M.O.P. brings Snowgoons Produced album 'Sparta' to the World November 22nd -2011

M.O.P. have set a November 22nd release date for their new album Sparta (Babygrande Records) produced entirely by The Snowgoons.

Hailing from Brownsville, Brooklyn, Billy Danze and Lil Fame have solidified their reputation as iconic lyricists through their years of hard-hitting rhymes and unparalleled tenacity. Never compromising their style and having shared the mic with industry greats such as Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Styles P, Guru, ODB, Busta Rhymes, and Redman, just to name a few, the duo has rightfully earned its status as one of the most revered acts in hip-hop today.

In late July 2011, Billy Danze took to Conspiracy Worldwide Radio to break the news that M.O.P.’s upcoming album will be a collaborative effort with German & Danish production team, the Snowgoons. Speaking on the album, Danze said, “[Snowgoons] just sent us some fire…those dudes are incredible…when you hear this project, you’re going to be satisfied as an M.O.P. fan and a Snowgoons fan.” Ensuring fans around the world that this will be one of their most diverse sounding albums, the Mash Out Posse member went on to praise the Snowgoons, proclaiming, “they’ve got everything…they’re blazing through and coming from different angles. These guys providing us with that dramatic sound, with those theatrical sounds, with that hard hip-hop…they supplied us with everything. I’m really psyched about this project.”

Listeners can prepare for what Danze & Lil Fame considers “their best project in 10 years.”

Danze says of the Snowgoons:  “We may get some features, but I think M.O.P. on a Snowgoons project and Snowgoons producing a whole project for M.O.P. is enough featuring.“

“Those dudes are incredible,” he continued. “When you hear this project, you’re going to be satisfied as an M.O.P. fan and a Snowgoons fan. I think you’re going to flip your wig,” he continued. “They’ve got everything… It’s amazing to me because most of the time, producers have a signature sound. These guys already sent me like 50 tracks. They sent me 50 tracks and they’re blazing through and coming from different angles.“

Consisting of founders Det and DJ Illegal plus longtime affiliate and now 3rd member, Sicknature, the Snowgoons made their full-length producer album debut with 2007’s “German Lugers,” released on Babygrande Records. The Snowgoons continued their onslaught of orchestral and epic instrumentals the following year with their sophomore producer album “Black Snow.” Since 2007, the Snowgoons have developed a massive following, starting in Europe and spanning the entire world, becoming a staple in the underground hip-hop scene by working with approximately 100 lyricists. They have gone on to release four additional producer projects and worked with some of the most remarkable MCs in the underground.

The first collaboration between M.O.P. & Snowgoons “Anybody Can Get It” was recently released off the A3C Volume 1 Compilation. A3C attendees can catch the duo performing at the festival in Atlanta.

M.O.P. and Snowgoons collaborative album is scheduled for release November 22, 2011 on Babygrande Records. Celebrating its ten-year anniversary, Babygrande has established itself as a pivotal New York label responsible for over 100 titles since 2001. After ten-years and counting, Babygrande continues to consistently work with groundbreaking and world-renowned artists.

Mobb Deep To Drop EP on Black Friday

Mobb Deep isn’t wasting any time now that they have their own record label. Earlier this month, Prodigy and Havoc announced they finalized a deal through Sony’s Red Distribution for their own label, Infamous Records, and now Havoc revealed to XXLMag.com, that the group has a concrete release date for their first official project in over five-years.

“We have an EP coming on Black Friday,” Havoc said, referring to November 25, the beginning of the holiday shopping season. “We didn’t come up with a title yet, but we’ll have a title that will mean something. It will be like seven or eight songs. I did like three. We have some produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Alchemist and this kid named Young Free.”

“It feels good man,” Hav added about he and P’s new deal. “It’s a long time coming. Now we could really be in control of our own destiny. It’s all on us now. For right now we’re gonna focus on the Mobb. But the label situation is set up to break other acts. We’re gonna be versatile with it. We’re not gonna just get the homie from up the block. We’re gonna get talent. We’re definitely serious about it.”

The Mobb’s last studio album was Blood Money, which came out in 2006 on G-Unit/ Interscope. The following year, P was sentenced to three-and-a-half-years for gun possession which put the group on hiatus until Prodigy’s release from jail last March. But the duo didn’t waste any time, and went right back to work, recording dozens of songs over the last few months. Yet Hav says that before doing business with Red, he and his partner talked about going back to G-Unit.

“That was definitely something we all were considering,” he detailed. “We sat down with 50. At the end of the day, us and 50 are still cool. We’re good. But what everybody concluded was that [we] need to go do [our] own thing with no restraints. That was the best decision everybody could have made. The EP is done. It sounds good, seven or eight songs. Some real hip-hop shit, some real substance.”

The yet-to-be-titled project is The Mobb’s first ever EP. So far they haven’t recorded with any guests, however Hav says they have one secret cameo from a huge artist that is currently in the works.

In the meantime fans can catch M-O-B-B performing their seminal album, The Infamous, in its entirety at a special show on Sunday, September 27 at New York City’s Webster Hall as part ofRed Bull Music Academy’s World Tour. —Shaheem Reid