S. Samuel
With their Black Friday release date just over a month away, Mobb Deep have confirmed rap veteran Nas will make an appearance on their forthcoming Black Cocaine EP.
While declining to dish specifics, Prodigy said fans could look forward to Nasty Nas and reggae artist Bounty Killer on the project.
“We got Nas on the album, we got Bounty Killer on there — that’s it so far,” Prodigy said. “It’s just like a warm-up project, so we didn’t want to put too many people on there. It’s just a Mobb Deep thing, really.” Dancehall star Bounty Killer appears on the menacing “Dead Man’s Shoes” and Nas on an unnamed track. “We worked with Nas because that’s the home team,” Prodigy said. “I know people miss hearing that Mobb Deep/ Nas collaboration, because every time we do a song, it always comes out real good and stands the test of time, always.” (MTV)
Last month, Prodigy dished out the motivation behind their project’s artwork.
Black Cocaine drops November 25 on Black Friday and MTV News has gotten the first look at the project’s cover art. The still life photo features black powder on a shadowy white back drop. A rolled-up $100 bill sits beside the powder which is situated to spell out the words “Black Cocaine” in cursive. While the cover shows neither Havoc nor Prodigy, it is a stark and powerful image nonetheless. “The cover art for the Black Cocaine EP was an idea I came up with then passed over to the [Sony] RED art department. They brought my thoughts to life,” Prodigy told MTV News. “Havoc and I laughed the other day about how hustlers are gonna try to make real black cocaine when they see the cover and hear the music.” (RapFix)
A week prior, Havoc announced plans to drop their EP at the end of November.
“We have an EP coming on Black Friday,” Havoc said, referring to November 25, the beginning of the holiday shopping season. “We didn’t come up with a title yet, but we’ll have a title that will mean something. It will be like seven or eight songs. I did like three. We have some produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Alchemist and this kid named Young Free. It feels good man. It’s a long time coming. Now we could really be in control of our own destiny. It’s all on us now. For right now we’re gonna focus on the Mobb. But the label situation is set up to break other acts. We’re gonna be versatile with it. We’re not gonna just get the homie from up the block. We’re gonna get talent. We’re definitely serious about it.” (XXL Mag)
Recently, Mobb Deep issued a statement revealing their new post-Interscope/G-Unit Records deal.
“After almost 20 years in this industry, it was inevitable for us to take matters into our own hands. We feel that RED is the perfect home for our brand,” Prodigy said in a press release. “We know who our fans are and what they want from Mobb Deep. We’re excited to take a new step in our career,” Havoc added. President of RED Distribution Bob Morelli offered his support of the newly inked group and label. “Mobb Deep is an iconic act, having been on the cutting edge of music and social commentary for years. We are happy and excited to distribute the next chapter in their musical career.” (Press Release)
Mobb Deep’s Black Cocaine is slated to drop Friday, November 25th.
Check out a recent Prodigy interview down below:
