Queensbridge rap fans may remember Bars-N-Hooks as the inaugural act on Mobb Deep member Prodigy’s Infamous Records.
But when the label’s fortunes fell through, the duo faded into the background and member Mike Delorean held Prodigy personally accountable.
“There was no more income for us,” Delorean told AllHipHop.com. “We relied on Prodigy for everything, and he left us out in the street, man. He gave up on us.”
The two openly feuded, but as Bars-N-Hooks advanced in their careers, they realized that Prodigy wasn’t entirely responsible for them or what happened.
According to Delorean, the group even has an arrangement with Mobb Deep that allows them to rap over Havoc beats free of charge.
“The experience made us grow up a lot. When you’re young, you think it’s everybody else’s fault,” Delorean explained. “Now we have our own accounts, our own websites.”
These days, Bars-N-Hooks have been working closely with another QB icon.
“Nas is my dawg. He’s always helping us with the concepts of our songs and helping us with our hooks,” says Delorean. “Working with him makes us feel like we’re almost there.”
The duo recently issued The Most Notorious, the first release from Delorean’s record label Been Had Money.
The album comes with a DVD featuring appearances by Mobb Deep, Nas, Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes, among others.