bangers on this. p sounds better then he did before getting locked but hav sounds weak and tired. beats aren’t all that. 2 alc beats were pretty good. dead mans shoes is wack. wack video wack beat wack verses wack track. havoc needs to focus on his production. mobb deep fell off when hav stopped doing ALL the beats. in all honesty this project sucks. haven’t heard from mobb in like 5 years and this is the reintroduction? throwaway joints that make for a disappointing EP.
next mobb album should only have havoc beats. if you open it up, let alc and sid roams touch it. that’s it. these niggas don’t know what they’re doing.
hav didn’t do shit when p was locked. i know hav is clueless. thought p would right the ship. guess not.
wanna seem em win with a hot album. don’t fuck it up. no wack features, no wack beats, please.
this EP isn’t gonna sell shit BTW. nobody buys EP’s. 10 bucks for 5 tracks? NO THANKS/
you’re preachin to the choir my friend
Boring as fuck. the mobb fell of. Please retire you faka studio gangsters with no street credibility. you were the rick rosses from the 90’s!
These are the last days of some studiogangsters which never lived the crimelife. You can call mobb deep fantasy gangsters just like rick ross
Mobb Deep’s hardcore rap is played out because we all heard it before. Its time to retire focus on your family and raise your kids. Being 40 years old and rapping over the same things as when you were 20 year??? Not a good idea.
waht does age have to do with anything if you in to crime and drugs then thats what you do is the mafia to old to be the mafia ? haha stop hatin
It was always the production that made Mobb Deep good, without the hardcore raw beats they don’t have much
So what kind of fantasy crime gave prodigy 3 years? Not saying he is this or that but hardly in the same lane as ross though.
@ brizz
smoking weed or carrying a gun and get arested doesnt make you a gangster thats stupid
Ohhhhh mmyy ggoooddd no DRAKE on it……I really liked it but then I realized he is not featured…….goddammn I went back to the store and bought 3 other copies lol
It’s long been over for these dudes. Classic under achievers who in all fairness have had some decent songs over the years, but nothing earth shattering. Havoc made a few bucks when Prodigy was away, so I think his future still looks bright, but as a group, the act is wearing thin.
heavy
if NOTHING else i hope this might act as a stepping stone for other east coast mc’s to bring back real hip hop and if you dont understand that then dont comment. Everything coming out these days is garbage…some strait beats but do people actually listen to the words of songs anymore??? mobb deep back in 90’s was sick if nothing else give em the respect they deserve to this day. they might have fell off but theyre still doin it…how many of you are making records? if ya dont like just pass on it sure they dont give a fuck and neither does anyone else on here.
im not happy with this album either. but who the hell is anyone to question someones steet cred? no one on here knows the truth about any of these artists. (other than Drake being feminine)
if you were in the streets u would know, its obvious ur not kiddo.
im in the streets of Columbus, not Queens dumb ass. How the fuck would anyone that doesnt do dirt in the streets of NY have any idea what goes on? Just cause you hang in the streets doesnt mean you know shit about people dumbass.
of course scale it back just proved my point, he doesnt know shit about me and thinks because he sold a sack once, he knows about everyone. LMAO!
Stopped listening to Mobb Deep after Hell on Eath. Until then they sounded credible, but now these dudes are f*ckin’ millionaires.
P still rappin’ like he in the streets. No twinkletoes ur not.
upset. dont take it personal, its only music.
they got respectable money. but Mobb Deep def aint millionires homie
they fell off
waterboarding is so sick!!! blood money had crazy production on it. i didnt buy this EP cause beats were kinda drab but i liked waterboarding!! jazzy and slow.
this album sucks
bottomed out.
im getting so sick of these so called gangsters
One guy just got out of a 3 year bid and the other dude is well known in QB for being connected… c’mon kid, dont be mad
I’m sick of Mac Miller fans
Aint what you know, its what you live and we live it.
Way better than Blood Money, fuck a hater
same shit diferent album, change the record please, i would class this as a boring album 2star
they never change
much better than the majority of rap I’m hearing today….mac miller etc
This shit hot! Fuck what y’all muthafuckas talking about.
great album by one of the greatest groups in hip-hop. Can’t stop jammin this one.
Title track is bumpin
this ep is dope Get it forever
BlaBlaBlack!
This is just a glimpse of what the MOBB gonna throw out on the album!
Eventhough it’s only a EP it’s still dope. I’ll rate it 4.75 because they didn’t give me enough to overdose off
how about we just give every album a 5…kinda like how every kid that plays little league baseball gets a trophy. seriously…yall (hiphopdx users) need fucking help…i’m not sure what kind of help yall need but i would probably start by giving yall a bullet in the head.
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11284353 Diss record aimed at Havoc’s new artist. Jordan Meyer is complete phoney.
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11284353 Diss record aimed at Havoc’s new artist. Jordan Meyer is a racist so lets get Havoc to drop him. Respect for Havoc , none for Jordan
I’d compare Mobb Deep to Herman Cain. They’re great the first album, until people start listening. It’s like when you’ve been acting flukey and everyone expects results from you next time. They have absolutely no creativity in lyrics, you don’t need to be a psychologist to figure that. Their beats were always hot, thanks to Havoc. But this EP all the beats suck, says a producer. 1 star
Good EP, not great