This classic observation of the Mobb Deep album doesn’t come from just another rapper, it comes from a fan. Phonte, 1/3 of Little Brother, posted this blog originally on his message board (link below) and has since made its rounds on the web. For those who have never read a blog from Phonte, strap yourself in because the kid says what many of us think but don’t necessarily speak out loud. So after having people call me, email me and IM me about this sincere take on Blood Money (and making many a writer jealous with this candid piece of work), I choose to give Tay a ring to see if he was cool with Hiphopdx.com posting his brutally honest opinion. After being reluctant at first, Tay obliged (Thanks fam, this piece of writing needs to be read) and now HipHopDX.com brings to you “Got Rich and Stopped Trying”, Phonte’s take on the career of Mobb Deep, in all of its glory (and we hope to get more of these treats from Phonte in the future). Enjoy!

Mobb Deep is gone. Club Mobb is what you have now. And you can either take it or leave it.

To me the last classic, dark, moody, make-me-wanna-open-fire-on-a-group-of-innocent-schoolchildren Mobb Deep single was "Quiet Storm." Hav and P were sharp as ever on the boards and on the mic respectively......and then.......

Enter Hov.

I'm sorry.....but I've never seen ANY emcee past or present be as VISIBLY affected by a dis as Prodigy was by that Summer Jam screen. All of a sudden, the same emcee who gave us countless quotables for 3 albums sounded as flustered and unfocused as ever. Hell, most of the time he wasn't even RHYMING..... Thus, we saw the beginnings of what I call "Club Mobb”, a group that had had their street cred tested so many times (see: unfavorable incidents with TruLife and Keith Murray), that they figured '**** it.....let's take *****s to the club' and the results ranged from dope ("Burn"), to dope-once-it-grows-on-you ("Got It Twisted"), to horrid ("Hey Luv" feat. 112).

So what exactly happened?

Most people don't realize that the magic of Prodigy (and Mobb for that matter), lied in Prodigy's first bars. Literally......Prodigy has some of the most classic and memorable first bars in hip hop history, and that made for their best singles. Don't believe me?

"I got 'chu stuck off the realness....." -Shook Ones

"The saga begins.....we go to war/ I draw first blood be the first to set it off...." -Hell On Earth

"I put my lifetime in between the paper lines...." -Quiet Storm

"I break bread, r i b s, hunnid dolla bills...." -Keep It Thoro Continued on page 2 »