Prodigy

Mobb Deep: Where Are They Now?

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In the long history of hip hop, few acts can truly say they are as influential as Mobb Deep. The Queens, New York rap duo consists of members Havoc and Prodigy, and is often listed alongside the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and LL Cool J. Mobb Deep has sold over three million records, ranking them among the most successful rap duos of all time. Known for their gritty and unrelenting depictions of the streets, the group’s biggest hits include “Shook Ones (Part 2)” and “Survival of the Fittest.”

The instrumental track “Shook Ones (Part 2)” contains samples from Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones. The iconic beat has been a popular freestyle track in street cyphers, radio shows, and rap battles for decades. The Mobb Deep track also holds prominent placements in films such as 8 Mile and video games such as Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and NBA 2K18. Further, the duo has released eight studio albums and appeared on several mixtapes. Though only one member remains, there have been rumors of a final Mobb Deep album as recently as 2023.

Prodigy

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 25: Prodigy of Mobb Deep visits Hip Hop Nation at SiriusXM Studios on February 25, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

Prodigy tragically passed away in 2017 after a lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia. His death, which occurred while on tour in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Ghostface Killah, KRS-One, Ice-T, Onyx, and Havoc, prompted an outpouring of love and support from the hip hop community, including tearful social media posts and music shoutouts from the likes of Eminem, Lil Wayne, Nas, Wiz Khalifa, Questlove, and many others. The Mobb Deep rapper was 42.

Before Prodigy’s untimely passing, he pioneered the modern rap sound as part of Mobb Deep. The Queens rapper also released six solo albums, as well as a number of mixtapes and collaborative projects. In his final years, Prodigy was also responsible for writing many literary works, including an autobiography titled My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy.

Other written works from the rapper include a pair of crime novels penned in collaboration with British author Steven Savile. Prodigy also co-wrote a cookbook in 2016 featuring several recipes that could be made or replicated under prison conditions.

Havoc

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 22: Rapper Havoc of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep performs onstage at the Art of Rap festival at Hollywood Palladium on July 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Despite Prodigy’s untimely passing, Havoc has vowed to complete Mobb Deep’s illustrious discography with a final studio album. As recently as August 2023, Havoc has confirmed recording sessions with legendary producer The Alchemist. The remaining member of the duo has also teased unreleased Prodigy verses for the latest installation.

Like his partner, Havoc ventured into solo releases, dropping four studio albums between 2007 and 2014. As a notable producer, Havoc touts production credits on numerous releases over the years. The multi-hyphenate artist has produced hits with Kanye West, Rihanna, G-Unit, The Lox, and many more. Most recently, Havoc appeared behind the boards on 2023 releases such as Russ’ Chomp 2.5, Jabee’s Enough, and the recent 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne collab album Welcome 2 Collegrove.

For now, only time will tell if the final Mobb Deep album will ever materialize. Of course, the project would undoubtedly serve as a perfect send-off for the iconic rap duo.

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Happy Heavenly 48th Birthday To Mobb Deep’s Prodigy

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prodigy

The Mind Squad would like to send a supreme posthumous born day salute to Albert “Prodigy” Johnson, the lyrical half of the “Infamous” Mobb Deep. In 2017, the Hip-Hop community lost Prodigy in what is recognized as a freak hospital accident, with reports stating that P passed after choking on an egg while hospitalized for his sickle cell condition.

Prodigy will forever be remembered as one of NYC’s powerhouses of the rap game, repping the Rotten Apple in feuds within the five boroughs (Jay-Z, Tru Life) as well as cross country (Tupac, Crooked I). With his QB partner Havoc, the Hempstead, Long Island native inherited the crown as the king of NYC crime rhyme from his elder Queens comrade Kool G. Rap and upheld his position for more than two decades. P’s solo career was stellar in its own right, with his H.N.I.C. trilogy serving as one of the best solo efforts from an NYC artist that came from a group since Busta Rhymes.

Salute to Prodigy on his what would’ve been his 48th born day and his contributions through his art and music will maintain his relevance in Hip-Hop forever. R.I.P.!

The post Happy Heavenly 48th Birthday To Mobb Deep’s Prodigy first appeared on The Source.

The post Happy Heavenly 48th Birthday To Mobb Deep’s Prodigy appeared first on The Source.

Remembering Prodigy Of Mobb Deep

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Legendary rapper Prodigy of Mobb Deep passed away six years ago on June 20. His death in 2017 shook the hip hop community, leading to a widespread commemoration of his significant contributions to the culture. Prodigy died from accidental choking while receiving hospital treatment for sickle cell anemia, which he battled throughout his life.

Both as one half of Mobb Deep and as a solo artist, Prodigy was a hip hop mainstay and consistently carried the flag for east coast hip hop. He was respected among the best rappers throughout his career and continues to be regarded as such even after his death. Today, we remember Prodigy of Mobb Deep.

A Member Of One of Hip Hop’s Most Iconic Duos

Prodigy was most known for being one half of Mobb Deep along with Havoc, alongside rapper and producer Havoc. Together, the Queens, New York rappers became one of hip hop’s most iconic duos. In 1993, they released their debut studio album, Juvenile Hell. Two years later, Mobb Deep shared The Infamous, a landmark project for ’90s hip hop, and cemented them as one of the most significant rap groups of all time. The album’s rough and rugged sound remains influential today.

The Infamous included classic songs such as “Survival of the Fittest” and “Shook Ones (Part II).” The latter is considered by hip hop heads as one of the greatest rap songs of all time. The track’s instrumental has been utilized in the final battle scene of 8 Mile and the Top Dawg Entertainment cypher at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards. Prodigy and Havoc’s work after The Infamous were also held in high regard as albums like Hell on Earth, Murda Muzik, and Infamy had classic moments of their own. Although Havoc’s production is a significant reason for the quality and influence of Mobb Deep’s music, many of the most classic lyrics came from Prodigy.

Toward the end of Mobb Deep’s run as a duo, Prodigy and Havoc briefly beefed, leading to a short-lived breakup in 2012. The two eventually reconciled and released their final album as a group, 2014’s The Infamous Mobb Deep. To this day, Havoc continues to tour Mobb Deep’s music in honor of Prodigy.

A Prolific Solo Career

Prodigy may have been most prolific in his music as a part of Mobb Deep, but he consistently released albums as a solo artist as well. His debut solo release, 2000’s H.N.I.C., stuck to the spirit of Mobb Deep but tapped various producers to create a different sound. The song “You Can Never Feel My Pain” saw Prodigy opening up about his sickle cell anemia. He also discussed his long term battles with his disease in his 2011 memoir. 

The biggest single from H.N.I.C., “Keep It Thoro,” still remains as Prodigy’s biggest and most classic solo track. The Alchemist, who had previously produced Mobb Deep’s “The Realest,” produced the song. Prodigy and The Alchemist developed a close relationship and collaborated on two studio albums: 2007’s Return of the Mac and 2013’s Albert Einstein. Throughout his career, Prodigy rapped about theories of the Illuminati, a central theme of his final studio album. He released his final album, 2017’s The Hegelian Dialectic (The Book of Revelation), five months before his death. His estate posthumously released a sequel to the album in 2022. 

Prodigy Often Embraced The New Generation Of Lyricists

Though many rap purists respected Prodigy and considered him an essential figure of ’90s hip hop, he actively embraced the new generation of rappers and collaborated with many of them. Albert Einstein notably featured Domo Genesis and Action Bronson. During his later career, Prodigy also worked with Evidence, Curren$y, Blu, Mac Miller, Childish Gambino, and Wiz Khalifa. He cosigned Griselda early in their career, collaborating with Conway for an EP and performing with them just days before his death. Prodigy’s presence in hip hop is deeply missed. Since his passing, only a few verses of his have been released posthumously. These verses appeared in songs with Statik Selektah, Masta Killa, Conway the Machine, and Sean Price.

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Just Blaze Explains How Jay-Z Got The ‘U Don’t Know’ Beat Over Busta Rhymes And Prodigy

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On the latest episode of the Idea Generation podcast, superproducer (and Uproxx’s friend of the site) Just Blaze delves into his impressive musical resume, from crafting the so-called Roc-A-Fella sound in the early 2000s to becoming one of the biggest hitmakers of the past 20 years. Among the stories he shares with host Noah Callahan-Bever is the explanation of just how Jay-Z ended up with one of the more recognizable songs from his game-changing 2001 album The Blueprint. It’s a story he’s told before, but it never gets old.

“‘U Don’t Know’” was at one point going to be Busta [Rhymes] and Prodigy,” Just says. “A lot of people don’t know, me and P used to hang out a lot. I still don’t have a lot of rap friends, right? He was one of the few people actually to come to the house. It was wild because then [The Alchemist] ended up moving around the corner from me.”

After that bit of scene setting, Just explained why the song ended up with the home team instead of one of the other two rappers, who were — at the time — considered bigger stars. “Prodigy hears ‘U Don’t Know,’” he recalls, “Then Busta [Rhymes] hears ‘U Don’t Know.’ Yo, the worst thing ever was knowing that I have Jay ready for me but Busta’s doing this Busta Rhymes [style] on the ‘U Don’t Know’ beat. I’m like, ‘Yo, this is real dope.’ I’m torn. I’m a kid at the time, and I’m torn.”

Fortunately for Justin, he didn’t have to choose. “Luckily, Busta didn’t record to it,” he exults. “I go back to Soundtrack [Studios], where Mobb Deep was recording. Prodigy hears the beat; I play it off of a cassette. He starts rhyming to it. Some drama ended up happening; he had to leave. I go around the corner [to Baseline Studios]. I play it for Jay. [This is] all in that same weekend. Then, all of a sudden, Jay was like, ‘Yo, lay that right now.’”

The rest is, as they say, history. “U Don’t Know,” which was never released as a single, has become one of the most enduring songs in Jay’s catalog; it’s a club staple whose lyrics fans have debated for two decades (that is, until Jay cleared it up himself last year). You can check out the full interview above.

World Premiere: The Estate of Prodigy Releases New Single and Video ‘Walk Out’ Produced by DJ Premier

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The Estate of Prodigy Releases New Single and Video 'Walk Out' Produced by DJ Premier

The Estate of Prodigy of influential hip-hop group Mobb Deep releases the very special new single “Walk Out” today. DJ Premier, one of the most lauded beat producers in hip-hop history, produced the song. This track is a valuable treat for true fans of Hip Hop’s Golden Era because the two renowned performers rarely had the opportunity to collaborate throughout their careers.

“I was honored to connect these two iconic legends in Hip Hop – DJ Premier, and Prodigy – this is truly special for the culture and grateful for the collaboration of these giants,” says manager and attorney L. Londell McMillan (who also owns The Source Magazine).

“It’s always an honor to work with the great Prodigy,” says DJ Premier “Since ‘Peer Pressure’ – that I produced – I knew early on that he would be an all-time great. His legacy lives on and happy to be a part of it.”

The new gritty single is accompanied by a new and impressive animated video that is available to watch below and on Prodigy’s YouTube Channel.

“Walk Out” arrives ahead of the long-awaited posthumous album, The Book of Heroine. The album is the second chapter of Prodigy’s The Hegelian Dialectic trilogy and is set to release on September 30.

Prodigy’s three-part project, The Hegelian Dialectic, was conceived over the past few during his lifetime. The Book Of Revelation, the first volume, was released a few months before his tragic death in 2017.

Prodigy reveals his amazing wit and lyrical ability on the upcoming album The Book Of Heroine. The album describes the emotional problems that males have in connection to drugs, relationships, and other distractions associated with lust.

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[WATCH] The Estate of Prodigy of Mobb Deep Drops Video for “You Will See”

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The Estate of Prodigy of Mobb Deep Drops Video for “You Will See”

The Estate of Prodigy has released the late Hip-Hop icon’s new video for the single “You Will See.” The single and video are the first Prodigy releases since his untimely death.

The video is a compilation of old and new video material, live performance clips, and music video clips that feature Prodigy in some of the most iconic scenes from his life and career.

“You Will See” is the first of three singles that will lead up to the Prodigy’s forthcoming full-length posthumous album, The Hegelian Dialectic Volume 2: The Book Of Heroine. The new single features the vocals of Berto Rich, who in conjunction with The North Star Group, delivers the production.

“Five years ago our family suffered an immense loss,” the Estate of Prodigy said in a statement. “The music that Prodigy left behind is extremely precious to all of us. We felt the need and responsibility to hold on to it until we had the proper foundation to complete what he was working on and release it to the world. We hope his fans will enjoy and support our efforts as we move forward with this very personal and emotional process. ‘You Will See’ a treasure of new music from Prodigy, no doubt indeed.”

Prodigy left a large number of recordings behind, including the next two parts of The Hegelian Dialectic trilogy. The first volume of the very introspective project, The Book Of Revelation, was released in 2017 by the artist himself, in which the renowned MC expressed his socially conscious and politically driven reflections.

Prodigy addresses men’s emotional issues in the second and upcoming volume, The Book Of Heroine, by candidly addressing his personal strife with drugs, relationships, and the constant distractions brought by passion. Later this summer, the new album will release.

The new video comes weeks after Prodigy’s catalog returned to streaming services.

Due to legal conflicts between the Estate, which the late artist’s family maintains, and his former associates, the famed MC’s work was taken from all streaming sites in 2019, depriving millions of admirers of the infamous MC’s solo efforts. Prodigy is one half of one of the best Hip-Hop groups of all time, Mobb Deep. Alongside Havoc, the two made their debut in 1993 with Juvenile Hell, then returned in 1995, with the bonafide classic album The Infamous. The two stand as one of the most influential groups in rap history. Prodigy’s solo releases carried the same level of quality, throughout the H.N.I.C. saga and more.

Albums like H.N.I.C. and The Bumpy Johnson Album are once again available for streaming on services like Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, and others, thanks to the management of L. Londell McMillan of The NorthStar Group and a new distribution deal with ADA, Warner Music Group’s independent services and distribution arm. The albums will also be available for purchase on the websites of all digital retailers.

“We are extremely thankful to all the fans for understanding the circumstances that our family had to professionally control at a time of grief, and for the kind words of encouragement we received from many of you” says a representative of the Estate. “We would also like to thank the community of hip hop artists who came together to help us assemble Prodigy’s last projects. The music belongs to all of you and we are glad we can make it available again and forever.”

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