Upon its release, The Infamous earned critical acclaim and was widely considered to be a cornerstone album of New York hardcore rap. Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

 magazine originally rated the album 3½ out of 5 stars, and called it "a darkly nihilistic masterpiece". It, however, gave it a 5 out of 5 star rating in 2004, and called it "one of the greatest rap albums of the '90s". Originally, The Source

The Source (magazine)

The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...

 gave the album 4½ out of 5 mics, with Dimitry Leger stating "The Infamous falls short of classics like Illmatic

Illmatic

Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released April 19, 1994, on Columbia Records. Following his signing to Columbia with the help of MC Serch, recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording...

 and Strictly Business, but definitely upholds their tradition. It proves once again that Queensbridge heads don't play." The Source, however, re-rated the album to the perfect 5 mics in 2002, stating "Prodigy's thugged-out entertainment and Havoc's sonic production on cuts like the bone-chilling "Shook Ones Pt. ll" and the stick-up-kid anthem "Give Up The Goods" proved to be timeless street joints in the same vein as 'Life's a Bitch' and 'You Gots To Chill.' The album was a staple for all hardheaded delinquents comin' up in the game." NME

NME

The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...

 gave the album an 8 out of 10 rating, stating "Shuttering nitro beats and scratchy jazz samples cut back to reverberating piano chords and the odd squealing horn break. As rappers they bring the clipped, rolling style of Rakim

Rakim

William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...

 or EPMD

EPMD

EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...

, adding a chill menace to neighborhood boasts like Right 'Back at You' and 'Eye For a Eye.'" Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

s Tiarra Mukherjee gave The Infamous a B+ rating, stating "Over mostly self-produced, bare-bones beats, the pair's hard-edged rhymes paint a chilling picture of life on their mean streets, New York City's Queensbridge Housing Projects. Underground rap-heads, and those who can break away from Jeep beats will rejoice." Elliott Wilson from Vibe wrote a favorable review of the album and stated "Each song is a different chapter in the hard street life Havoc and Prodigy have experienced in their Queensbridge neighborhood ... While describing their lives with brutal realism and raw imagery, Havoc's love for his hometown hits you in the head like a Mike Tyson comeback punch.

Allmusic's Steve Huey gave it a 5 out of 5 star rating, and commented "The Infamous is Mobb Deep's masterpiece, a relentlessly bleak song cycle that's been hailed by hardcore rap fans as one of the most realistic gangsta albums ever recorded [...] it has all the foreboding atmosphere and thematic sweep of an epic crime drama. That's partly because of the cinematic vision behind the duo's detailed narratives, but it's also a tribute to how well the raw, grimy production evokes the world that Mobb Deep is depicting." Huey further stated "This is hard, underground hip-hop that demands to be met on its own terms, with few melodic hooks to draw the listener in. Similarly, there's little pleasure or relief offered in the picture of the streets Mobb Deep paints here: They inhabit a war zone where crime and paranoia hang constantly in the air. Gangs are bound together by a code of fierce loyalty, relying wholly on one another for survival in a hopeless environment. Hostile forces — cops, rivals, neighborhood snitches are potentially everywhere, and one slip around the wrong person can mean prison or death."

Track listing

#	Title	Performer(s)	Producer(s)	Samples	Length
1	"The Start of Your Ending (41st Side)"	Intro/first verse: Havoc Second verse: Prodigy Prodigy (rapper) Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep.... Outro: Prodigy & Havoc	Mobb Deep Mobb Deep Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...	——	4:24
2	"[The Infamous Prelude]"	Prodigy		——	2:12
3	"Survival of the Fittest Survival of the Fittest (song) "Survival of the Fittest" is the second single from Mobb Deep's The Infamous album. The song was the duo's second hit single from the album, following "Shook Ones Pt. II". The track peaked at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and hit the Top 10 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The song is similar to... "	Intro/first verse/outro: Prodigy Chorus: Havoc & Prodigy Second verse: Havoc	Mobb Deep	——	3:43
4	"Eye for a Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)"	First verse/chorus: Prodigy Second verse/chorus: Havoc Third verse: Nas Nas Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time... Fourth verse/outro: Raekwon Raekwon Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with... Final chorus: Nas / Raekwon	Mobb Deep	——	4:54
5	"[Just Step Prelude]"	First verse: Big Noyd Big Noyd TaJuan Perry, better known as Big Noyd, is an American emcee from the Queensbridge projects in the New York City borough of Queens. He is closely affiliated with Mobb Deep, and he is featured on all of their albums... Second verse: Prodigy		——	1:06
6	"Give Up the Goods (Just Step)"	Intro/first verse/chorus/fourth verse: Prodigy Second verse: Big Noyd Third verse: Havoc	Q-Tip Q-Tip (rapper) Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...	"That's All Right With Me" by Esther Phillips Esther Phillips Esther Phillips was an American singer. Phillips was known for her R&B vocals, but she was a versatile singer, also performing pop, country, jazz, blues and soul music.-Early life:... "It's A New Day" by Skull Snaps Skull Snaps Skull Snaps was a funk group that released one eponymous album on the small GSF label in 1973 before disappearing. It was, in fact, the group originally known as the Diplomats, which released numerous singles between 1963 and 1970 with some success....	4:02
7	"Temperature's Rising Temperature's Rising (Mobb Deep song) "Temperature's Rising" is the third and final single from Mobb Deep's album, The Infamous, featuring Crystal Johnson.Similar to Nas' "One Love", Mobb Deep's song is in the form of a letter to a recently incarcerated friend, who went by the name Killa Black, he was also the older brother of Havoc... "	First verse: Havoc Chorus/outro: Crystal Johnson Crystal Johnson (singer) Crystal Jeanell Johnson is a singer, songwriter, producer, and actress originally from Brooklyn, New York. Her career began at age 7, when she recorded with Pink Floyd and the Institutional Children's Choir, and has included a variety of stage productions and musical collaborations... Second verse: Prodigy	Q-Tip (Co-produced by Mobb Deep)	"UFO" by ESG ESG ESG may refer to:* Engineering Seismology Group, a microseismic monitoring and data analysis company from Canada.* Environmental Social and Corporate Governance, the commonly accepted factors involved in Responsible Investment assessments... "Where There Is Love" by Patrice Rushen Patrice Rushen Patrice Rushen is a Grammy Award-winning African American R&B and jazz vocalist, composer and pianist.-Biography:... "Body Heat" by Quincy Jones Quincy Jones Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...	5:00
8	"Up North Trip"	First verse/third verse: Prodigy Chorus: Prodigy & Havoc Second verse: Havoc	Mobb Deep	"To Be With You" by The Fatback Band "I'm Tired Of Giving" by The Spinners The Spinners (U.S. band) The Spinners is a soul music vocal group, active for over 50 years, and with a long run of pop and R&B hits especially during the 1970s. The group, originating from Detroit, still tours regularly ....	4:58
9	"Trife Life"	Intro: Havoc & Prodigy First verse: Prodigy Chorus: Prodigy & Havoc Second: Havoc	Mobb Deep	"You Are My Starship" by Norman Connors Norman Connors Norman Connors is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, producer, and headliner, who has led some influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads.-Biography:...	5:19
10	"Q.U. -- Hectic"	First verse/third verse: Prodigy Chorus: Prodigy & Havoc Second verse: Havoc	Mobb Deep	"Kitty With The Bent Frame" by Quincy Jones Quincy Jones Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend... "You Are My Starship" by Norman Connors Norman Connors Norman Connors is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, producer, and headliner, who has led some influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads.-Biography:...	4:55
11	"Right Back at You"	Intro/second verse: Havoc First verse/chorus: Prodigy Third verse: Ghostface Killah Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...  & Raekwon Fourth verse: Big Noyd	Mobb Deep (Co-produced by Schott Free)	"Benjamin" by Les McCann Les McCann Les McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...	4:52
12	"[The Grave Prelude]"	Performed by: Havoc, Prodigy, & Big Noyd		——	0:30
13	"Cradle to the Grave"	First verse: Prodigy & Havoc Chorus: Havoc & Prodigy Second verse: Havoc & Prodigy	Mobb Deep	"And If I Had" by Teddy Pendergrass Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...	4:57
14	"Drink Away the Pain (Situations)"	First verse/chorus/outro: Prodigy Second verse: Q-Tip Third verse/chorus: Havoc	Q-Tip (Co-produced by Mobb Deep)	"I Remember I Made You Cry" by The Headhunters The Headhunters The Headhunters are an American jazz-funk fusion band, best known for their albums they recorded as a backing band of jazz keyboard player Herbie Hancock during the 1970s. Hancock's debut album with the group, Head Hunters, is one of the best-selling jazz/fusion records of all time.-History:Herbie...	4:44
15	"Shook Ones Pt. II Shook Ones Pt. II "Shook Ones " is the lead single from Mobb Deep's 1995 album The Infamous. The song was hailed as an instant classic and, in many ways, was the pinnacle of Mobb Deep's critical acclaim, making it their signature song to this day... "	First verse: Prodigy Chorus: Prodigy & Havoc Second verse/outro: Havoc	Mobb Deep	"Kitty With The Bent Frame" by Quincy Jones Quincy Jones Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend... "Dirty Feet" by Daly Wilson Big Band "Jessica" by Herbie Hancock Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...	5:24
16	"Party Over"	First chorus: Matt Life First verse/fourth verse: Prodigy Second verse: Havoc Second chorus: Prodigy & Havoc Third verse: Big Noyd	Mobb Deep (Co-produced by Matt Life)	"Lonely Fire" by Miles Davis Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...	5:40

Personnel

• Havoc - performer, producer
• Prodigy - performer, producer
• Q-Tip - performer, producer
• Big Noyd - performer
• Raekwon - performer
• Nas - performer
• Ghostface Killah - performer
• Crystal Johnson - vocals
• Matt Life - producer
• Schott Free - producer

• Fal Prod - producer
• Louis Alfred III - engineer
• Tim Latham - engineer
• Tony Smallos - engineer, mixing
• Dino Zerros - engineer
• Leon Zervos - mastering
• Merge One - art direction
• Chi Modu - photography
• Tami Cobbs - management
• Sandra Bynum - management

Chart history

Chart positions from Billboard magazine (North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

)

Album

Year	Chart positions
	Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
1995	15	3

Singles

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
1995	Shook Ones Pt. II Shook Ones Pt. II "Shook Ones " is the lead single from Mobb Deep's 1995 album The Infamous. The song was hailed as an instant classic and, in many ways, was the pinnacle of Mobb Deep's critical acclaim, making it their signature song to this day...	59	52	7	7
	Survival of the Fittest Survival of the Fittest (song) "Survival of the Fittest" is the second single from Mobb Deep's The Infamous album. The song was the duo's second hit single from the album, following "Shook Ones Pt. II". The track peaked at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and hit the Top 10 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The song is similar to...	69	60	10	6
	Temperature's Rising Temperature's Rising (Mobb Deep song) "Temperature's Rising" is the third and final single from Mobb Deep's album, The Infamous, featuring Crystal Johnson.Similar to Nas' "One Love", Mobb Deep's song is in the form of a letter to a recently incarcerated friend, who went by the name Killa Black, he was also the older brother of Havoc...	—	—	33	9

Accolades

• Information regarding accolades is extracted from acclaimedmusic.net,except for lists with additional sources.
• An asterisk (*) indicates unordered lists.

  Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
  About.com About.com About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....	United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums	2008	74
  		Best Rap Albums of 1995	2008	4
  Blender Blender (magazine) Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....		500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die	2003	*
  The Source The Source (magazine) The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...		The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time	1998	*
  Vibe		51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement	2004	*
  Hip Hop Connection Hip Hop Connection Hip Hop Connection is the longest running monthly periodical devoted entirely to hip hop culture. HHC has earned international recognition and was described by Chuck D as "the best magazine in the world".-History:...	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005	2005	4
  Melody Maker Melody Maker Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...		Albums of the Year	1995	28
  Pop	Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....	Albums of the Year	1995	11
  OOR	Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...	Albums of the Year	1995	43
  Spex Spex (magazine) Spex is a prominent German rock and pop culture magazine located in Berlin, Germany. Besides music news, Spex also covers literature, cinema, fashion and contemporary social trends...	Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	Albums of the Year	1995	13

External links

• The Infamous at Discogs
  Discogs
  Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
  
  
• Album Review at RapReviews.com
• Album Accolades and Ratings at acclaimedmusic.net