Born Kejuan Muchita, Havoc is one-half of the iconic hip-hop group Mobb Deep. Along with partner Prodigy, Mobb Deep have reigned as one of raps most enduring and colorful teams for 14 years. The pair initially met at the prestigious Graphic Arts High School in Manhattan as teenagers, and released their debut album in 1993, “Juvenile Hell” (for 4th-n-Broadway). While it didn’t garner them financial or critical success, it would prove to be perfect platform to launch an entire movement.

Unlike many of their contemporaries at the time, not only did Mobb produce their own beats, but they also crafted their own style: a street-smart, poetic approach that centered on the ghetto lifestyle surrounding them. Their brutally honest, reality-based raps and complimentary melancholy beats landed them a deal with the up-and-coming Loud Records label in 1995, resulting in their first major-label release, “The Infamous.”

Renowned on a personal level among serious hip-hop fans as one of the prominent figures during the East Coast Renaissance in the mid 1990s, Havoc’s hard-hitting and stripped-down beats with were akin to the RZA's legendary work with the Wu-Tang Clan. Following “The Infamous,” Hav tweaked his skills and transitioned to a more atmospheric production style that incorporated samples from classical music, most notably audible on the 1996 album “Hell on Earth.”

The music spoke for itself. “The Infamous” sounded like a rainy project courtyard at night: tense, morbid, and wary. Havoc's production (noisy drum samples with eerie piano and string loops) set a dark scene, and Prodigy's threats and tales of betrayal, fear, substance abuse, and violence colored it all in. The album highlights included the anthem "Shook Ones, Pt. 2," "Survival of the Fittest," and "Eye for an Eye," which featured the Mobb's Queensbridge neighbor Nas in one of his greatest post-Illmatic verses.

“Hell on Earth” had the unenviable task of following up a classic, but it proved worthy. If “Infamous” was a chilling documentary, “Hell on Earth” was a crime saga of mythical proportions. The stickup kids of the last album became hitmen, and corner drug pushers became crime kingpins. "Drop a Gem on 'Em" and "Nighttime Vultures," among other tracks, feature Prodigy's increasingly blunt delivery and Havoc's sparse, gothic production, again showing how and why the duo became East Coast favorites in a crowded field.

After a long stint with Loud Records and a few recordings with an array of indie labels, Mobb Deep signed to fellow Queens MC 50 Cent's record label G-Unit Records in the spring of 2005.

Havoc has and continues to produce the majority of the tracks on every Mobb Deep album. However, during his long career, he has manned the boards for MCs such as Method Man, Nas, Onyx, The Notorious B.I.G., Jadakiss, Styles P, The Game, LL Cool J, 50 Cent, G-Unit, Lil' Kim, La The Darkman and Jimmy Mserembo, as well as for his own solo work. As an MC, Havoc is known for his hardcore lyricism, deep voice, and consistent flow; he is one of the few emcees still around that has shown steady growth as a lyricist through the course of his discography, culminating in his recent solo debut, “The Kush” (released in 2007, with the follow-up due out sometime in 2008).

Havoc is a native of Queensbridge, New York City, located in Long Island City. To date, Mobb Deep has sold over 4 millions records. Havoc’s eerily chilling production has influenced countless producers, set the bar for NYC producers and become the identity for the “Queensbridge sound.” He continues that trend with “The Kush:” it’s as grimy, dark and gutter as he’s ever been. Forsaking littering “The Kush” with numerous guest-appearances, Havoc chose to keep things entirely in-house and make it an all-family endeavor by design. “Besides Prodigy, I did not want a bunch of big stars on it; it would have taken away from the real objective of the LP: grimy and down to earth.” The infamous, Mobb… M-O-B-B…

Compiled from RollingStone.com, Starpulse.com, TV.com, Wikipedia.com and Mobb Deep’s MySpace by Bryan Munson for Loud.com