Queensbridge’s Mobb Deep released ‘The Infamous’ 25 years ago

Mobb Deep’s Albert Johnson, aka Prodigy (left), and Kejuan Muchita, aka Havoc released “The Infamous” 25 years ago on April 25, 1995. AP Photo/Jim Cooper

By Rachel Vick

A quarter century ago, an album from Queensbridge duo Mobb Deep cemented Queens’ place in the hip hop pantheon.

April 25 marks the 25th anniversary of Mobb Deep’s second studio album “The Infamous,” featuring the all-time classic “Shook Ones, Pt. II.”

RCA records released an extended version of the album Friday to celebrate the silver anniversary of the platinum record.

The 1995 album from Prodigy (Albert Johnson) and Havoc (Kejuan Muchita) features two other iconic Queens rappers, Nas and Q-Tip, as well as Ghostface Killah and Raekwon from Staten Island’s Wu Tang Clan. The Notorious B.I.G. from Brooklyn even provided some advice on structuring the album.

Track after track references life in the shadow of the Queensboro Bridge, painting a picture of a gritty reality and loyalty among friends.

The album first began to take shape when Prodigy and Havoc were still teenagers, bouncing back and forth between Prodigy’s Hempstead home while tapping into the energy of the Queensbridge Houses.

“The houses were a little too nice, it was a pretty decent neighborhood, there wasn’t nobody hanging on the corners or anything – there wasn’t that vibe,” Havoc told Variety of his experience in Hempstead. “So I said, ‘We gotta pack up the equipment and everything and take this to my place in Queensbridge.’ And now we’ve got the atmosphere going.”

Prodigy died in 2017 from complications of sickle cell anemia, but Havoc continued a solo career, lending his talent to other icons like Eminem and Kanye West. 

The beat to “Shook Ones” famously provided the back track to Eminem’s iconic freestyle in the film “8 Mile,” demonstrating the lasting legacy of the made-in-Queens album.