MP3 Monday is a weekly SmartShanghai column, serving up mp3s from bands living and making music in China (or coming to China, or thinking about coming to China, or whatever). Right click on the links and choose "Save Link As..." to download 'em. Click play to rock 'em.

As part of my continued rediscovery of the music of white suburbia, here's some classics from Mobb Deep, a hardcore east coast hip hop duo who are playing a show this Friday at Racks. They are? Seriously?

Mobb Deep is two dudes: The Prodigy as the main MC and Havok, who has pretty much exclusively produced Mobb Deep tracks since their debut album way back in 1993, Juvenile Hell (they were like 15 at the time). Their big breakthrough came with the album The Infamous, released in 1995, which was critically acclaimed and led to the group being regarded at the top of east cost hard core hip hop world, along with Notorious B.I.G., Nas, and the Wu-tang. Here's the classics from that album, just dripping with the harsh reflections on the brutality of street life:

Mobb Deep ¨C Shook Ones. Pt. II

Mobb Deep ¨C Survival of the Fittest

Shit got heavy in the late ¡®90s and Mobb Deep were involved in some of the juiciest beefs of the era. Spirited dissings were traded back and forth between them and west coast hip hop icons, Snoop De Oh Double Ge, 2pac, Death Row in general, and even the jigga man, Jay-Z.

They kind of dropped off a bit in the late 90s and early 00s, but have recently made something of a comeback in the fold of 50 Cent's G-Unit. Although generally considered a broader and more commercial manifestation of Mobb Deep when compared to their earlier stuff, their association with Fiddy has them reaching a broader demographic of fans.

Bummer: the primary MC of the duo The Prodigy is in jail on weapons charges -- guns in the glovebox, crazy kids, you know -- so he won't be performing at Racks alongside Havok. Instead they've got Big Noyd filling in. He's long been featured on Mobb Deep albums including their debut back in 1993 and their most recent release, The Safe is Cracked (2009).

Here's another song that doesn't have anything to do with anything, besides it also being rap music that I'm also blasting out my drop top 5.0, along side those Mob Deep classics.

You know how I do. Rollin' down Huaihai.

Teddybears Sthlm (feat. Swing Fly) ¨C Hey Boy

***

Mobb Deep is at Racks this Friday. It's 150rmb at the door and 100rmb through SmartTicket here.

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