After signing a new record deal with Jive, hip-hop torchbearers Mobb Deep release their seventh studio project.

In the past ten years, the Queens duo, Havoc and Prodigy, have often promised more than they can deliver. In keeping with these expectations, Amerikas Nightmare is disappointingly patchy. The Alchemist is responsible for the better cuts, including the lead single, Got It Twisted, a big commercial hit, and Win Or Lose, a soul-laced number featuring a sample of the Jean Plum song Here I Go Again. The same, however, can not be said of Havoc's productions, such as the messy blend of a bounce vibe with Mobb's gritty vocals on Shorty Wop. Overall, one for the hardcore fans.

Updated: 08:55 Thursday, September 16, 2004