Return of the Mac

One half of Queensbridge thug-rap legends Mobb Deep, Prodigy has long established himself as one of the coldest voices is the business through his brutal depictions of everyday gunplay and world-weary, casual yet focused delivery. Over the years he has appeared on many undeniable classics, alongside Havoc and various like-minded associates. Some old school fans abandoned the Mobb after their questionable flirtation with R&B on "Hey Luv," while others jumped ship when they hooked up with G Unit for the ill-fated Blood Money album. At a time when his credibility and relevance were seriously in doubt, Prodigy silenced all haters with Return of the Mac. Originally released as a mixtape, this is exactly what many disillusioned followers had been waiting for, a relentlessly grimy return to form, produced entirely by the Alchemist, who crafts 14 lush backdrops that are both ultra-funky and seriously hard. Squealing horns, wah-wah guitars and thundering drumbreaks set the stage for P's murder-murder kill-kill wordplay, and the two fit together like an icepick and the back of the neck.