Released November 14, 2000 Length 66:20 | Recorded 1998-2000 Release date 14 November 2000 | |
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Producers Prodigy, Benzino, The Alchemist, Havoc, Nashiem Myrick, Rockwilder, Just Blaze, Ricky "Ric Rude" Lewis Similar Prodigy albums, Hip hop music albums | ||
H.N.I.C. is the debut solo album by American rapper Prodigy of Mobb Deep. The H.N.I.C album was scheduled for a June/July 2000 release. Ads in The Source magazine had the line "On Ice 'Til Summer 2000". The album was later scheduled for a September release but ultimately released November 14, 2000.
Contents
After four Mobb Deep albums, Prodigy took a temporary break from the group and released his first solo effort. "H.N.I.C." is an initialism for "Head Nigga In Charge". Prodigy enlisted a number of producers for the album, including The Alchemist, EZ Elpee, Rockwilder, Just Blaze and his Mobb Deep partner Havoc. The single "Keep It Thoro" received moderate video and radio rotation. Other singles where "Rock Dat" and "Y.B.E" (Young Black Entrepreneurs)
A sequel, H.N.I.C. Pt. 2 was released April 22, 2008. It features production by Havoc, a fellow member of Mobb Deep and The Alchemist among others. In 2011, after being released from prison, Prodigy began work on the third album in the series, H.N.I.C. 3. It was released on July 3, 2012. The album inspired rapper, Wiz Khalifa's album, O.N.I.F.C. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on December 18, 2000.
Background
While Prodigy was working on H.N.I.C and the Murda Muzik album with Mobb Deep he started living a healthy lifestyle. No more abusing alcohol and drugs and eating healthy. His verse on Quiet Storm explains the mindstate he had at that time:
"I spent too many nights sniffin' coke, gettin' right wastin' my life, now I'm trying to make things right."
Although the Quiet Storm song appeared on the Murda Muzik album. It was originally planned for the H.N.I.C album. Prodigy addresses his lifelong pain with sickle-cell anaemia on the track "You Can Never Feel My Pain". On this track he also explains that this disease makes him depressed. The depression makes him crave for alcohol and drugs. An internal battle he finally overcame.
The more conscious side of Prodigy is also visible on the song "Genesis".
"The positive and negative war has now begun. P helps you seperate both the sides let the truth arise, black devil don't hide You can't hide from me, you might from the others. I've been employed to pull your ass out from the covers. You walk like you got hooves and talk like you 'sposed to. Trickin my brothers into followin you? Yo, Potential energy is easily made kinetic."
This isn't an only conscious album though. Prodigy strikes again with hardcore lyrics. Prodigy can therefore be described as an conscious gangster.
On the track H.N.I.C. Prodigy lets you know that he is the boss:
"I be the H.N.I.C. The head nigga in charge. The boss, the Captain Crunch dog, the sarge. The M.O.B.B., the status - we large. The guns, the drama, the love, the Mobb."
And who can argue against that? Mobb Deep's album Murda Muzik just went platinum. Prodigy and Mobb Deep were on top of the world.
Prodigy had a cold while recording the single "Keep it Thoro", this is why he sounds a little more nasal. The whole idea of the song was that it didn't have a chorus. Prodigy makes this clear in his line "Heavy airplay all day with no chorus". But Prodigy's manager at the time, Chris Lighty, thought the song could be bigger on the radio with a chorus. This resulted in recording a version with a chorus by Havoc. The line "Heavy airplay all day with no chorus" was edited out in that version. But the final album version is the original without a chorus. The Japanese edition of H.N.I.C has the Remix of Keep it Thoro as a bonus track.
Prodigy's wife KiKi appears on the track "Trials of Love" as B.K. (aka) Mz. Bars. This is the first and last time she appeared on a song with Prodigy. She made her video appearance in the Hey Luv video from Mobb Deep's Infamy album (2001).
The album appeared on the 100 best albums of the 2000s list by Complex.com.
Songs
1Bars & Hooks (intro)1:19
2Genesis2:48
3Drive Thru (skit)0:16