There were only 2 hip hop acts performing at this year’s Knotfest...a gigantic 2 day metal festival, put on by Slipknot, with camping and a variety of other events and festivities. One of these hip hop acts was none other than the legendary duo, MOBB DEEP. It was an honor to be able to sit and talk with these extremely smart and humble guys about their 20 year anniversary of “The Infamous”, as well as the state of hip hop these days, new music, and what it’s like to play a festival full of heavy metal! You can check out the full interview, as well as a few shots from their set, below.

J - So, it’s been 20 years since the debut of “The Infamous”. At this day and age, when it comes to writing music, where are your minds at now, as opposed to back then?

Prodigy - I would say that our mind is on just making quality product...like, it’s kinda the same as back then. Like when we was workin’ on “The Infamous” album, we had just came off from being dropped from a label...because...we were young..we didn’t know what we was doin’, so we got to the point when we was makin’ “The Infamous” that we were trying to prove to ourself and to the world, like, you know what I mean...and make something quality that’ll stand the test of time. And I think that we got that same attitude right now. Just, always thinkin’ about longevity and can these songs last, you know what I mean, like can we play this 10 years...20 years down the line.

J - What about content, like compared to what it was back then?...being so young. I’m sure your heads are a bit different than what they are now. So what kind of content do you feel you guys are writing about now?

Havoc - You know, I mean, we’re older...and stuff like that...but...you know, the social issues haven’t changed..you know what I mean...so we still spittin’ about the same things and stuff like that. And the younger generation, I’m sure they’re gonna do the same things...maybe worse, maybe less...who knows..but I mean, the streets is the streets.

J - So, how does it feel to be one of the only hip hop acts at a big metal festival like this, and what do you guys get out of it? What’s the response like?

Prodigy - It feels great man. It feels great to be in front of that audience out there and just share our music with them and just see them into the music also...you know what I mean? I think they can relate to our style of music also because (Havoc interjects - it’s hard core, it’s hard core) it’s just like rebellious hard core, you know, and it’s just that rebellious attitude, you know what I mean?

Havoc - I’m nervous about it...like, I’m always nervous...because this is not like, our first, Rock and Roll/Hip hop fest and stuff like that...so every time we do it... then it’s like “damn, they invited us to this?” You know what I’m sayin’. and... (Prodigyinterjects - yeah, definitely. It’s an honor. It’s an honor to.)

J - So all these metalheads eat it up, huh?

Havoc - yeeeaaahhh...it’s an honor to be performing with them too, cuz, you know, they’re big groups...we respect their music too...nah’mean.

Prodigy - we love all music.

J - So, I heard “Hip Hop Elite”...and is that your only new record? Do you have new stuff coming out, or was that like, a mix tape type of thing?

Prodigy - I dont.......I never even heard of that.

Havoc - yeah, what is that? (everyone starts laughing)

Prodigy - I was tryin’ to figure it out, I was like...uuuhhhhhh (laughing)

Havoc - That might have been a mix tape (someone just put together).

Prodigy - Well...God bless ‘em. (laughing)

J - So, you guys got some new music comin’ out any time soon?

Havoc - Yeah, definitely...we got something we’re working on for like, maybe, the end of 2016

J - Are you happy with the state of hip hop these days, and what are some of your favorite new rappers that are coming out right now?

Prodigy - I mean...as far as the state of hip hop right now...we definitely happy with it...you know what I’m saying? Cuz you gotta take the good with the bad... the yin and the yang, you know what I mean? Cuz even when we was comin’ up...it wasn’t like everything was all good. And everything wasn’t all bad...you know what I’m sayin’...it’s the same thing right now....we 20+ (years) deep in the game right now...so for us to sit here and say, like, “oh we don't like it, we don't love it”...because...the only people that would say that, is not thrivin’...know what I’m sayin’? We thrivin’. We just came off a 30 day tour in Europe...

J - How’d that go?

Prodigy - It went really good...we don't got no complaints

Havoc - it was tight...it was crazy 

Prodigy - It’s like, we good, we chillin. And what we wanna do is...like...since we was in Europe...now we in the States...we wanna bring that kind of enthusiasm back to the States.

J - yeah, they go crazy out there in Europe, I lived out there for a bit.

Prodigy - Yeah, they go really crazy. So...our job is to bring the enthusiasm back. Because the radio tries to dictate what’s goin’ on...what’s playin’...and we know that that’s not the real deal.

J - Payolla...

Prodigy - Yeah....you know...payolla...programming...stuff like that. And, it’s no complaints from us....if that’s the system...cool...but we fight against the system.

J - So are there any hip hop artists that are new that you guys are diggin’? Maybe in like the past 5 years or so?

Prodigy - Kendrick Lamar

Havoc - Wiz Khalifa

Prodigy - Joey Bada$$

Havoc - It’s a bunch of them....def. a bunch of them out there that’s keepin’ it alive...keepin’ that energy....that rebellious energy.

J - Well thank you guys so much for taking the time to sit with us and talk about some things...it’s been an honor

Prodigy and Havoc - thank you, thank you, thank you!

"Our job is to bring the enthusiasm back. Because the radio tries to dictate what’s goin’ on...what’s playin’...and we know that that’s not the real deal." - Prodigy