Prodigy, who was one-half of the hip-hop duo Mobb Deep, has passed away. The rapper was 42-years-old.
The musician has experienced health issues for the last several years. Most notably, he was suffering from sickle cell, according to TMZ.
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Prodigy was in Las Vegas when he died. He was in the middle of the “Art of Rap” tour alongside fellow rappers Ghostface Killah, Onyx, KRS-One, Ice-T, and more.
Alongside his partner Havoc, Prodigy formed Mobb Deep in NYC back in the ’90s. Their original band name was Poetical Prophets. However, they found success under the name Mobb Deep. Their biggest hit songs include: “Shook Ones, Part II,” “Survival of the Fittest,” and “Quiet Storm.”
Mobb Deep’s spokesperson sent a statement to XXL magazine regarding Prodigy’s death:
“It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep. Prodigy was hospitalized a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined. We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.”
The news that Prodigy passed away was first confirmed by rapper Nas on Instagram. The “If I Ruled The World” artist shared a pic of Prodigy with the caption: “QB RIP King P. Prodigy 4 Ever.”
