Today is the 16th anniversary of the seventh studio album by Mobb Deep. Released on this day in 2006, Blood Money is their only album on G-Unit and Interscope. Even though it performed well commercially, debuting at #3 on the Billboard 200, fans of the group expressed disappointment at the release and it did not hold up well against their other albums like The Infamous, Hell on Earth, and Murda Muzik. It didn’t have a lasting commercial impact, however, and soon after that, the group left the label.
Mixed Reception
Also from Queens, 50 Cent was expanding the G-Unit roster at the time and amongst others, like Mase and Lloyd Banks, Mobb Deep also got signed at this time. So, the album ended up featuring other G-Unit members alongside Mary J. Blige and Nate Dogg. Despite production by Havoc as well as Dr. Dre, Alchemist, and Sha Money, the album featured a few tracks better suited for the club than their previous darker works, thanks to G-Unit’s hook-heavy production.
Havoc and Prodigy came to prominence in the 90s through their straightforward street journalism, portraying the struggles of growing up in public housing and donning a gritty, raw, and unapologetic attitude. However, the history of Hip Hop is an interesting one, going through rapid evolutions in a short timeline. By the time this album was released, the hardcore style hadn’t aged well and they tried to keep the same style that popularized their brand while attempting to adapt to the mainstream movement. Some fans definitely felt a way about the group veering from their original lyrical style to the braggadocious one present in this release.
Legacy
Considered one of the most successful rap duos period, a rep of the mid-90s, hardcore East Coast style, and behind the 90s “Dunn Language” slang, Mobb Deep’s legacy is far from tainted from the time they signed with a pop-rap group. Still loved for their tales of street life paired with cinematic, dark productions, the fact that Mobb Deep was able to ride the success of Murda Muzik by doing an anniversary tour in 2019 demonstrates real impact… And that was a whole two decades after the Golden Age.