For the majority of us, Mobb Deep’s seminal classic Hell on Earth was our first introduction to the Queensbridge triumvirate that is Infamous Mobb. Going hard on the classic “Animal Instinct”, the trio has since released two albums: 2002’s Special Edition and 2004’s Blood Thicker That Water, Vol. 1. Comprised of Ty Nitty, Godfather Pt. III, and Twin Gambino A.K.A Big Twin, Infamous Mobb puts the grim in grimy with their third installment Reality Rap (IM3/Sure Shot). Sticking with their usual thug ethic, the New York street team kicks things off with “Capitol Q.” The opener is a vigorous plateful of strings coupled with braggadocio accounts of the clique’s gangster repertoire which sets the stage for the album’s longwinded formula of guns, grudges, and greens. Ty Nitty attempts to clarify the crew’s pedigree on the string orchestra driven title track—“How you gonna resist this poisonous crack/When its reality rap/Ya’ll talk fiction black/As we climb up the ladder of success with Mac’s.” Big Twin gruffly offers an equally rugged dissertation over a dismal piano sample on the Havoc produced “Blau.” “New York New York we bringing in it back/We the kings of this sh*t everybody get clapped/We hardcore run around with the 44/Ni**a stop frontin’ before for I shatter your nose bone.” The threesome do hit home on the gloomy Sid Roams offering “Closer” and the up-tempo, flute infused, Eric Sermon produced “Betti Bye Bye.” But even with Sermons’ jovial bounce, the 41st side triad can’t help but reload with another full clip of death threats. Reality Rap’s failure to offer any variety with its subject matter is detrimental to the overall replay value of the project. The only tracks that have any sort of central theme other than butchery are “The Smell,” an ode to illicit activities, powered by an inebriated Lynard Skynard sample, and “The Cypher,” a skit reminiscing a beloved Mobb vacation. With this release The Infamous clearly made a conscious effort to prove that they can stand on their own six. Hav and the soon to be imprisoned Prodigy are limited to only two cuts, but the squad’s murderous flows and marginal creativity leave little room for growth. Though they’ve stepped their rap game up from the days when Godfather Pt. III wrote rhymes for the entire crew, the beats are the driving force behind this QB contribution. SOUNDCHECK:
