The Breakfast Club: Havoc Talks New Mobb Deep Album, Prodigy's Legacy, 50 Cent, Jazmine Sullivan + More

Date: October 7, 2025
Host(s): DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Guest: Havoc (Mobb Deep)
Episode Focus: The creation of Mobb Deep’s new album Infinite, Prodigy’s legacy, classic hip hop stories, production insights, business challenges, and never-before-heard anecdotes.

Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Havoc, one half of the legendary hip hop duo Mobb Deep. The discussion centers on the upcoming release of Infinite—the first new Mobb Deep album since Prodigy’s passing. Havoc explores the challenges of assembling unreleased verses, collaborating with hip hop luminaries, the legacy of Prodigy, his own career as a producer, and shares behind-the-scenes stories from rap’s most influential eras.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

The Making of Infinite (01:28 – 03:59)

• Album Genesis: Havoc explains that Infinite was a long time in the making, delayed after Prodigy’s untimely death due to the family’s grieving process.

  “After the untimely death of Prodigy...it was something that I wanted to do, but it took me a minute.” (01:39, Havoc)

• Collaborative Process: Worked closely with Alchemist, sourced verses from Prodigy’s family, and selected the best unreleased material.

• Family Involvement: Prodigy’s family, especially his daughter, was involved and emotionally supported the process.

• Technology’s Role: Used technology to blend Prodigy’s vocals into new production:

  “If it's like 92 bpms, you could put it down to 88 or you can speed it up to 100. So it's kind of seamless.” (02:50, Havoc)

Prodigy’s Legacy & Personal Reflections (03:31 – 07:21)

• Restored Brotherhood: Havoc and Prodigy reconciled before Prodigy's death, growing closer during tours and everyday life.

  “I felt like I got my friend back…we was shopping at Whole Foods, trying to get on a healthy path.” (04:01, Havoc)

• On Their Past Fallout: The perils of mixing alcohol and social media led to public disputes, but they rebuilt their brotherhood.

  “When it comes to alcohol, just stay away from social media…Prodigy kept it, like, real classy.” (04:41, Havoc)

• Message to Fans: The album is about honoring unfinished business and Prodigy’s status as an “illest MC.” There was immense pressure to meet fans’ expectations after so many years.

Working with Nas & Signing to Mass Appeal (07:47 – 08:55)

• Partnering with Mass Appeal: Chose Nas’s label for trust and authenticity rather than financial reasons. Nas was hands-off but gave input when needed.

  “We trusted Nas…It wasn't about the money, it's just more like who would do justice to the project.” (07:57, Havoc)

• Artist Collaborations: Nas contributed three verses. Features include Her, Georgia Smith, Porter Henny, and Eclipse.

Rivalries, the East vs. West Era & Iconic Records (08:55 – 12:14)

• East vs. West Coast Tension: Mobb Deep responded to perceived West Coast disrespect with assertive music and presence.

  “When you in places like Minneapolis...you see people throwing up gang signs and holding up Tupac posters, you don’t even know if you gonna make it outta there.” (09:28, Havoc)

• Handling “Drop a Gem on ‘Em”: After Tupac’s shooting, Mobb Deep voluntarily pulled their diss record out of respect.

  “He was our brother...We didn't wish death on nobody...It would have been tasteless.” (11:54, Havoc)

• Relationship with Biggie: No real issues; shared a birthday. Never had the chance to truly connect due to Biggie’s early passing.

Violence in Hip Hop & Impact of Losses (13:29 – 14:14)

• Aftermath of Tupac & Biggie's Death: The murders led to increased caution and a heavy sense of disrespect for artists' lives.

  “No respect for the artist…that had me super concerned.” (13:41, Havoc)

Production Legacy, “Shook Ones”, and Hidden Mysteries (14:14 – 19:12)

• Recognition as a Producer: Havoc expresses some frustration at often being overlooked, but feels validated by genuine respect from peers like Dr. Dre.

  “When I see them, like, I just seen Dr. Dre...he was like, yo, you inspired me.” (14:51, Havoc)

• Prodigy's Lyrical Genius: Jay-Z has publicly acknowledged Prodigy's elite status, even if wider recognition lags.

• Notorious Myths: The rumor about the “stove” sound in “Shook Ones” is deliberately left mysterious:

  “I just love the mystique of the stove. It sounds better than the actual truth.” (18:35, Havoc)

Stories from the Studio (21:26 – 23:55)

• Creation of Classics:

  • “Shook Ones Part II”: Made at home in Queensbridge, nearly scrapped before Prodigy and friends convinced him to keep the beat.

    “Kept it. We did a song...had no idea it was going to do that.” (21:45, Havoc)

  • “Quiet Storm”: Used a reluctantly sampled Sugar Hill Gang record, frustrated at initially being sidelined as an MC.

  • Adding Lil Kim: Brought on to attract women and diversify their audience in clubs.

    “We need to get the chicks involved…Lil Kim. And she agreed.” (23:33, Havoc)

Touring, Signing with G-Unit, and Industry Decisions (25:31 – 30:20)

• Touring with Raekwon: Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Cuban Links and The Infamous albums.

• 50 Cent & G-Unit Signing: Motivated by mutual respect and opportunity, but challenges arose with the commercial vs. street fanbase dynamic.

  “Fans are like your parents...They never want to see the kids grow.” (29:16, Havoc)

• On Not Signing More Artists: Havoc values unique talent and high standards, citing Jasmin Sullivan as a missed signing opportunity.

  “My bar is high, you know? I really want to sign that artist now.” (27:09, Havoc)

Business Challenges: Merch, Sampling, Money (36:04 – 39:48)

• Merchandising Nightmares: Rampant unauthorized Mobb Deep merch—sometimes so well-made Havoc wants to buy it himself.
• Supreme Merch Lawsuit: An overlooked tattoo image led to a lawsuit, illustrating trademark vigilance.
• Getting Paid: Early, fair publishing deals protected most of Havoc’s royalties, though collecting globally remains a challenge.
• Biggest Missed Opportunity: A Super Bowl commercial featuring Mobb Deep music fell through due to a slow lawyer.

  "They wanted to use the Mob Deep music in the Super Bowl commercial. And...a lawyer took too long and we missed out." (39:48, Havoc)

Production Insights & Iconic Collaborations (32:03 – 35:41)

• Favorite Artists/Beats: Jadakiss (especially the song “Why”), Lil Kim, and others get special mention for their chemistry and artistry.
• Challenging Samples: Stories of sample clearance woes, including an in-person Prince moment at Electric Lady Studios.

  “Yo, Prince walked in my session...and started helping me with the keys...that's my Prince story.” (34:09, Havoc)

The Future: New Projects

• Upcoming Projects: Working on a collaborative album with Method Man, with more details to come.

  “We don’t have a date, but me and him are actively in the studio...We’ll have one soon, though.” (40:36–40:48, Havoc)

Notable Quotes

• “All Prodigy verses is dope…It was hard [to pick].” – Havoc (02:21)
• “Sometimes eventually the generations that’s gonna come after us…they gonna start pulling those Mob Deep records and being like, damn, what’s this? This sounded crazier than all that other stuff.” – Havoc (15:48)
• “As a producer, you want to produce for the best…that’s the one I’m chasing.” – Havoc on wishing he produced for Jay-Z (16:38)

Memorable Stories & Moments

• The Myth of the Shook Ones Stove: Will Havoc ever reveal what’s really making that famous sound? Probably not.
• Prince in the Studio: Havoc shares a surreal Prince encounter where he spontaneously jammed on the keys during a Mobb Deep session.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:28 — Start of album discussion
• 03:31–07:21 — Discussing Prodigy’s legacy
• 07:47 — Partnership with Nas’s Mass Appeal
• 08:55–12:14 — Stories from East vs. West, "Drop a Gem" pulled
• 14:14–16:38 — On being overlooked as a producer and Prodigy’s lyrical legacy
• 18:35 — The ‘stove’ myth
• 23:33 — Story behind Lil Kim on “Quiet Storm”
• 25:31–30:20 — Touring, G-Unit signing, fans’ expectations
• 32:03–33:30 — Favorite artists to produce, “Why” for Jadakiss
• 36:04–38:51 — Merch business, infringement, and legal battles
• 39:41–39:48 — Missing the Super Bowl commercial bag
• 40:36–40:48 — Updates on the Method Man collaboration

Tone & Style

Brimming with New York authenticity, honesty, and humor. The episode moves fluidly between nostalgic recollections, raw industry realities, and the lived wisdom of a career survivor. It’s both a celebration of Prodigy’s memory and a testament to Mobb Deep’s unwavering dedication to hip hop’s core values.

For First-Time Listeners

• Expect a masterclass in hip hop history, candid stories rarely told, and a look behind iconic records and signature sounds.
• Essential listening for fans and newcomers alike—the legends still have much left to teach.