Mobb Deep – Infinite

Infinite is the first Mobb Deep record to be released since Prodigy’s tragic death in 2017—and the group’s final LP. Delicately crafted by sole remaining member Havoc, along with legendary producer and longtime collaborator The Alchemist, who oversees four of the fifteen tracks here, it achieves the most important objective for any posthumous project: it never feels anything but respectful.

30 years on from the duo’s landmark The Infamous—perhaps not the greatest rap album of all-time, as Pitchfork recently declared, but a stone-cold classic nonetheless—they still sound urgent and very much in touch with their Queensbridge roots. The sampling is mostly astute, although Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” feels a little too obvious, especially given it appears twice—on the otherwise excellent “Down for You,” which features Nat and Jorja Smith, and the reprise “Love the Way (Down for You Part 2)”, which switches out Smith for H.E.R.

Havoc’s beats provide a suitably gritty backdrop for these tales of the street, with Prodigy’s verses, tastefully reclaimed from an unreleased treasure trove of recordings, touching upon now historic legal troubles (“Against The World”) and eerily foreshadowing his premature demise on “Pass the Henny”, which features a highlight reel of his resume:

I lived a full life, don't cry for me
A real-life king of New York, the top of the heap
I did songs with Mary J. Blige, my nigga
Mariah Carey, Big Pun, and Nas, my nigga
I did tours with Biggie Smalls, my nigga
Eminem, 50 Cent, I did it all, my nigga

Given Infinite is a definite swansong, it’s fitting that Big Noyd (“The M. The O. The B. The B.”) and Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon and Ghostface Killah (“Clear Black Nights”) both appear, given their history with Mobb Deep. Elsewhere, “Look At Me” features a verse from Clipse’s Pusha T, which adds a fresh dimension yet feels appropriate, given that group’s own successful return to the fold this year.

Like so many posthumous releases, Infinite is a tricky record to critique. It’s not Mobb Deep’s strongest record, but given the circumstances, it is a triumph—and a fitting testament to their legacy. On that note, another Prodigy line, from The Alchemist produced “My Era,” surely offers the perfect final word:

We live forever, my era stay golden.

Infinite is out now via Mass Appeal.