Survival of the Fittest (song)

other songs of that title

"Survival of the Fittest" is a song by American hip hop duo Mobb Deep from their second studio album, The Infamous (1995). It was released as the second single from the aforementioned album on May 29, 1995, by Loud Records. The song was produced by Havoc, using a sample of the 1976 song "Skylark" by The Barry Harris Trio and Al Cohn. The single had mainstream success, it peaked at no. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and hit the Top 10 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The song received acclaim from music critics and is widely considered a classic of 1990s New York hip hop, along with the lead single from the album, "Shook Ones, Part II".

"Survival of the Fittest" received acclaim by contemporary music critics. Vibe magazine's Elliott Wilson noted that the song "[features] Mobb Deep's usual combination of deep lyrics, sinister keyboard chords, earth shattering bass, and crisp drum tracks". Writing for Los Angeles Times, Heidi Siegmund praised the song, calling it "a mosaic of slow, stealthy beats that rarely lets in any melodic light" and commending the duo's "dark poetic talents".

"Survival of the Fittest" is widely considered a classic of 1990s New York hip hop. Consequence of Sound stated that it's "as gritty as New York hip hop could get". HipHopDX called it "one of the most melancholy, rigid Hip Hop songs of all time". According to Pitchfork, the line "There's a war going on outside no man is safe from" became the album's most famous and often quoted lyrics. Complex named it one of the 100 best opening lines in hip hop history and wrote, "Prodigy's opening bars on "Survival of the Fittest" convey the high wire balancing act that is life in America's most dangerous neighborhoods with a single phrase". "Survival of the Fittest" was featured in the soundtrack for the 2002 film 8 Mile and the 2006 video game Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.