Queens hip-hop legend Prodigy passed away earlier on Tuesday due to complications of sickle cell anemia.
The world found out about Prodigy’s passing via a Nas Instagram post reading, ‘QB RIP King P. Prodigy 4 Ever.’
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVkeVHvAqEs/?taken-by=nas&hl=en
The word ‘legend’ is perhaps thrown around a little carelessly in this day in age, but Prodigy did more than anyone to shape the New York hip-hop sound.
Prodigy ! RiP I'll never forget going to New York and hearing mobb deep for the first time. In queens. Life changing sound. Hell on earth.
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) June 20, 2017
If there was ever one group that personified the sound of New York in the 90s it was Mobb Deep. #ripprodigy
— DJ Eclipse (@ItsDJEclipse) June 20, 2017
Prodigy and Havoc made up the duo Mobb Deep, debuting with 1993’s Juvenile Hell and went on to release seven more albums until 2014’s The Infamous Mobb Deep.
Mobb Deep were the underground stalwarts of New York hip-hop. While other artists had more mainstream success and radio plays, Prodigy and Havoc were your favorite rapper’s favorite rappers.
“Shook Ones, Pt. II” off The Infamous is one of the seminal songs in hip-hop history, but the Queens duo were prolific and profound beyond that infamous (no pun intended) song.
Prodigy mades moves outside Mobb Deep as a solo artist.
Prodigy’s H.N.I.C. may be one of the hardest albums of all-time. The Queens MC painted a world of fiends, gangsters, and crime around him and laid the foundation for East Coast hip-hop.
Tributes poured in from all corners of the hip-hop and music lexicon to pay respects to Prodigy, one of the greatest to ever do it.
Mobb Deep go back
— Hanif Abdurraqib (@NifMuhammad) June 20, 2017
Dude had the most bars
Prodigy – Rap City Basement Freestyle, 2000 pic.twitter.com/qbbS8cDHN4
— evan auerbach (@evboogie) June 20, 2017
And the best punchlines
I really don't care what people have to say, though, these are the best Prodigy bars because they still make me die laughing pic.twitter.com/wQ9OLusW2K
— Miriti Murungi (@NutmegRadio) June 20, 2017
‘New York will never be the same’
Hip hop has lost one of its best voices …..New York will never be the same again … RIP Prodigy
— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) June 20, 2017
Prodigy still watching over
I just got in the car. Phone is on shuffle. Song P and I JUST did started playing as soon as I got in. Trying to not break down.
— Just Blaze (@JustBlaze) June 20, 2017
Legends passing way too young…
Phife was 45. Heavy D, 44. Prince Be, 46. King Reign, 40. Big Syke, 48. And Prodigy was 42. Wow. Health really is life and death.
— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) June 20, 2017
Tell me you haven’t spit a (trash) freestyle to this
RIP Prodigy… forever immortalized in basement freestyles from the Shook Ones instrumental pic.twitter.com/FOuK13LkP9
— Sayem Reza (@Say_Rez) June 20, 2017
Illest to ever do it
https://twitter.com/THEKIDMERO/status/877247174442188801
Respect for one of the greats
https://twitter.com/LilTunechi/status/877235353677168641
https://twitter.com/HarryFraud/status/877249368281169920
This was the day I recorded a Prodigy verse for a Duck Sauce song. I felt like a kid that day. Still in the vault. pic.twitter.com/jCfKv8uuej
— Cannibal Aux (@atrak) June 20, 2017
rest in power prodigy
— thebe kgositsile (@earlxsweat) June 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/JayElectronica/status/877235457792389121
https://twitter.com/NipseyHussle/status/877254452964544516
This prodigy shit hurts b
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) June 20, 2017
One half of Mobb Deep is gone…
RIP Prodigy, he was only 42. pic.twitter.com/STAQFVlsDV
— go90 Session (@go90session) June 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/fakeshoredrive/status/877235662323425282
Prodigy was simply the hardest ever
RIP Prodigy. The hardest ever w/ enough quotables for 10 lifetimes. May there may be unlimited bread, ribs & $100 bills in the afterlife. pic.twitter.com/vROQ481XPR
— Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) June 20, 2017
Rest in Power, Prodigy.
