How Was The Show - Mobb Deep at First Avenue

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Mobb Deep at First Avenue on 5/19/06

Mobb Deep - Publicity Photo This was my first assignment in a long time, so I got to First Ave especially early to give the opener a chance and get geared up for Mobb Deep. Ray Cash was scheduled to play at 9:30, so when it started to get later and later I just got more frustrated. At the exact moment that I was frustrated enough to pack it up, I realized that Cash's name had been crossed off the set times list and that for some reason he wouldn't be playing. This was too bad, considering that he was touring to promote his debut album.

The crowd was admittedly small, about 1/6 of First Avenue's capacity, which could probably be attributed to a couple of things. The ticket price was $30, and the album they were in town to promote (Blood Money, released earlier this month by 50 Cent's G-Unit label), isn't typical of most of their previous work. Despite the size of their audience, though, they managed to take the stage close to their scheduled time.

The stage was set up like the exterior of one of their old buildings back in Queensbridge, NYC, and it was probably one of the more extravagant stage set-ups I’ve seen at First Avenue. Prodigy and Havoc came out alone, and by the end of the show there were perhaps 10 to 12 other guys and gals on the stage doing essentially nothing; maybe two of them actually offered their skills throughout the show. Personally, I am not a fan of going to a show and having so many people on the stage that you can’t find the ones you are looking for.

Going into this show, I wasn’t very familiar with the new album, and I was hopeful that they wouldn’t pass up their extensive catalog of work pre-50 Cent. I was proven wrong when 75 percent of their set was the more mainstream hip-hop radio friendly tracks off of Blood Money. I was pleasantly surprised, though, when they broke out “Got it Twisted,” a track in which they sample Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me with Science.” They made it sound just as fresh as when it was recorded on Amerikaz Nightmare, their 2004 release, which also included their most well known mainstream track “Win or Lose.”

Only loosely representing their Hardcore NYC roots at this show was disappointing, but when Havoc and Prodigy have had enough of being “Hollywood Hav” and “V.I.P.” I will be glad to see them again with the essence and spirit that they had back when they were known as “The Infamous.”

Location Info: First Avenue
Artist Info: Mobb Deep

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