13

A veteran rapper/producer from the legendary Queensbridge Houses, Havoc has been putting in work and making timeless music ever since he was a kid, busting out of the scene alongside with partner in crime rhyme Prodigy on Mobb Deep\'s 1993 debut, *Juvenile Hell*. As a group, Mobb Deep practically invented hardcore East Coast thug rap, absolutely mastering the style on quintessential albums like *The Infamous* and *Hell on Earth*. Over the years, the Mobb\'s magic has faded somewhat, but Hav has stayed busy, working with countless other artists and dropping solid (if slept-on) solo efforts like *The Kush* and *Hidden Files*. He released two instrumental beat tapes earlier this year and returns here with *13*, giving us a baker\'s dozen loaded with bloodthirsty wordplay and sinister, neck-bending production. Though Prodigy is notably absent (apparently they were beefing at the time), there are still some fantastic joints here, especially \"Favorite Rap Stars\" with Raekwon and Styles P, \"Colder Days\" featuring Masspike Miles, and \"Tell Me to My Face\" with Royce Da 5\'9\".

As Havoc's solo album 13 (his lucky number) landed on shelves and in download queues, the MC/beatmaker's regular group Mobb Deep was "on hiatus," plus, a "twitter war" was underway with his fellow Mobbster Prodigy.

As rap artists age, too often they reach outside their comfort zone, or the zone their fans feel comfortable within, in order to bend new ea...