Customer Reviews

Murda Muzik

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Murda Muzik, clearly the most underrated album put forth by Mobb Deep, commands a degree of respect and admiration that has sadly been overlooked from the very moment its release. From editorials to publication reviews to public forums such as Amazon.com, critics and fans alike have failed to agree on the album's significance in the rap community.

Murda Muzik, to the dismay of a great number of listeners, may readily be perceived as a "dead end" for Mobb Deep. That is to say, the lyrical approach and music production are exactly as expected, judging from their previous albums. The same dark, menacing, repetitive beats lace the majority of tracks. The lyrics focus on portraying a world of underground violence, societal corruption, and lower-class American hopelessness. Flashes of ill-obtained luxury and criminal forte emerge from time to time, but never optimism. It is more or less a style identical to that of Hell on Earth and The Infamous, leading many to believe that Murda Muzik discredits the Mobb's potential for artistic maturity. It is this same resistance to change, however, that others identify as its sacred andinvaluable characteristic.

Prior to the release of Murda Muzik, Mobb Deep had accumulated a fair amount of financial success and an even greater amount of street credit. With The Infamous and Hell on Earth having quickly established themselves as gangster rap classics, with Prodigy and Havoc not yet old enough to drink under U.S. law, and with an ever-expanding mainstream base for hip hop music leading into the late 1990's, the stage could not have been set more perfectly from a cash-making point of view. Their youth, reputation, talent, and association with Loud Records gave them the choice that they had never before had: to put out an album with popular beats and mainstream appeal while capitalizing on a fan base that would draw from the same pool as artists such as Green Day and Christina Aguilera - a technique that even crime-rap posterboy DMX would later employ.

But something interesting happened. Mobb Deep didn't take the bait. They didn't saturate the album with mainstream beats. Quiet Storm, the CD's biggest hit single, has as dark a beat as one would anticipate from songs like Shook Ones pt.2 and Animal Instinct. The lyrics didn't change either. They were still banging in the street, not in the club. Many find this to be a flaw, arguing that Murda Muzik is just more of the same, so to speak. But "the same," as Mobb Deep fans understand, is exactly the quality that sets the group apart from all others. DMX did it. Ja Rule did it. Snoop did it. Mobb Deep didn't. With Infamy and Amerikaz Nightmare veering in a pop direction, Murda Muzik stands out as the last rap album in recent memory that successfully preserved the raw street style of a music group with already-established success. In today's increasingly mainstream rap world, it will surely prove hard to find any artist or artist group that keeps their original style in tact after not one, but TWO, classic releases. That is why Murda Muzik may indeed be the last great rap album - not for what it does, but for what it doesn't do. Get this CD. Listen to it. Think about it. You decide.

ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO 1 OF MY FRIENDS CALLED ME TO HIS HOUSE B/C HE WANTED ME TO LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM.SO I WENT OVER TO HIS HOUSE AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE WANTED ME TO LISTEN TO MURDA MUZIK BY MOBB DEEP!I WAS READY TO WALK OUT THE DOOR RIGHT THEN AND THERE B/C I REALLY DIDNT CARE FOR THEIR PREVIOUSLY RELEASE MATERIAL,BUT MY FRIEND ASKED ME TO TAKE A LISTEN SO I DID!I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I HEARD! I HEARD ONE OF THE BEST RAP ALBUMS EVER! I COULDNT BELIEVE THIS WAS MOBB DEEP! OK ILL SAY IT, I DIDNT THINK MOBB DEEP COULD DO IT BUT THEY DID IT AND ITS GREAT! IM A SOUTHERN CAT YA DIG AND I RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM TO EVERYONE! JUST GREAT BEATS AND LYRICS MAKE HAVOC AND PRODIGY LOOK AWESOME! PICK THIS ALBUM UP IT IS PURE HIP HOP!

Every album that Mobb Deep has made since "The "Infamous" has been a classic. The "Murda Muzik" chapter has began. Sometimes when rappers have a million and one guest apperances on one album it messes with the album's chemistry. Mobb Deep doesn't do it this time. From the always present Big Noyd, Nas and Raekweon, comes Kool G. Rap, Lil Kim, Lil Cease and Eightball, yes Eightball. No one, I repeat no one disappoints, Kool G. Rap sounds like he got a "Symphony Part 1" flashback and delivers like Fed-Ex with his verse on "The Realist". The best track on the album, however is the current single with Nas "It's Mine". The "Scarface" theme is all over this one but it doesn't take away from "Queensbridge's Finest". Havoc always comes with the tight production, and Prodigy always has a story to tell, I'm a liitle upset that the "3 From N.Y.C." song was left of the album, but I'll get over it.

Back in the mid-late 90's, Mobb Deep was dropping heat after heated albums. I remember back in late '99, I first heard of Mobb Deep on "Quiet Storm (Remix)" that featured Lil' Kim. Back then, Mobb Deep was pushing their music towards the mainstream with their street singles, along with the origonal version of "Quiet Storm", and "It's Mine" with features Nas. As you can tell, Mobb Deep was changing with hip hop music back in '99, as an answer to the southern popularity with their QB style that everybody who was on the east at the time enjoyed doing (ie rocking Tims, driving SUV's, etc.).

First and formost, if you're expecting something along the lines of The Infamous, be ready for a dissapointment when it comes to the lyrics. Yes, Havoc and Prodigy rhyme about the same things as they did four years before this album came out, but on this album one would believe that it was starting to be predictable. At the same time, the songs here are so well made, that they still sound good at times. "Streets Raised Me" featuring Big Noyd, would sound like something you heard before, but would work out. "Spread Love" would also fall into this category. The dark sounding "Thug Muzik" would feature The Infamous Mobb and singer Chinky is another, but at the same time they allow their extended family members to get their shine on a track.

The songs that are even better would be the ones when they break away from their gangsta topics. Havoc tells a funny song on "Let A Ho Be A Ho" (that voice mail is hilarious). The editorial reviewer thinks that they colab with Nas and Raekwon too much, but I find that to be a good thing (both artists colabed on the two previous albums as well). Rae comes in on "Can't F Wit", which sounds good. Nas drops in towards the end of the album. Other artists comes in and drops a nice verse would be Kool G. Rap on "The Realest". Eightball seems to flow without a problem with Havoc and Prodigy on "Where Ya From". Lil' Kim drops a verse (where everybody speculated that she was dissing Foxy) on "Quiet Storm (Remix)".

The production here is great too. Some of the best songs would be "Thug Muzik" which The Alchemist produced before he became popular. Havoc provides some great beats on "Quiet Storm" and "Allustrious".

Murda Muzik is a great album. It catches Mobb Deep back when they were running the rap game, and moving the same direction as everybody else. It's no The Infamous or Hell on Earth (although it might be closer to the latter album), but the album still bangs. Go ahead and add this to your collection if you want to have memories when the east was dropping radio friendly albums that were still great (like Jay-Z, DMX/Ruff Ryders, Ja Rule, etc), but at the same time, don't set your expectations too high. Peace.

Lyrics: B
Production: A-
Guest Appearances: B
Musical Vibes: A-

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Quiet Storm (remix) (featuring Lil' Kim)
2. It's Mine (featuring Nas)
3. Thug Muzik (featuring The Infamous Mobb)
4. Quiet Storm (origonal)
5. Where Ya From (featuring Eightball)

Honorable Mention:
1. Let A Ho Be A Ho
2. Spread Love
3. The Realist (featuring Kool G. Rap)

For the most part, they did it here, worth the cop

this ablum is about the gems this the best since infamous-hell on earth dayz but i feel the rawness in this album more than hell on earth and infamous

this is their forth album,it came out in 1999 when i was 12,my boy aaron kept playin this album and i got annoyed and i asked him if i could borrow it and he let me hold it and then i can see why he kept playing it,the beats are addicting,this is when mobb deep started to go a lil commercial not too much but they still kept it real,its not ass dark as hell on earth or the infamous but it shouldn't stop you from listenin to this album,this is a good album but its not the same as thir ealry material,also for mobb deep or qb fans y'all should check out the murda muzik movie,it was supposed to come out back in 1999 but kept gettin pushed back,so it finally came out in 2004.recommmended for fans of mobb deep,qb hip hop,ny hip hop,late 90's hip hop.standout tracks are streets raised me (reminds me of junior high school days when i used to live in ny),what's your poison (featuring cormega,he murdered this track spittin that fire),adrenaline (nice dark organ sample),quiet storm (brings me mad memories),thug muzik(produced by alchemist featuring the infamous mobb),the realest (produced by alchemist featuring kool g rap,one of the illest collabos),usa aight then, it's mine (i used to play this song a lot),and quiet storm (remix featuring lil kim).also mobb deep y'all should bring it back to murda muzik beats wise or hell on earth on your next album.

I think this album is not as good as infamous, but still it's great. My favorite songs are:
1. U.S.A (Alright then)
2. Allustrious
3. Where ya From?

I Love Mobb Deep Murda Muzik Was Good Not Great But If You Are A Mobb Deep Fan You Will Like This But If U Are Not And Bought This Buy Hell On Earth or The Infamous ANd You Will Understand This Album
My Top 3 Songs

1.The Realest
2.Quiet Storm
3.#7 i forgot the title

Very good record from Hav & P. My favorite (mobb deep) song of all time is on this one titled "U.S.A" The whole LP is just straight ill.