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''The Infamous'' is the second studio album by the American hip hop duo Mobb Deep. It was released on April 25, 1995, by Loud Records. The album features guest appearances from Nas, Wu-Tang Clan members Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, A Tribe Called Quest member Q-Tip, and close Mobb Deep affiliate Big Noyd. Embedded with hyper-visual lyricism, dark soundscapes, gritty narratives, and hard beats, it marked Mobb Deep's transition from a relatively unknown rap duo to an influential and commercially successful one. Upon its release, ''The Infamous'' achieved notable commercial success. It debuted at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and number three on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The album produced three main singles, which all achieved varying degrees of chart success, with "Shook Ones Pt. II" being the most successful. On June 26, 1995, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Left-over songs from the album were released along with Mobb Deep's 2014 album ''The Infamous Mobb Deep''. The album's haunting style, defined by its evocative melodies, rugged beats, and lyrics dealing with crime and poverty in inner city neighborhoods reflected the dark side of New York's urban landscape in a manner that received special recognition and critical praise. Along with albums such as ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'', ''Illmatic'' and ''Ready to Die'', ''The Infamous...'' is widely credited as a major contributor to the East Coast Renaissance. Furthermore, the album is credited with helping to redefine the sound of hardcore hip-hop, using its production style, which incorporated eerie piano loops, distorted synthesizers, eighth-note hi-hats, and sparse bass lines. ==Background== During the spring of 1993, while the group was still in their late-teens, Mobb Deep released their first album ''Juvenile Hell'' under the label with 4th & B'way Records. The album included production from several revered New York based producers, including Large Professor, DJ Premier, and Public Enemy affiliate Kerwin Young, and included the underground single "Hit It from the Back". Due to ''Juvenile Hells failure to achieve significant commercial and critical success, the duo was dropped from their label several months after the album's release.〔Coleman, Brian, 2007. P:267〕 Havoc and Prodigy later described ''Juvenile Hell'' as a "learning experience".〔 During the summer of 1993, Loud Records was looking for another group to sign, owing to the success of Wu-Tang Clan's first single, "Protect Ya Neck", and by fall 1993, the label had signed Mobb Deep.〔 Recording for the album began in early 1994, and ended almost one year later in early 1995. Unlike the duo's first album, ''The Infamous'' was almost entirely self-produced by Havoc and Prodigy, with outside help from Matt Life, Schott Free and Q-Tip (credited as the Abstract). Producer Matt Life later recalled Q-Tip's involvements, stating, "Tip was very involved in ''The Infamous'' from early on. Probably more than people know. Tip was just a fan of theirs and I knew him from way back, so he was really helpful, giving them advice. Then he came in later in the sessions and said he'd help mix a couple records. And then he ended up picking a couple of records they did to re-do. Except for "Drink Away the Pain", the songs that Tip produced were already a full song before he got to them. He liked the lyrics on those original songs, but he re-did the beats. It was the same song title, same hook, same rhymes, just new beats."〔Coleman, Brian, 2007. P:269.〕 Havoc later commented "Q-Tip definitely bent his style a little bit to get with what we was doing. Like with "Drink Away the Pain" you see him trying to get gangsta with it."〔Coleman, Brian 2007. P:272.〕 On the group's decision to handle most of the production, Havoc later commented, "We started producing because other producers was giving us shit that we didn't like, or they was just charging too much. I didn't know nothing about producing music at the time, but I learned by watching others."〔Coleman, Brian, 2007. P:266〕 The style of production on ''The Infamous'' was part of a change in New York hip-hop from upbeat and jazz-influenced, into raw, gritty beats. This style of production, often characterized by dissonant, minor key samples and heavily filtered bass lines became a hallmark of mid-1990s New York rap. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Infamous」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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