Mobb deep put hardcore hip hip on the map back in the day. They moved the goalposts imo. There's this story about how when Kanye was making MBDTF he put a sign on the studio door that said "What would Mobb Deep do?" cause he wanted the artists he was working with to capture their intensity.
RE: UNplugged Radio: Episode 2: Reminisce about Prodigy of Mobb Deep and his Impact in Hip Hop.