Mobb Deep

Prodigy Confirms Mobb Deep Album On The Way

03 May 2012 13:40:00 EDT

MC tells 'RapFix Live' there is 'no friction' between him and Havoc despite breakup rumors.
By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Sway Calloway

The future of Mobb Deep seemed questionable last month after a series of disparaging tweets from Havoc's account were directed at his partner in rhyme, but during a Wednesday visit to "RapFix Live," Prodigy confirmed that there was "no friction" within the group.

"If [Havoc] had a problem, he would've told me that, he wouldn't put it on Twitter," Prodigy told MTV News' Sway Calloway, addressing the tweets, which sent rumors swirling that the legendary Queens group was headed for a breakup. "We're veterans. We been doing this for years, that's just something we wouldn't do."

Prodigy sounded pretty confident as he explained that things were all gravy between the two. "The Mobb is good, we're working on the next album still, steadily, making it hot," he said. "But in the meantime we're gonna put out some product for right now. The Mobb Deep album is not where we want it to be yet, so we've just gotta do something in the meantime."

Prodigy plans to drop his new solo project, H.N.I.C. 3, on July 3, before the group rolls out their next album, revealing that Mobb Deep's label situation allows them to be flexible with their release dates. "We've got a distribution deal over at Sony RED, so basically we run our own label, we run the company, we've gotta do everything ourselves," he explained. "We make the release schedule, it's up to us what comes out first and if we want to change something, we change it. We've got a lot of control with this situation — it's like the best situation that you could ever be in, as far as [being] an artist and making music, this is great for us." Even though Prodigy has confirmed that there is no real beef between him and Havoc — "Only time there's friction is if we might be on the road and we might have our eye on the same chick after the show" — some fans are still left wondering how a group album will turn out after the small scandal that surrounded the tweets.

"To tell you the truth, it really don't matter to me what people believe," Prodigy said. "My job is to come here and make our mark with the music. People are gonna talk all the time, we've been dealing with that since we've been 15."

What do you hope to hear on Mobb Deep's next album? Leave your comment below!

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B.o.B And Prodigy To Hold Down 'RapFix Live'

01 May 2012 13:56:19 EDT

Plus, log on to MTV.com Wednesday at 4 p.m. to get an exclusive look at the latest videos from DJ Khaled and Nas.
By Rob Markman

You may want to grab an umbrella for this week's "RapFix Live," because there will be some strange clouds in the forecast when B.o.B hits MTV News' weekly hip-hop talk show.

On Tuesday (May 1), Bobby Ray released his sophomore LP, Strange Clouds, and on Wednesday, he will appear on "RFL" to talk about his journey thus far. "This next album is like a culmination of everything combined, and I feel like that's really why I'm so excited about it and eager to put it out because I'm just ready to get back on the court with it," B.o.B told MTV News of his second album months before it dropped.

It was the Lil Wayne-assisted title track that served as the first single from Strange Clouds, but before he released his Adventures of Bobby Ray follow-up, Bob dropped another single, the sing-songy "So Good." The catchy love song has already cracked the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album, which was released on T.I.'s Grand Hustle record label, features not only Tip, but also Chris Brown, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj.

Bobby Ray isn't the only rap star who will be holding court on "RapFix" this week: Mobb Deep's Prodigy will be making his way to the red couch to give Sway the latest Mobb updates and to debut his brand-new single live on the show.

Things got a little rocky for Mobb Deep after reports of a rift between the group surfaced thanks to some pretty harsh tweets sent from Havoc's account. All the drama has since been cleared up; the troubling tweets were sent after Hav lost his phone at a gas station and a prankster gained access to his social-networking passwords. Rather than run from the drama, Prodigy said he plans to use the negative publicity to his advantage. So, with a new project in the works, the H.N.I.C. is ready to take the next step in his infamous career.

If that isn't enough, host Sway will take you behind the scenes on two major hip-hop videos. First, we have an exclusive sneak peek of DJ Khaled's "Take It to the Head" video featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown. Then we will also roll out clips detailing the making of Nas' latest video "The Don." You're not going to want to miss this.

Catch B.o.B, Prodigy and DJ Khaled on "RapFix Live" on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Send your questions for the artists @MTVRapFix!

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Prodigy Says Mobb Deep Used Twitter Scandal 'To Our Advantage'

18 Apr 2012 12:20:32 EDT

'Me and Havoc's businessmen,' Prodigy explains during radio interview in New York.
By Nadeska Alexis

Nine days ago a series of negative tweets from Havoc's Twitter account — directed at his Mobb Deep counterpart, Prodigy — seemed to signal the beginning of a breakup for the group, but since then, both rappers have backtracked considerably. First, Havoc claimed that his phone was hacked, and now Prodigy admits that it was all a very bizarre publicity stunt.

During a Tuesday interview with Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg on New York's Hot 97 radio station, Prodigy continued with the somewhat questionable narrative, explaining that when Havoc's phone was hacked, they didn't immediately take action. He says that the group decided to take the publicity, negative as it was.

"When we got down to the bottom of it, and me and Hav realized what was going on, we realized it was all bogus but we kept quiet," Prodigy explained. "We ain't say nothing about it, we didn't get up on Twitter right away and say, 'It's bogus' so that's probably why people think we set it up or something. But we just waited for a minute.

"Me and Havoc's businessmen," Prodigy added, "We stepped back and was like, 'Alright, how can we use this to our advantage? We were like, 'Alright, we got a record about to drop.' "

Cipha and Peter weren't buying the story that easily, though, and they asked a few questions of their own. Among their concerns: Why did the tweets from Havoc's account come from the Web, when he claimed that his phone was stolen? Why had trustworthy sources confirmed that there was a falling out within the group?

"Me and Hav have a lot of fights and arguments," Prodigy replied. "And when we fight, we laugh about it and tell people in interviews; it's nothing to be ashamed of. With me and Hav, our whole thing with Mobb Deep is to try to make ourselves one of the longest-running hip-hop groups that there is and we know that. That's our goal, so when little arguments pop up, it's nothing for us to hide."

Though the story still seems to have a few holes in it, Prodigy did release a new single, "Gangsta Love," in the midst of the drama. If things are all good between Prodigy and Havoc, maybe the duo will drop an album this year after all.

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Fat Joe Compares Mobb Deep To Gang Starr

17 Apr 2012 18:27:54 EDT

Both groups represent 'purest forms of hip-hop music,' Joe tells MTV News, commenting on recent Mobb Deep drama.
By Rob Markman

Mobb Deep's musical legacy is cemented. There aren't many groups in rap who could match Havoc and Prodigy's reputation for crafting unfiltered street music, so when Mobb Deep appeared to be in turmoil last week, fans feared the worst. Fat Joe, for one, is thrilled that all the drama is behind the Queens, New York, duo.

Joe Crack actually likens the Mobb to another pivotal rap duo, Gang Starr. The group, which consisted of DJ Premier and late rapper Guru, was responsible for quite a few classic singles, including "Step in the Arena" and "DWYCK." Mobb Deep, of course, also have favorites under their belt, like 1995's "Shook Ones Pt. II" and the Lil' Kim-assisted "Quiet Storm" remix.

"Mobb Deep is equivalent to Gang Starr with being one of the purest forms of hip-hop music," Fat Joe told MTV News after a taping of MTV2's upcoming "Hip Hop Squares." "Whenever you want to go do an ill, hard-core hip-hop song that crosses over in the clubs, anybody who makes it is like, 'Yo, this is like "Shook Ones," this is like "Quiet Storm." ' They the kings of that."

On April 9, some pretty vicious messages directed at Prodigy were sent from Havoc's now-defunct Twitter account. The messages threatened physical violence and questioned Prodigy's sexuality. Sources close to Mobb Deep initially confirmed to MTV News that Hav's account wasn't hacked, but later that evening Havoc released a statement saying that he lost his phone and declaring his allegiance to the group and Prodigy. "To all Mobb Deep fans: it's business as usual! It's Mobb Deep all day," the statement read.

On Friday the group even attended a Knicks game together and released a photo, silencing speculation about a disconnect. Fat Joe is just glad to see the duo as a unified front. "I really don't know none of the details," he said. "If they were to break up, it would be a sad day for hip-hop because we love Mobb Deep as a group, as a fan."

What's your favorite Mobb Deep song? Tell us in the comments!

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Are Mobb Deep On The Verge Of A Breakup?

09 Apr 2012 12:25:00 EDT

Havoc issues blistering series of personal attacks on Prodigy over Twitter; tweets congrats on P's 'engagement' to Rihanna.
By Rob Markman

Mobb Deep used to rap, "We're in this together, son, your beef is mines," but now there appears to be an internal battle between Havoc and Prodigy.

Early Monday morning (April 9), Hav took to Twitter and sarcastically congratulated Prodigy and Rihanna on their engagement, then made serious allegations about his rhyme partner's sexuality. It's all very strange, but sources close to Havoc confirmed with MTV News that this is no hack.

Things started to spin out of control at around 3 a.m. ET when Hav tweeted: "congrats to P @prodigymobbdeep and @rihanna for getting married soon!! @rihanna please confirm!"

There was no confirmation from the Talk That Talk singer, but that didn't stop the Grammy Award-winning producer from continuing his rant. "Prodigy abitch and I'm gonna show it, follow!! Ground breaking new," Hav wrote soon after.

Things got even more scathing when Havoc charged that his childhood friend was involved in a homosexual relationship during his three-year jail bid. "I got n---as in the jail system to to back up that prodigy was f---ing homes in jail," he wrote. "Now i will silence... and let the jails take care of the rest."

But Havoc didn't "silence," instead the temperature continued to rise as Hav posted tweets throughout the morning saying he "had to smack P" and went on to threaten Prodigy. "Next time I see u, u getting layer out, con camera."

Mobb Deep released their debut album, Juvenile Hell, in 1993 and have gone on to drop seven LPs together. Throughout their career, Mobb Deep have stood as one of the pillars of New York's street hip-hop scene. During an October 2011 episode of "RapFix Live," both Havoc and Prodigy appeared on the show and talked about their legacy as a group.

"We been through a lot of eras in hip-hop music, and every album we have the attitude like it's our first album," Prodigy said. The group planned to release their self-titled eighth LP later this year, but now the future of the duo seems to be in question.

There's still no word as to what caused the rift, but Havoc is clearly no shook one as he went on fearlessly sending out barbs. He even challenged Prodigy to a fistfight: "LET'S DO A ONE ON ONE!!!!! ME AND P!!! HE SO BUTTTT HE WILL AVOID!!!!"

The barrage continued through the a.m. and ended with Havoc tweeting, "Good morning gay P!"

Prodigy has yet to respond via Twitter and a rep for the rapper had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time.

What do you think of Mobb Deep's internal drama? Tell us in the comments!

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Rick Ross' 'Pen Is Sharp Right Now,' Prodigy Says

06 Mar 2012 18:15:47 EST

'He's killin' 'em right now with the lyrics,' P tells MTV News about Ricky Rozay's songwriting skills.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Ade Mangum

Mobb Deep's Prodigy knows a thing or two about quality rap lyrics. In the mid-1990s, P and his partner Havoc built their reputation off of a unique brand of murderous music that consisted of menacing beats and well-thought-out street poetry. It's a quality that Prodigy looks for in would-be Mobb Deep collaborators and a quality he sees in MTV News' Hottest MC in the Game crown holder Rick Ross.

"I've learned to respect Rick Ross' music. He's been impressing me lately, especially while I was locked up. I've been watching his career," Prodigy told MTV News of his growing appreciation for the Miami rapper. "At first on some real sh--, I thought he was a fluke. I didn't think he was gonna make it and I can admit that. I'm not scared to speak my mind and tell you what it is. And now I'm like, 'I like that kid.' "

After his 2006 gun arrest, Prodigy was sentenced to three and a half years in jail in October 2007. At the time, Ross was in between albums, preparing to release his sophomore LP Trilla, and he wasn't quite the rap juggernaut that he is today. By the time P was released in March 2011, Rozay had made significant strides in his career and the Mobb Deep lyricist became a fan. "He's real unique, he's real creative, he picks ill beats. He impresses me," P said. "He's killin' 'em right now with the lyrics. His pen is sharp right now. That boy's pen is not a joke right now."

Ross shares a mutual admiration. "When he was released [from prison], he gave me a call a few days after that. We spoke on the phone maybe once or twice. It was a genuine conversation, us touching base, making sure it is what it is. We most definitely put a record or two on the table," Ross told Sway of Prodigy when he appeared on "RapFix Live" in May 2011.

Prodigy also revealed to MTV News last year that the record was already finished and will most likely appear on the next Mobb Deep full-length LP.

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Rick Ross Collabo In The Works, Mobb Deep Reveal

28 Oct 2011 18:13:46 EDT

'All that is in the works, man,' Prodigy tells MTV News' 'RapFix Live.'
By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Sway Calloway

As Mobb Deep prepare to roll out theirBlack Cocaine EP in November, followed by their ninth, self-titled album at the top of 2012, Prodigy and Havoc are looking to expand their horizons with a series of new collaborations. One artist the Queensbridge duo are particularly keen to work with is Rick Ross.

During Wednesday's episode of "RapFix Live," Prodigy told MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway that he has already reached out to Ross for a feature.

"All that is in the works, man. We like Rick Ross," Prodigy said. "I'mma be honest: We come from an era where longevity and consistency is key, and in the beginning, I ain't really see that in him. Then while I was locked up, he was dropping more and more music. I was like, 'Damn, I'm starting to like this dude.' That's when I was like, 'We need to holla at son and do some music with him.' "

After wrapping up a three-year prison stint for weapons possession in March, Prodigy said he headed directly to G-Unit's NYC offices, where he met with 50 Cent — who signed the group to G-Unit in 2005 — to discuss the collaboration. 50 Cent and Rick Ross have a notorious beef, which hit fever pitch in 2009 when Fif launched a full-scale attack against Rozay on his blog ThisIs50.com.

"The first day I came home, I went to the G-Unit office and told [50 Cent], 'Listen, Mobb Deep needs to start doing songs with everybody. We need to start reaching out to people even if we got little conflicts — people like Rick Ross, people like Lil Wayne, everybody that we respect and we like their music — and start doing songs with them.' "

50 Cent's answer? "He was like, 'Yeah, you right.' "

Prodigy didn't talk specifics about his intended Rick Ross collaborations, but during an earlier episode of "RapFix Live," the Bawse himself confirmed that fans could expect a Mobb Deep collaboration soon.

"I respect him most definitely, as being a Boss," Ross said of Prodigy. "When he was released, he gave me a call a few days after that. We spoke on the phone maybe once or twice, and it was a genuine conversation, us just touching bases. We most definitely put a record or two on the table, and just to be frank, I was always a fan of the homie, HNIC."

Are you looking forward to a Mobb Deep and Rick Ross collaboration? Let us know in the comments!

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Mobb Deep Up For Jay-Z Collabo, Despite Past Beef

27 Oct 2011 14:24:19 EDT

'It's just hip-hop, man,' Prodigy tells MTV News' 'RapFix Live.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Time heals all wounds. After Jay-Z and Mobb Deep squared off lyrically in 2001, it was hard to imagine that the rap titans would ever get to a place where they would even consider a collaboration.

Nothing is in the works, but after working with Roc Nation's Jay Electronica, Mobb Deep told MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway that they'd be open to the idea of working with Hov.

"Tell [Jay-Z] to get in the studio," Prodigy said when he and his partner Havoc appeared on Wednesday's "RapFix Live." "He gotta come to Infamous Studios in Queens, though."

Though the two acts threw quite a few barbs at each other, most notably on Jay-Z's "Takeover" and Mobb Deep's "Crawlin' " 10 years ago, Prodigy was recently featured on a track with Hov's signee Jay Electronica on his "Call of Duty" track.

On the song's hook, Prodigy even spits, "Put your diamonds in the sky, wave 'em side to side/ Get juxed for your shine," a double-sided lyric that evokes the spirit of a robbery and makes a play on Jay's diamond-shaped hand gesture that he throws up at all his shows.

Mobb Deep even recorded the song at Jigga's Roc Da Mic studios in Manhattan; they clearly harbor no ill will. After Electronica attempted to reach Prodigy on Twitter, the Queens MC got the word that the Hov protégé wanted to work alongside him. "I just got mad phone calls. I woke up late that morning, and everybody was blowin' me up like, 'Yo, Jay Electronica is trying to get in the studio right now,' " Prodigy recalled. "So we just went and knocked it out."

Mobb Deep also plan to get together with J. Cole, another Jay-Z signee. "I was on the phone with J. Cole like the next day, congratulating him on his album and all that," Prodigy said of his conversation with the Cole World MC. "We're supposed to be doing some work together too."

For Mobb Deep, it isn't about beef; instead, the duo are at a place in their careers where all they want to do is make quality tunes. "It's just hip-hop, man, making good songs. Everything else is irrelevant, man," Prodigy stated. "All the feelings and dudes wanna act feminine, put that to the side, man."

Do you hope Mobb Deep and Jay-Z team up? Let us know in the comments!

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27 Oct 2011 14:09:38 EDT

'It's just hip-hop, man,' Prodigy tells MTV News' 'RapFix Live.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

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Mobb Deep Confirm Nas Collabo On Black Cocaine

26 Oct 2011 21:09:45 EDT

They also hook up with Bounty Killer for 'Dead Man's Shoes,' duo reveals on 'RapFix Live.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Mobb Deep have quite a few notable collaborations with rap heavyweights like 50 Cent, Lil Kim and Raekwon, but when it comes to chemistry, their in-studio vibe with Nas is unmatched.

The Queens rap duo appeared on Wednesday's (October 26) "RapFix Live," and confirmed to host Sway that they will once again be hooking up with God's Son on their upcoming November EP, Black Cocaine.

"We got Nas on the album, we got Bounty Killer on there — that's it so far," Prodigy said. "It's just like a warm-up project, so we didn't want to put too many people on there. It's just a Mobb Deep thing, really."

Dancehall star Bounty Killer appears on the menacing "Dead Man's Shoes" and Nas on an unnamed track. "We worked with Nas because that's the home team," Prodigy said. "I know people miss hearing that Mobb Deep/ Nas collaboration, because every time we do a song, it always comes out real good and stands the test of time, always."

In April, shortly after Prodigy was released from his three-year prison bid, Esco and the Mobb hooked up for the Alchemist-produced "Dog Sh--," but before they could get together on a song, Prodigy and Nas had to iron out some minor differences. "Yeah, it was a little something, but it wasn't nothing serious," P said. "It wasn't serious enough for us to just stop making music together and stop hanging out and messing with each other."

Upon getting home, Prodigy — who wrote about his up-and-down relationship with Nas in his book, "My Infamous Life" — gave Nas a call to patch things up.

"Different personalities clash sometimes, but when you're family, nothing's stronger than that bond," Havoc said. "I feel like Nas is like family, so we can get through whatever."

Are you glad Mobb and Nas are working together again? Let us know in the comments!

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