Hell on Earth

by Mobb Deep

Overview

Mobb Deep became a street-level sensation with its second album, The Infamous, and the duo saw no reason to tamper with its signature style on the follow-up, Hell on Earth. The first words on the record announce "You know how we did on the Infamous album, right? All right, well, we gon' do it again," and that's exactly what they do. Hell on Earth refines the Mobb Deep formula, amplifying much of what made The Infamous a success. The bleak street narratives are even more violent and extreme, and the production is even grittier and creepier. It's still indebted to -- but more dramatic than -- the RZA's work with the Wu-Tang Clan: eerie strings and bits of piano, underpinned by deep, echoing beats. Although the overall flavor is pretty much the same as before, it's a bit more sophisticated and cinematic. For those reasons, some Mobb fans actually prefer Hell on Earth over The Infamous, although it's missing some of the thematic unity and clearly emphasized details that made the world of The Infamous so cohesive. Hell on Earth also lacks some of the freshness, but even if Mobb Deep is repeating itself, it's doing so very effectively. The album is superbly moody and haunting, with the swirling horror-film atmospherics of "G.O.D., Pt. III" and the hypnotic "Hell on Earth (Front Lines)" standing out in particular. "Drop a Gem on 'Em" is another highlight, an answer song in the 2Pac beef that happened to appear not long before the rapper's murder. Special guests Method Man, Raekwon, and fellow Queensbridge native Nas all put in worthy appearances. Even if it isn't quite the landmark that The Infamous was, Hell on Earth is nearly its equal in many other respects. ~ Steve Huey

Product Details

Release Date:	08/24/1999
Label:	Relativity
UPC:	0088561182823

Tracks

1. Animal Instinct
2. Drop a Gem on 'Em
3. Bloodsport
4. Extortion
5. More Trife Life
6. Man Down
7. Can't Get Enough of It
8. Nighttime Vultures
9. G.O.D., Pt. III
10. Get Dealt With
11. Hell on Earth (Front Lines)
12. Give It Up Fast
13. Still Shinin'
14. Apostle's Warning

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mobb Deep   Primary Artist
General Grant   Primary Artist
Johnny Blaze   Primary Artist,Vocals
Method Man   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Nas   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
Big Noyd   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Ty Knitty   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Raekwon   Guest Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Twin Gambino   Vocals,Featured Artist
General G   Vocals,Featured Artist
Havoc   Vocals,Keyboards
Prodigy   Vocals
Tajuan Perry   Vocals
Clifford Smith   Vocals

Technical Credits

Method Man   Composer
Ken "Duro" Ifill   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Corey Woods   Composer
Tony Smalios   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Leon Zervos   Mastering
Mobb Deep   Mixing,Producer,Mixing Engineer,Executive Producer
Giorgio Moroder   Composer
Kejuan Muchita   Composer
Mario Rodriguez   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer,Mixing,Engineer
Tajuan Perry   Composer
Fred Schott   Executive Producer
Chicu Modu   Photography
Matt Life   Executive Producer
C. Woods   Composer
G. Jackson   Composer
Gregory Jackson   Composer
Ola Kudu   Design,Artwork,Art Direction
Suek Won   Photography
Ben Grassinni   Mixing,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Clifford Smith   Composer
Nasir Jones   Composer
Jamal Abdul "Big Twins" Raheem   Composer
James Chandler   Composer
Schott Free   Executive Producer
Albert Johnson   Composer
Nas   Composer