New York, NY (Top40 Charts / Urban Legends/UMe) You cannot mention rap's most timeless duos without naming Mobb Deep. To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of their monumental debut release
Juvenile Hell, Urban Legends/UMe released both a standard black vinyl LP and a limited edition red vinyl pressing of this iconic release. This is the first time that
Juvenile Hell has been available on vinyl, and both versions can be ordered at shop.urbanlegends.com.
Originally named Poetical Prophets, Havoc and
Prodigy turned heads in 1991 through The Source magazine's now legendary "Unsigned Hype" column. As a production unit and a rap troupe, the pair displayed know-how and insight well beyond their years, making it easy to forget that both Havoc and
Prodigy were in their late teens in 1993 when was released. Raw, unrelenting, and overtly-confident, was the infant stages of what would be defined as the Queensbridge Sound—grimy street narratives over cold, sonorous production underpinned with bravado and melancholy.
The prodigious pair were keenly aware of their career stage and brought in established producers to help aid the album, namely DJ Premier on the minimal, angst-filled thumper "Peer Pressure" and
Large Professor whose remix of said track gave it an extra shot in the arm. The homespun music video was a local TV hit and "Hit It From The Back," a track produced by
Prodigy and Method Max, also charted at No. 18 on the Hot Rap Singles chart in 1993.
Juvenile Hell is an early storyboard depicting two street musicians who worked in tandem to speak their minds and relate their surroundings to the world. Cuts like "Bitch Ass Nigga" is a fearlessly intimidating song aimed at crooked rivals while "Locked In Spofford" is a storytelling track underscored by fleeting violence, isolation, and regret. The project is fleshed out with an intro and three skits containing street noise and chatter that add to its overall atmospheric nature and visceral impact.
Mobb Deep of course went on to release seminal, critically acclaimed projects (Hell On Earth, The Infamous) as well as songs ("Shook Ones. Pt. 2").
Various tracks have since been sampled within hip-hop as well as featured on numerous huge movie soundtracks. Havoc and
Prodigy eventually had internal differences and parted ways but the two reconciled around 2013.
Prodigy sadly passed away in 2017 from complications from sickle-cell anemia, a disease he lived with and addressed numerous times through his lyrics.
Juvenile Hell remains as an enduring Queensbridge debut made by young minds in lockstep that proved influential for decades thereafter.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP'S "URBAN LEGENDS"
Urban
Legends is a multi-platform website that honors the past 30 years of Universal
Music Group's (UMG) urban catalog. The label imprint and platform, which came to fruition in late 2017, celebrates the artists and music at the heart and soul of hip-hop, with commentary by noted music writers and the artists themselves.
Nobody forgets the album that changed their life—that one song that defined the moment. Urban
Legends remembers and reimagines what it means to be a fan, helping music lovers fall in love with their favorites all over again. We celebrate our icons, our culture, our style, our legacy, our music—and why it matters.
Visit https://www.urbanlegends.com/
