Hell on Earth (Mobb Deep album)
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Hell on Earth is a 1996 album by hip-hop group Mobb Deep, released a year and a half after The Infamous. The album is largely a continuation of the style pioneered on its previous album, which was produced by Havoc, who also rhymes on the album with Prodigy. The second track, “Drop a Gem on 'Em,” is a response to 2Pac's feud with the group, recorded while he was still alive, is one of the album's most acclaimed tracks, along with "G.O.D. Pt. III" and "Hell on Earth (Front Lines)." Hell on Earth was met with positive reviews from music critics and is considered by many die-hard fans and hip-hop heads to be the duo's best album because of its dark, hardcore tone. Since most of the album was recorded during the height of the East Coast-West Coast rivalry, many fans considered the darker songs to be subliminal disses toward 2Pac and other West Coast emcees, but Prodigy sends shout-outs to a list of west coasts artists such as Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and Xzibit in the liner notes. The album was included in Q Magazine's 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time.
Guest appearances include Nas, Raekwon, Method Man, and frequent collaborator Big Noyd. The album, one of the earliest enhanced CDs, also contains an extra track (“In the Long Run”) that must be unlocked through the use of a computer.
Track listing (07863-66992)
| # | Title | Performer (s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Animal Instinct" | Havoc, Prodigy, Twin Gambino, Ty Nitty | 3:30 |
| 2 | "Drop a Gem on 'Em" | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:17 |
| 3 | "Bloodsport" | Havoc, Prodigy | 3:35 |
| 4 | "Extortion" | Havoc, Method Man, Prodigy | 3:31 |
| 5 | "More Trife Life" | Havoc | 3:45 |
| 6 | "Man Down" | Big Noyd, Havoc, Prodigy | 5:03 |
| 7 | "Can't Get Enough of It" | General G, Havoc, Prodigy | 4:51 |
| 8 | "Nighttime Vultures" | Havoc, Prodigy, Raekwon | 4:30 |
| 9 | "G.O.D. Pt. III" | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:08 |
| 10 | "Get Dealt With" | Havoc, Prodigy | 3:56 |
| 11 | "Hell on Earth (Front Lines)" | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:34 |
| 12 | "Give it up Fast" | Big Noyd, Havoc, Nas, Prodigy | 3:58 |
| 13 | "Still Shinin'" | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:11 |
| 14 | "Apostle's Warning" | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:07 |
| 15 | “In the Long Run” | Havoc, Prodigy, Ty Nitty | 2:38 |
Certified platinum.[citation needed]
Track listing (74321-42558)
| # | Title | Producer | Performer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Animal Instinct" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy, Twin Gambino, Ty Nitty | 3:30 |
| 2 | "Drop a Gem on 'Em" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:17 |
| 3 | "Bloodsport" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy | 3:35 |
| 4 | "Extortion" | Havoc | Havoc, Method Man, Prodigy | 3:31 |
| 5 | "More Trife Life" | Havoc | Havoc | 3:45 |
| 6 | "Man Down" | Havoc | Big Noyd, Havoc, Prodigy | 5:03 |
| 7 | "Can't Get Enough of It" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy, General G (Illah Ghee) | 4:51 |
| 8 | "Nighttime Vultures" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy, Raekwon | 4:30 |
| 9 | "G.O.D. Pt. III" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:08 |
| 10 | "Get Dealt With" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy | 3:56 |
| 11 | "Hell on Earth (Front Lines)" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:34 |
| 12 | “Shook Ones Pt. 1” | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:12 |
| 13 | "Give it up Fast" | Havoc | Big Noyd, Havoc, Nas, Prodigy | 3:58 |
| 14 | "Still Shinin'" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:11 |
| 15 | "Apostle's Warning" | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy | 4:07 |
| 16 | “In the Long Run” | Havoc | Havoc, Prodigy, Ty Nitty | 2:38 |
Samples
Animal Instinct
- "That's Where the Happy People Go" by The Trammps
Drop a Gem on ’Em
- "Can't Help But Love You" by The Whispers
More Trife Life
- "Islands" by King Crimson
Can't Get Enough of It
- "Las Vegas Tango" by Gary Burton
G.O.D. Pt. III
- "Tony's Theme" by Giorgio Moroder
- "Fool Yourself" by Little Feat
Still Shinin'
- "Hospital Prelude of Love Theme" by Willie Hutch
Apostle's Warning
- "People Make the World Go Round" by Michael Jackson
Album Singles
- "Drop a Gem on 'Em"
- Released: 1996
- B-side:
- "Front Lines (Hell on Earth)"
- Released: October 28 1996
- B-side:
Album Chart Positions
| Year | Album | Chart positions | ||
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | |||
| 1996 | Hell on Earth | #6 | #1 | |
Singles Chart Positions
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
| 1996 | "Front Lines (Hell on Earth)" | - | #57 | #13 | #4 |
| "G.O.D. Pt. III" | - | #64 | #18 | #8 | |