Mobb Deep are this week’s selection for Throwback Thursday with their 1993 track titled “Peer Pressure”.
“Peer Pressure” is the debut single from Mobb Deep from their (also) debut album titled “Juvenile Hell” which was released 20 years ago, this week.
Both at 17 years of age, Mobb Deep were an unknown duo from Queens, New York at this time and were signed to the 4th & Broadway record label. They needed some help from some seniors in the Hip-Hop industry for this album and they got it in the form of Lord Finesse and DJ Premier, who both produced “Peer Pressure”.
The topic for “Peer Pressure” is a bit self-explanatory. Both Havoc and Prodigy tell their sides of the story of dealing with peer pressure as young teens in the New York projects. The 3rd verse is based on a fictional character called Kenny, who does well in school but gives into peer pressure which ruins his life and in-turn commits suicide. The eerie point of this song is that in the video, Havoc’s big brother Killah Black plays “Kenny”. Word has it – that after some troubles from the streets and issues with his family, Killah Black became depressed and would later commit suicide (others say he died in a car crash).
The poor sales (20,000 copies) for “Juvenile Hell” saw Mobb Deep dropped from their 4th & Broadway deal. Two years later, they went onto make their classic follow up “The Infamous…” on Loud Records.
If you want to own a piece of Mobb Deep history, “Juvenile Hell” is still available on Amazon.
