90's Jams #93: Mobb Deep "Shook Ones Part 2" (1995)

Axl, Eminem, Marilyn Manson... They're all hardly badass compared to the toughness of the lyrics from "Shook Ones Part 2." You'd hardly know it by looking at dudes like Prodigy and Havoc, clearly a pair of storytellers fully aware of the strength of street knowledge:

I can see it inside your face
you're in the wrong place
cowards like you just get they're whole body laced up
with bullet holes and such
speak the wrong words man and you will get touched
you can put your whole army against my team and
I guarantee you it'll be your very last time breathin'

Pretty scary shit... You'd figure they look like these 2 dudes:


But comparatively, they kinda have this teddybear quality to them:


Without the image, you'd never know they weren't the creepiest thugs ever. The fakes and the posers can step aside when this one starts up... The realness influenced about 100 samples, most notably appearing constantly on K-Rock in "April 29, 1992 (Miami)" and also after a shout out in "This Is Why I'm Hot."

P.S. Dope hi-hat.