1992–1994: Early Career
Prodigy and Havoc met one another while attending the prestigious High School of Art & Design in Manhattan. Coming from similar backgrounds, the duo broke into the rap game in 1992. Growing up in hostile environments that included the prevalence of poverty, drugs, and gang violence, Mobb Deep attempted to express their life experiences through rapping circa 1992. Before Havoc and P were known as Mobb Deep they were a couple of teenaged rappers known as Poetical Profits. The world first heard of them via the Source's Unsigned Hype column and this is the demo track that was quoted in that feature. The song would later see the light of day on their debut LP Juvenile Hell.
"Flavor 4 The Non Believers" (demo version) They released their first album, Juvenille Hell, in 1993. At a time when East Coast hip hop was dominated by the jazziness of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, and the Afro-centric stylings of Brand Nubian and Public Enemy, their style of music eschewed the popular conscious hip hop of the time, and reflected the harsh climate of New York City in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Because both Prodigy and Havoc were still in their teens at the time of their debut, many were surprised by the violent nature of the album. Although the album was not well-received by the public, it displayed the raw talent of the duo; the unique chemistry of Prodigy's lyrical delivery combined with Havoc's melancholy beats. Through this unique style, the duo were signed by Loud Records, and began recording their sophomore album, The Infamous, in 1995, which would establish the duo in the Hardcore hip hop community.
1995–2000: Rise to Success
Following its release, The Infamous became perhaps one of the most influential hip hop albums of the East Coast hardcore rap genre. Still at a young age, the duo powered themselves to the top of the hardcore rap scene through their straight forward narration of street life. As with their first lyrical production, Mobb Deep portrayed the struggles of living in New York City's Queensbridge. Their production also was noticed as the beats were often hard hitting and direct, a testament to Havoc, who produced the duos' tracks almost exclusively throughout their careers. Furthermore, the hit single Shook Ones Pt. II, received acclaim as one of the greatest rap songs ever. Their third album, Hell On Earth was released in 1996, debuting at number six on the Billboard album chart. The album continued their portrayal of harsh street life, while further pushing them to the forefront of the hardcore rap scene, along with contemporary East Coast rappers such as Notorious B.I.G., The Wu-Tang Clan collective, Jay-Z, and fellow Queensbridge associate, Nas.
In 1999, the duo released the highly anticipated Murda Musik album. Despite extensive bootlegging (nearly thirty songs of unreleased material leaked onto the internet) and countless delays, the album debuted at number three on Billboard and quickly went platinum —further highlighted by the popular single, Quiet Storm. Shortly afterwards, Prodigy released his long awaited solo album H.N.I.C (2000), in which the rapper collaborated with other artists and producers (including The Alchemist).
2001–2004: Decline
Some time after the release of Murda Muzik, rapper Jay-Z, spoke out against the duo, leading to an increase in publicity. At the Hot 97 Summer Jam show of 2001, Jay-Z performed the freestyle, "Takeover", which he later re-recorded for the The Blueprint LP, dissing Prodigy. He also revealed photographs allegedly of Prodigy wearing a dance leotard in 1988. Mobb Deep subsequently released Infamy in 2001. The album marked a major stylistic change that saw the duo move away from the raw, minimalist, stripped-down beats of their hardcore roots, towards more commercial fare with such songs as Hey Luv. This transition fostered accusations of "selling out" — upsetting many long-time fans who did not wish to see them veer away from their original style. Although this stylistic adjustment opened up Mobb's audience to a wider variety, many critics and fans credit Prodigy's feud with Jay-Z with damaging Mobb Deep's gangster image and record sales (most evident when comparing the platinum-selling Murda Muzik to Infamy barely reaching the gold status). Not to be fazed, Prodigy noted that his lifelong bout with sickle cell anemia and his beef with Jay-Z had changed his outlook.
In 2003, the group split with Loud Records and released The Murda Mixtape which proclaimed "Free Agents" on the cover, addressing the group's split with Loud and search for a new label. Jive Records signed the duo later in the year and subsequently released Amerikaz Nightmare in 2004, which was seen by the general rap audience as a weaker release by the two - resulting in poor sales and the subsequent dropping of the duo from Jive.
2005–2017
In the spring of 2005, it was announced that the duo signed with G-Unit Records. This came as a surprise to many, as 50 Cent aimed a sly diss at them on the "Piggy Bank" track. The duo made it known that this was not the case as Havoc stated in an interview, "Mobb Deep isn't gonna change and when we first got here 50 was like, 'Listen, I want y'all to keep doing what you been doing.' That's it." 50 Cent has a connection to the duo, as he grew up in nearby Jamaica, Queens and also has used Havoc as a producer for several different beats. The relationship became deeper than business as the Mobb and 50 Cent got tattoos to pledge their loyalty to each other. Prodigy has the words "G-Unit" tattooed on his right hand and 50 has "Mobb Deep" tattooed on his wrist. Upon signing to G-Unit, both Prodigy and Havoc were given new Porsches, for two artists who have received very little monetary compensation in the past.
They recorded their album, titled Blood Money which was released on May 2, 2006. The album featured G-Unit members 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck. This marks their seventh release and has vaulted the duo into the hip-hop spotlight. As one of the most recognized names in hip-hop at the time, it was expected for G-Unit to help Mobb Deep attract a new fanbase. As Havoc stated shortly after the deal, “As an artist, you want to be able to reach the furthest audience as you can. We put in hard work on our previous albums and still hit our core fan base. The difference this time around is that more people will hear this product this time.” Despite this, many of the Mobb's longtime fans were skeptical as G-Unit is known for their mainstream crossover music, and feared that Mobb Deep will conform to this style. The album was released to mixed reception mainly from fans, regarding it as one of the duo's weakest albums.
In 2007, Prodigy was sentenced to serve three-and-a-half years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm. Originally facing a mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison, Prodigy struck a deal with the prosecution, and pleaded guilty in exchange for the shorter prison sentence. He would later be released from prison in March 2011, with Mobb Deep releasing their first official project in five years, Black Cocaine, eight months later. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 1995 album The Infamous, the duo released their final album The Infamous Mobb Deep in 2014, featuring a second disc of unreleased songs and remixes from the 1994-95 sessions of The Infamous. They would also put out their overall final project, an EP called Survival of the Fittest in 2015, which featured an all new ESPN remix of the classic 1995 single as well as a few brand new songs.
On June 20, 2017, Prodigy died at the Spring Valley Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, due to complications related to his sickle-cell anemia.
Technique
Early on, Mobb Deep gained their critical acclaim for a dark, dynamic, grimey sound with haunting melodies--Havoc's production--that to many represented "street" in a way not done by many or any before. Additionally, Prodigy's penchant for starting off a verse with an attention-grabbing line, writing compelling rhymes based heavily on Queensbridge slang, and a rambling but clear delivery appealed to fans on the lyrical aspect.
For some time, Prodigy was the star MC of the duo, Havoc sounding less focused on the lyrical aspect and more on production. This continued until The Alchemist was brought in to do a few beats for each album, after which Havoc seemed to begin concentrating more on his verbal prowess, slowly developing his own style. After the beef with Jay-Z, Prodigy changed his style, rhyming words less and slowing down his delivery, while Havoc increasingly contributed more to the rhyme end of the duo. After being on independant labels, such as LOUD, and then a larger label JIVE, styles from the grimy, gritty styles from the QB duo changed greatly, much to the despair of the mainstream fans, never fully recovering from the Jay-Z beef, they were forced into the limelight, and after releasing the street wood effort of Infamy, never reclaiming the status of the best kept secret. Signing with G-Unit seems to have worsened their career and Blood Money, their first album released on G-Unit, only sold approximately 110,000 in its first week, coming in at #3 on the Billboard 200.
Flavor For The Non-Believes
Mobb Deep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sit back take a seat and don't forget to pass the weed
And by the way this is all the way live
And the way that I survive is pumpin nickels and dimes
Pumpin rocks on the corner pumpin rocks cause I wanna
The little Don Ho drug dealer ? performer
At my height I'm described as a midget
But it ain't about height it's about "Can I Kick It?"
I hit skins, light up, and then I smoke a Phil'
You don't want a beef with this juvenile delinquent
I'm not good, I'm livin like a hood
And when I kick MC's abandon ship
Cause my brain is the sun of a solar eclipse
Yo, Havoc is the man that you have to bring
Cause I'm flippin like pages in a Word Up magazine
Sweet like candy, the poetic vigilante
So explicit even porno flicks ban me
And girls gel me like jheri curl activate
The forty dog drinkin money grip you're dead and stinkin
Brain cells overload when I'm thinkin
This is a rap rape, and I leave a fat taste
Get off the microphone kid, stay in a child's place
I cook you up, like Uptown raw base
And leave you open like if you just saw Scarface
Like I said it before, shorty scores, I get raw
For the cause, battle me, take a loss
I steal shows like BelBivDevoe's
And put on my latex when I hit up the hoes
You know the flavor kid, give me my props
Cause it's 1992, and all the bullshit stops..
Check it, this is flavor for the non believes
This is flavor for the non believes
Check it, this is flavor for the non believes
This is flavor for the non believes
Mr. Soul, trunk jewels sippin Old Gold
Roll up my nickel pack of weed, lick it up and stroll
Prodigy, verbally tragic and I'm toxic
Check out the way check out the way the way that I drop it
You know my style, step back, cause I'm buckwild
All it takes is a mic, 40 dog, and a smile
Baby Grand Puba, Little Rick the Ruler
And in my pocket is crazy fat bag of buddha
MC's can't get with Mister Mister
Money don't fake moves cause I probably hit your sister
I'm on a mission word is bond
Word to God, I goes on.. the little Don
Smooth and fantastic as I get drastic
Shake your brain mentally and psychopathic
I murder with the brain of Hitler black
And me bein weak, even Kodak couldn't picture that
This is flavor for the
This is flavor for the non believes
Flavor for the non believes
This is flavor for the non believes
This is flavor for the non believes
Niggaz don't understand first of all
I rip when I rip check it, never stall
Freestyle meanwhile for you and yours
I'm goin all out, check it
You thought I couldn't wish I wanna do what I did
I did it so I done, kill another fuckin kid
Cause I don't give a motherFUCK, and you do
That's why your stupid ass got bucked
Outta luck, never took the time to wish
Took a bitch down then I'm out like quick
Nestle chocolate, munch like it's ?
That was then, this is now, I'm goin for the gold
Thirty yard touchdown, Mr. Short
Fuckin niggaz bitches just for the sport
But not without the jimmy, cause bitches nowadays
Knows mad jig tricks, and that I ain't with
Oh shit, time to move, time to move, here we go
With another fly groove, cause I'm so smooth
Never like to brag, but I, do it still
Sip on a 40, smoke on the Phil'
So next time kid you wanna beef just chill
Before I break your ass up to bits
How many licks would it take
Check it out one two three bitch-ass nigga licks
This is flavor for the non believes
This is flavor for the non believes
This is flavor for the non believes
This is flavor for the non believes
Mobb Deep's "Flavor For The Non-Believes" is a classic rap song with lyrics that are a mix of braggadocio and social commentary on life on the streets. The lyrics talk about how the singer survives by dealing drugs and pumping nickels and dimes. He describes himself as a juvenile delinquent who is explicit and provocative, with a style that leaves MC's fleeing for the hills. The song uses strong language and vivid imagery to portray the rapper's fearlessness and disregard for authority.
The lyrics also speak to the theme of loyalty and respect in street culture. The rapper talks of being the man who can steal shows, cook up raw beats, and leave you with a fat taste. He describes himself as being smooth and fantastic, with a brain that shakes people mentally and psychopathically. Overall, the lyrics of this song depict the harsh realities of life on the streets and the need for toughness and resilience to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo this is flavor for the non believes
Welcome to something new and exciting for those who doubt us.
Sit back take a seat and don't forget to pass the weed
Relax, enjoy the moment, and don't forget to share the good stuff.
And by the way this is all the way live
This is not pre-recorded, it's happening in real-time.
And the way that I survive is pumpin nickels and dimes
I make ends meet by dealing drugs on the street.
Pumpin rocks on the corner pumpin rocks cause I wanna
I deal drugs like crack because it's my choice.
The little Don Ho drug dealer? performer
People perceive me as small and unimportant, but I'm actually quite skilled at selling drugs and performing rap music.
At my height I'm described as a midget
I'm short in stature according to society's standards.
But it ain't about height it's about 'Can I Kick It?'
It's not about my height, it's about my skills and abilities as a rapper.
Some say I'm too little, but yo I'm too ill
Some believe that my size limits me, but in reality, I'm too talented to be held back.
I hit skins, light up, and then I smoke a Phil'
I have sex, smoke weed, and enjoy life to the fullest.
You don't want a beef with this juvenile delinquent
You don't want to have a conflict with me, a young criminal.
I'm not good, I'm livin like a hood
I'm not a saint, but I'm living like someone from the streets.
And when I kick MC's abandon ship
When I rap, other rappers run away in fear.
Cause my brain is the sun of a solar eclipse
My mind is so bright and powerful that it can eclipse everything else around it.
Yo, Havoc is the man that you have to bring
If you want to challenge someone, bring Havoc because he's a tough opponent.
Cause I'm flippin like pages in a Word Up magazine
I'm changing my style and flow quickly like turning pages of a magazine.
Sweet like candy, the poetic vigilante
I'm smooth and artistic, but also a rebel fighting against injustice.
So explicit even porno flicks ban me
My lyrics are so explicit that even pornographic movies can't handle them.
And girls gel me like jheri curl activate
Girls are attracted to me and my style.
The forty dog drinkin money grip you're dead and stinkin
If you drink cheap liquor and live a life of crime, you'll end up dead and infamous.
Brain cells overload when I'm thinkin
My thoughts and intelligence overwhelm others.
This is a rap rape, and I leave a fat taste
My rapping is like a violation that leaves a strong impression on listeners.
Get off the microphone kid, stay in a child's place
Step aside and let the real rapper take control, you're not ready for this.
I cook you up, like Uptown raw base
I'm skilled at making rap songs similar to how drugs are cooked and created on the streets.
And leave you open like if you just saw Scarface
I leave you in shock and vulnerable like if you had just watched the movie Scarface.
Like I said it before, shorty scores, I get raw
As I've said before, I'm successful in my career, and I'm not afraid to be explicit and raw in my raps.
For the cause, battle me, take a loss
If you challenge me, you'll lose because I'm fighting for a greater purpose.
I steal shows like BelBivDevoe's
I command attention during performances just like the musical group BelBivDevoe.
And put on my latex when I hit up the hoes
I use protection when engaging in sexual activities.
You know the flavor kid, give me my props
You know I'm great, show me respect and give me credit.
Cause it's 1992, and all the bullshit stops..
It's a new year, and we're leaving behind all the negativity and nonsense of the past.
Mr. Soul, trunk jewels sippin Old Gold
I'm a soulful person who enjoys drinking Old Gold beer while wearing expensive jewelry.
Roll up my nickel pack of weed, lick it up and stroll
I prepare a small amount of marijuana in a cigarette paper and smoke it while walking casually.
Prodigy, verbally tragic and I'm toxic
As a rapper, my words can be intense and dangerous to others.
Check out the way check out the way the way that I drop it
Listen closely to how I'm rapping, pay attention to my technique and flow.
You know my style, step back, cause I'm buckwild
You should be aware of my rapping style because it's intense and wild.
All it takes is a mic, 40 dog, and a smile
All I need to perform is a mic, a bottle of cheap liquor, and a positive attitude.
Baby Grand Puba, Little Rick the Ruler
I'm shouting out and paying respect to fellow rappers Baby Grand Puba and Little Rick who also have notable rap styles.
And in my pocket is crazy fat bag of buddha
I have a large amount of high-quality marijuana in my pocket.
MC's can't get with Mister Mister
Other rappers can't keep up with me, I'm too skilled.
Money don't fake moves cause I probably hit your sister
I'm not pretending to be something I'm not because I'm probably having sex with your sister.
I'm on a mission word is bond
I'm committed to achieving my goals, and my words are true.
Word to God, I goes on.. the little Don
I continue to move forward with my life, and I'm proud of my accomplishments despite being small.
Smooth and fantastic as I get drastic
I'm smooth and impressive, but can also be intense and dramatic.
Shake your brain mentally and psychopathic
My words can cause you to think deeply and may even be considered insane or abnormal.
I murder with the brain of Hitler black
My thoughts and words can be deadly and destructive, similar to how Hitler's mind worked.
And me bein weak, even Kodak couldn't picture that
I'm not weak, and even a famous film brand like Kodak couldn't capture my true strength.
Niggaz don't understand first of all
Some people don't comprehend, and I need to explain it to them.
I rip when I rip check it, never stall
I rap with passion and intensity, and I never slow down or stop.
Freestyle meanwhile for you and yours
I'm improvising my words, and this is for you and anyone listening.
I'm goin all out, check it
I'm putting in maximum effort and energy, and you should pay attention.
You thought I couldn't wish I wanna do what I did
You doubted my abilities, but I proved you wrong by accomplishing what I set out to do.
I did it so I done, kill another fuckin kid
I did what I had to do, and I may have even killed someone in the process.
Cause I don't give a motherFUCK, and you do
I don't care about anything, while others do, and this gives me an advantage.
That's why your stupid ass got bucked
You were foolish for getting involved, and now you're paying the price.
Outta luck, never took the time to wish
You're unlucky because you didn't take the time to make better choices or hope for better outcomes.
Took a bitch down then I'm out like quick
I had sex with a woman, and then I left quickly afterwards.
Nestle chocolate, munch like it's ?
I'm eating chocolate and enjoying it, but the exact brand is unknown.
That was then, this is now, I'm goin for the gold
The past is over, and now I'm aiming for success and wealth.
Thirty yard touchdown, Mr. Short
I'm achieving success in life like scoring a touchdown in football, despite my short stature.
Fuckin niggaz bitches just for the sport
I have sex with other men's girlfriends just for fun.
But not without the jimmy, cause bitches nowadays
I use protection during sex because some women might have STDs.
Knows mad jig tricks, and that I ain't with
Some women are manipulative and tricky, and I'm not interested in playing those games.
Oh shit, time to move, time to move, here we go
It's time to go, let's move quickly and get out of here.
With another fly groove, cause I'm so smooth
I'm continuing with another impressive rap, and I'm smooth while doing so.
Never like to brag, but I, do it still
I'm not one to boast, but I'm very skilled and confident in my abilities.
Sip on a 40, smoke on the Phil'
I'm drinking a 40-ounce bottle of cheap liquor and smoking marijuana.
So next time kid you wanna beef just chill
If you want to argue with me, calm down first and consider if it's worth it.
Before I break your ass up to bits
Because if you don't, I'll destroy you.
How many licks would it take
I'm asking a sexual question about oral sex, and how long it takes to reach climax.
Check it out one two three bitch-ass nigga licks
I'm answering my own question by saying it only takes three licks to satisfy a weak and cowardly man.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALBERT JOHNSON, KEJUAN WALIEK MUCHITA, KERWIN E. YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind