On Tuesday, Prodigy, one half of the veteran Queens, New York rap group Mobb Deep, died at the age of 42. According to TMZ, the rapper was in a hospital in Las Vegas following a performance on Saturday, and passed away due to complications from “sickle cell anemia,” a disease the rapper had long suffered from. Celebrities from the worlds of music and entertainment such as Nas, Nicki Minaj, Quest Love and DJ Premier took to Twitter to show love to Albert “Prodigy” Johnson. Many quoted from one of his most famous songs, “Shook Ones,” a track that could bring the listener into a world they may have not known about. A world with dark deserted corners on the streets of Queens narrated by Prodigy’s young, yet raw, voice.
FILE – In this Oct. 13, 2016 file photo, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy poses for a photo in New York. Albert Johnson, the skilled rapper and member of the New York hip-hop duo has died. He was 42.The rapper’s publicist said in a statement Tuesday, June 20, 2017, that Prodigy was hospitalized a few days ago in Las Vegas “for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis.” He has battled sickle cell since birth and was in Las Vegas for a performance. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Prodigy’s death will forever be a major blow to the hip hop world. His death at a young age adds to a series of Black cultural figures who died too soon such as Heavy D, Sean Price, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Big L and The Notorious B.I.G. In addition to being a wordsmith and a master behind the production boards Prodigy, no stranger to prison, once released a healthy cookbook for prison inmates following a stint in New York’s system.
Prodigy may have not been an international icon like Kanye or Michael Jackson, but his legacy in the rap world is unquestioned. As one half of Mobb Deep, with fellow friend and rapper Havoc, he brought the world to a rougher side of Queensbridge, New York. With an insanely 90’s hip hop production style and scary (yet clear) lyrics to match it, the Queens duo helped prop up New York rap in the 90s and was also a pivotal influence in more than just tracks like “Shook Ones” and “Quiet Storm.” They also worked with a long list of legendary artists including Q-Tip, 50 Cent, and Nas. In later years, Prodigy worked with the next generation of rapper such as Childish Gambino, Mac Miller, Curren$y, members of Odd Future and Kaytranada. If the Hip Hop Hall of Fame ever opens, Prodigy should have a spot among the best in the game.
Albert “Prodigy” Johnson died on Tuesday at the age of 42. (Instagram)
Along with having an extensive catalog of albums, from “The Infamous” to “Blood Money”, Prodigy’s lengthy album list (before and after going solo) doesn’t match the things he’s done in the past that we will always have a place in Hip Hop history. This includes his beefs with rappers like Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z and his legendary feud with Tupac. Prodigy even had a feud with his rap partner Havoc after getting out of jail. Both rappers settled their differences and released one more album in 2014, “Roll Up.” Although Prodigy’s recent musical career wasn’t as active as it was in the 90s, it didn’t stop him from breaking new ground.
Even though these moments weren’t probably his most shining, it only shows that his career is as storied as many of the rap giants from hip hop’s history. Prodigy’s career in rap spans far more than just the people who were able to purchase the “The Infamous” as a kid, and as long as there is a someone playing either “Shook Ones”, his solo songs, or even artists that were inspired by his work in the past, the imprint the Queens rapper made will live on.