On June 20th, I received a notification on my phone saying that Prodigy from the Hip-Hop Duo Mobb Deep had passed away at 42 years old. It was known that Prodigy had been battling sickle-cell all his life.
When I first heard the terrible news about Prodigy. I began to think about how I felt when I first heard about Hip-Hop artist Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest who passed away last year.
Sad, heart-broken and shocked was how I felt.
Mobb Deep first came and reigned during the 90s era of Hip-Hop, which is also known as the golden era. Mobb Deep (The Infamous, 1995), along with Hip-Hop acts such as Black Moon (Enta da Stage, 1993), Wu-Tang Clan (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), 1993), The Notorious B.I.G (Ready to Die, 1994) and Nas (Illmatic, 1994) set off a new hardcore, gangsta rap style in New York. Their gritty rap style was a response to the G-Funk rap style that was happening on the west coast in California.
Within Mobb Deep, Prodigy was known more for being the lyricist, while Havoc was known for crafting gritty and dark beats that complemented the duo’s distinct voices. Prodigy’s lyrics were dark, and could be placed in the horror-core sub-genre of Hip-Hop. His lyrics were also conscious, philosophical and he spoke about street-knowledge.
The group is also known for having three classic albums:
Prodigy also held his own while having a war-of-words with other rappers in the industry. For instance, he had a war-of-words with 2Pac, Snoop Dogg & Tha Dogg Pound, Keith Murray, Jay-Z, fellow Queensbridge rapper Nas and his partner Havoc. Prodigy beefed with your favorite rappers, and always held his own while in the battle, according to Complex News.
Throughout the years, Prodigy always had to check himself into the hospital when he had a life-threatening sickle-cell crisis. While touring, Prodigy would check himself into the hospital and would be there no more than five days and he would be good, according to Havoc.
Havoc said he was used to Prodigy being in the hospital because they have been doing this for 20 years. On June 20th, Havoc got a call at 11 am, and the person said Prodigy passed away in a Las Vegas hospital. Havoc said he didn’t think Prodigy was dead because he knows Prodigy goes to the hospital all the time, and thought it was a rumor.
Havoc decided to call their road manager to get the status of his partner-in-rhyme, and when their road manager picked up the phone. He was crying in a way that Havoc had never heard before and he quickly hung up the phone.
When Havoc got the bad news, he had his son in the car with him who had just graduated from Kindergarten. They were on their way to get something to eat, and he explained he was on the highway, couldn’t pull over and said he could have crashed with his child in the car.
To check out Havoc’s interview about the death of his partner-in-rhyme Prodigy, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtY0XhO2PwE&t=15s
As expected, Havoc is taking Prodigy’s death hard because they were partners, brothers and friends since they were teenagers. They created Mobb Deep from the ground up as teens, and gained acclaim, respect and honors from their peers.
I was late getting into Mobb Deep’s music, but once I started listening to them. I understood why they have such a die-hard fan base because everything from their beat selection, and their hardcore rhyme-style helped create the classic 90s New York sound that people love so much.
I’m not the biggest Mobb Deep fan, but I respect what the duo was able to accomplish in music.
It was good to see a lot of Prodigy’s peers within the Hip-Hop industry were saddened by his passing. Personally, I was glad to see my favorite Hip-Hop artists say some kind words about Prodigy on social media:
My condolences go out to Prodigy’s family, friends and fans. He battled sickle-cell all his life, but now he could rest in peace and experience no more pain. He will be missed because he really made a powerful impact on the Hip-Hop world and on the world in general.
R.I.P Prodigy from Mobb Deep
* To check out my favorite Mobb Deep song, “The Start of Your Ending (41st Side),” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=005GRsukWMc
* To check out my favorite Prodigy song, “You Can Never Feel My Pain,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q3V11banDQ
Disclaimer…
I don’t own any images or videos displayed from Mobb Deep’s Havoc and Prodigy.
No Copyright Intended. All Mobb Deep content is property to their respective owners. All rights go to Prodigy and Havoc of Mobb Deep.
Mobb Deep image courtesy of Hypebeast.
Huynh, D. These are the Best Prodigy/Mobb Deep Songs Ever Recorded. Digital image. Www.Hypebeast.com. Hypebeast, 21 June 21. Web. 22 June 2017. https://hypebeast.com/2017/6/50-best-mobb-deep-prodigy-songs-ever
Prodigy image courtesy of Genius.
ALLCAPSification. ALLCAPSification’s Top 50 Favorite Rappers (Vol. 1): #25-21. Digital image. Www.genius.com. Genius, nd. Web. 22 June 2017. https://genius.com/discussions/205236-Allcapsifications-top-50-favorite-rappers-vol-1-25-21
Prodigy Beefed With All Your Favorite Rappers, and always Held His Own courtesy of Complex News from YouTube.com.
Prodigy Beefed With All Your Favorite Rappers, and Always Held His Own. Perf. Beija Velez. Www.youtube.com. YouTube, 21 June 2017. Web. 22 June 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frwm-wulorE
Mobb Deep’s Havoc Talks Prodigy’s Death courtesy of TMZ from YouTube.com.
Mobb Deep's Havoc Talks About Prodigy's Death | TMZ. Perf. Havoc Interview. Www.youtube.com. YouTube, 22 June 2017. Web. 22 June 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtY0XhO2PwE
Mobb Deep logo courtesy of Photobucket.com.
Fullfledgerecordpool. The Infamous Mobb Deep. Digital image. Www.photobucket.com. Photobucket , n.d. Web. 22 June 2017. http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/fullfledgerecordpool/media/bWVkaWFJZDo1MjUxMTY4MA==/?ref=
Mobb Deep’s The Infamous album cover courtesy of Wikepedia.com.
Wikipedia. Mobb Deep The Infamous Album Cover. Digital image. Www.wikipedia.com. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 22 June 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Infamous
Mobb Deep’s Hell on Earth album cover courtesy of Wikepedia.com.
Wikipedia. Mobb Deep Hell on Earth Album Cover. Digital image. Www.wikipedia.com. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 22 June 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_on_Earth_(Mobb_Deep_album)
Mobb Deep’s Murda Muzik album cover courtesy of Wikepedia.com.
Wikipedia. Mobb Deep Murda Musik Album Cover. Digital image. Www.wikipedia.com. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 22 June 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murda_Muzik
Mobb Deep’s “The Start of Your Ending (41st Side)” song courtesy of morefishscale from YouTube.com.
Mobb Deep - The Start of Your Ending (41st Side). Perf. Mobb Deep. Www.youtube.com. YouTube, 26 Sept. 2009. Web. 22 June 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=005GRsukWMc
Prodigy “You Can Never Feel My Pain” song courtesy of ShamrockHipHop from YouTube.com.
Prodigy - You Could Never Feel My Pain. Dir. ShamrockHipHop. Perf. Prodigy. YouTube. Www.youtube.com, 05 Mar. 2009. Web. 22 June 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q3V11banDQ
コメント