After years of being on the cusp, Mobb Deep finally broke thru and achieved Platinum status with 1999′s Murda Muzik. So, you would think shit should be copasetic for Havoc & Prodigy right? Not quite! Because shortly after Prodigy’s highly anticipated solo-bow, H.N.I.C., hit the streets Mobb experienced an unexpected bump in the road.

That bump came courtesy of Jay-Z and his Summer Jam smear campaign, where he presented pictures of an adolescent Prodigy freshly dipped in a pink ballerina outfit; which did not exactly bode well for P’s street-credibility- Adding even more fuel to the fire was Jay’s scalding diss track “The Takeover”, and his Napoleonic “you little fuck, I got money stacks bigger then you” dissection of Prodigy. And if you don’t think this clash with hip-hop’s self-appointed East Coast don has sent Hav & P into full-alert status, consider that their has been a four-year span between each of Mobb’s last two-releases, and Infamy appears a mere two-years after Murda Muzik. Coincidence? Not likely.

Though no one comes equipped for warfare, or puts their lifetime in between the papers line like Mobb. With Infamy Hav & P have reached the end of their collective rope, as their adherence to old tricks makes this Mobb’s most belabored LP to date. While there is still something to chew on in between, the guttural lead-single “Burn” f/Noyd, (the latest indelible Mobb classic) simmers like fish in a fresh pot of grease, “Clap”, and “Get At Me” where P tightens the screws on Jay-Z “your retaliation was weak, baby pictures, dun I’ll take you out in the streets, and spank you bitch.” But it’s as if the well has literally run dry for the Infamous duo, as Infamy slumbers along at such a lethargic pace (“Bounce” & “Kill That Nigga”) that Infamy should come with a “do not listen to while operating heavy machinery” disclaimer because of its Nyquil like qualities.

While a battle with Jigga should have recharged Mobb Deep’s juices (as it did with Nas), it ultimately sucks the collective winds out of their sails, as Infamy is draped with so many direct, or indirect Jay-Z disses, it takes focus off what Hav and P do so well; which is encapsulating the struggle, and pain of their project existence, which is exemplified by “Nothing Like Home”, and “Get At Me” where both Hav and P both shine over Alchemist’s trill horns.

There’s little question that Havoc & Prodigy are in a precarious place with Infamy. After all, not responding to Jigga’s volleys would have undeniably resulted in their street-credibility being placed under further scrutiny. Yet, paying the amount of attention to Jay-Z that they do here, obviously plays into Jay’s game plan. And while there is an appealing aspect of the diss that cannot be ignored, don’t real gangstas move in silence? When will the war of words end? Who knows, but it won’t end here, Mobb Deep assures that much.