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.