The Alchemist "The Chemistry Files" (The Uncut Version, 2006)

Originally released in 2006, this is the official ALC documentary: The Chemistry Files (The Uncut Version, DVD). Produced, edited, and slapped together by the man himself. Put together from old footage and edited entirely on an Apple G4 laptop with iMovie, this never-before-seen documentary captures the life of the ALC in a rugged yet personal, rough-around-the-edges fashion. "I have absolutely NO knowledge of film making, editing, or anything associated with movies, but one day I was messing around on the laptop and I realized that editing footage was a lot like beat making! So, on the spot, I said fuckit, I'm gonna make a DVD, right here, in my living room, on my laptop, out of all this footage I got laying around. And I sat up for one week straight, got into creative mode, and went berserk! Shit was fun." Of course we'd all rather that Al spends those hours doing what he does best, making those classic productions. But we're quite glad he took a week out and put together this truly motivating DVD. Originally edited, shortened to 25 minutes and used for the re-release of Alchemist's debut album 1st Infantry, this is the full 1 hour unedited and uncut version, exactly as he intended it. "I felt like the edited version didn't tell the story well. So I wanted fans to see it the right way." Go inside the smoke-filled laboratories and studios and watch as Alchemist and The Mobb create their signature sound. Sit in on mix sessions. Watch as, for the first time ever, ALC puts together a beat live on camera. Witness magic as Alchemist and Mobb Deep zone out and the making of the classic, "Hold You Down," miraculously captured on camera, is revealed for the first time. Then watch as the song metamorphasizes from a spontaneous vibe in a little home studio to a live concert in front of 30,000 fans. The Chemistry Files: The Uncut Version...

Inspired by ALC's announcement that 1st Infantry coming (back) 2025!

Mobb Deep "Murda Muzik" (Retail vs. Bootleg, 1999)

Those who think they've heard it all from Mobb Deep, think again. Building on their powerful opus that earned them 4 1/2 mics the first time The Source got its hands on it, the Mobb has taken the expression, "They murdered that shit!" to a whole new level. Memorable joints that remain part of the previous musical massacre include the gritty "Allustrious," the Eightball-assisted, boisterously in-ya-face "Where Ya From" and the highly emotional "Streets Raised Me." And while the absence of "Mobb Comin' Thru," "F#ck That B!tch" and "Pile Raps" is no doubt noticeable, the drama-inspiring, horn-laced "Spread Love" quickly reassures that Hav and P knew exactly what they were doing when making their final cuts. To aid them in their murda spree, the Mobb enlisted some notable co-defendants. Lil' Cease pops up on the keyboard-sprinkled "I'm Goin' Out," and Raekwon sets up shop on the slightly bounce-flavored (but still unmistakably Mobb) "Can't F#ck Wit," on which the time-tested Shaolin-QB connection reminds MCs to stop talking shit and "see me when you get a record deal." And just when you thought "Quiet Storm" was the epitome of murda raps, the remix raises the stakes once again, as Lil' Kim joins the Mobb in bringing the "re-e-e-eal hip hop" to the people. But the true gem of the added joints has to be "It's Mine," featuring Nas Esco, himself. The Scarface-inspired bassline and drums harder than public school lunch rolls should make it an instant QB favorite. Overall, the 19 tracks (out of the nearly 30 tracks recorded for for their fourth album) that make up the newest installment of Murda Muzik should remove any irrational doubts about Mobb Deep's status as the sanctioned soothsayers of seriously sanguineous slang. Revisit it below...

When discussing the Bootleg Version of Murda Muzik, here's what they had to say back in 1999: "We leaked some of that shit ourselves. It was some ghetto street promotion for us," says Prodigy. 'It [the bootleg Murda Muzik] probably went gold on the streets. It worked out for the better.'" I'd agree. You can compare the tracklists for the retail version of Murda Muzik and the bootleg version below to see what tracks you might've missed. I remember coppin' one of the bootlegs at a damn car wash out in Queens on Woodhaven Boulevard. It was definitely reminiscent of the Nas "I Am..." situation, which later became a lot of the tracks for his "The Lost Tapes" release [and that other album we don't talk about much]. There was a ton of quality music on the streets in Queens at that time. Rest In Peace to Prodigy, one of our culture's most talented MCs. Read more below...

Mobb Deep "The Infamous" (Spin Magazine, 1995)

Just after premiering as a full-grown MC, Mobb Deep's Prodigy busts a little rap criticism. His unrhymed, two-minute screed on track two ends with "To all the rap ass n!ggas with ya half-assed rhymes / Talk about how much you get high / How much weed you smoke / And all that crazy space shit that don't even make no sense / Don't even speak to me." In other words: Keep it real. It's no faint praise to say that Mobb Deep actually makes that shopworn admonition mean something. In the mikes and notebooks of Prodigy and partner Havoc, the phrase "keep it real" functions a little like that old Journalism 101 bromide "show, don't tell." And if any one quality runs through 'Bridge albums from MC Shan to Nas, it's that unhurried, no-frills verisimilitude; an allergy to purple prose, spiraling metaphors, and crazy space shit that don't make sense. Instead, what we get is state-of-the-art East Coast reportage: drug-selling, police-fleeing, and homie-dying vignettes, all told with vivid detail and a deadpan thousand-yard flow. Formerly the teen duo Poetic Prophets, Prodigy and Havoc make it amply clear that they've packed a lot more street living and skill-honing into their 20 years than most peers. The album review in Spin continues and revisit the The Infamous below...

After asserting, "Every day of my life since 11/2/74 / On the street makin' nonstop cream galore," they drop specifics like "I'm from Hempstead / It's close to the shacks in Park South." An almost Ivy League confidence in birthright, experience, and rhymemanship renders these understated verses so undeniable: "Temperature's Rising" draws pathos from a rhymed phone call to an on-the-lam brother; "Trite Life" recalls a subway ride to an old girlfriend's borough, with a six-member crew along for protection; and the instant classic "Eye for a Eye" lays out a loyalty oath with stellar verses by Nas and Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon the Chef (who rhymes "cornea" with "up on ya" -- not to be tried without a Staten Island accent). And just when you're ready to dismiss abstract rhyming as the stuff of sissies, producer Q-Tip hijacks "Drink Away The Pain" with characters like his n!gga Tommy Hilfiger and some trick named Donna Karan, laying out a staggering, verse-long morality play about materialism. If only to clock a stunning panoply of mike skills, The Infamous... is indispensable. Which is not to say that it doesn't sound great, too. While the pat line on '90s rap sonics is that on the East Coast form follows function, these beats are hardly utilitarian, mixing warm, old Quest-style Blue Note whispers, gritty snares, and stark keyboard chimes like Satie or Bill Evans with an MPC-60. Hearing Havoc and Prodigy testify is a little like following 14-year old Jim Carroll through the hold-ups, shooting galleries, and poetical gymnastics in The Basketball Diaries. You have to wonder what they'll be like when they're old enough to drink. - Spin Magazine (August, 1995).

Mobb Deep "Juvenile Hell" (April 13, 1993)

On their debut, Havoc and Prodigy tell the listener in all sorts of overconfident manners that there are few people out there who can mess with Mobb Deep. In fact, they do so in 14 different ways on Juvenile Hell. Mostly produced by Mobb Deep themselves, this album is rawness at an unrelenting pace, with an undeniable, relentless, and often irrational energy. The intro cut sets the mood as a warning, set to a "Queens brand" production. The tempo is kind of fast, but the bassline rolls to easily facilitate a strong head nod. The sampled horn stabs help to remind you that, after all, it's still music. Over this beat Prodigy cautions: "It's called Juvenile Hell; you won't survive long." In the first few songs, Mobb acquaints the listener with the life of a "frustrated and confused young juvenile" living in Queens. Juvenile Hell is hardcore, but not void of musical pr creative effort and accomplishment; it's really cool, serious, and 100 percent hip-hop. Highlights include "Flavor for the Non Believers," "Peer Pressure," "Stomp Em Out" (featuring Big Noyd), and "Hold Down the Fort." When Juvenile Hell was initially released, it didn't do so well in the stores. Perhaps it was the excess of threats and proclamations making up Juvenile Hell that kept buyers away in 1993, or maybe it was the label's inability to market this virulent project correctly. In any event, it's an album worthy of historical note. - AllMusic. Revisit Mobb Deep's debut album, Juvenile Hell, from 1993 below...

Rest In Peace, Prodigy...

J-Love "Mobb Misses" (Mixtape, 1998)

J-Love released the original Mobb Misses mixtape on cassette in 1998, boasting that Mobb Deep was "a group so ill there unreleased songs are bangin!" Facts. A second installment was released in 2001, then I think both mixes were later redone, along with additional mixes reppin' Prodigy and Havoc individually, too. In true Infamous Mobb Deep fashion, the mix tape includes tracks featuring affiliated artists like Big Noyd, Cormega, ACD, Tragedy, Large Professor, Ty Nitty and also Nas, Foxy Brown and Onyx. Some of my favorites are "Cop Hell", "Young Luv", and "Perfect Plot," among others. The loss of Prodigy is still heavy on our minds and hearts, but there's so much incredible music to go back and celebrate year after year. Dig into Mobb Misses below or break out your walkman and a copy of the cassette... I'll update the link as needed if it goes down (again). Rest In Peace, Prodigy.

Styles P & Havoc "Wreckage Manner" (Album Stream)

Wreckage Manner is the collaborative project between Mobb Deep’s Havoc and The Lox’ Styles P. Entirely produced by Havoc, Wreckage Manner includes the previously released single “Nightmares 2 Dreams” ​​​alongside nine other songs that find The LOX wordsmith and Mobb Deep producer at the peak of their powers. In tandem with the release, Havoc shared some thoughts about working with Styles P. “Making this piece of work reminded me of working with P (the late, great Prodigy of Mobb Deep),” he said in a statement. “Styles is an artist that I was a fan of over the years, so making this project was truly a pleasure.” “Authentic, vibrant, quote-worthy, raw uncut hip hop,” Styles added. “Get ready for the ride!!!” We still mourn the loss of Prodigy, but I'm glad that Styles P and Hav were able to come together and make this art happen. I hesitated for several weeks to click play, may have been jaded by some negative reviews but after listening, I think it's a solid album. Dig into Styles P and Havoc's collaborative project, Wreckage Manner, below...

Mobb Deep "Hell On Earth" (November 19, 1996)

Queensbridge, New York's ice-pick-packing duo Mobb Deep (Havoc and Prodigy) has returned with a third album, Hell On Earth (Loud-RCA), that, believe it or not, is even darker than 1993's acclaimed Infamous. The raw elegance and jazzy-bop beats provided by A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip last time have been replaced by eerie, suspenseful bass lines and simplistic but jarring drum kicks, entirely self-produced. Grim tales like "Bloodsport," "Extortion," "Get Dealt With" and "Man Down" are violent narratives on the dangers of street life, detailed with the intense passion of young men who will do whatever it takes to survive in their troubled surroundings. This disc is not for the faint of heart... - CMJ New Music Monthly (January, 1997). I've posted the enhanced CD, press kits, album reviews and much more for this album. I regrettably didn't burn my copy of the album sampler before passing it off to someone else, that was a major oversight on my part. Either way, dig in the archives for a lot more and run this incredible winter album back, over... and over again. RIP, Prodigy!

The Infamous back in the house once again...

Prodigy "H.N.I.C." (November 14, 2000)

A consistent MC, Prodigy builds on his previous work, defies audience expectations, and steadily increases his fan base with each accomplishment. His solo debut, H.N.I.C. (Head N!gga In Charge), introduces listeners to a side of him that isn't always rocking Mobb Deep's tried-and-true gun-blast formula. As a result, H.N.I.C. stands as a slight departure and a vivid portrait of P as an artist. H.N.I.C. is an invitation into the happy, sad, and violent world of P's life. On "Veteran's Memorial," he offers a sobering reflection of his early days, when he and his fellow Mobbster, Havoc, would record demos and shop record deals. Instead of another "listen to my demo" routine, he includes details about the many friends who have died and aren't here to see him shine. Prodigy addresses familiar Mobb topics on "Lumbar Support" and "Y.B.E." (feat. Twin and B.G.) but from a different angle. He expresses sadness at the thought of young black men choosing to earn money through illicit means and blows holes in the theory of "survival crimes" along the way. The most personal track, "You Can Never Feel My Pain," offers a candid discussion of his struggle with sickle cell anemia. After describing his love-hate relationship with the prescription drugs that keep him alive and lamenting about his inability to engage in sports, he tells his rap peers that their complaints about money and living in the projects can't match his more severe, life-threatening problems. Cont'd below, revisit...



Between thought-provoking meditations on life and art, P squeezes in a few of the hardcore club bangers that keep him paid. "3," featuring Cormega, opens with a booming orchestra that fades into lustrous harp crescendos; the hyper-tense title track sounds like an action-movie theme. Then there's "What U Rep," on which he and Noreaga team up over an ill harpsichord to humiliate peers with lines like: "Queens n!ggas like to shoot / Ain't afraid to fight / While you n!ggas wear Pampers / Like the cradle tight." Producers such as Havoc, The Alchemist, EZ Elpee, and P himself give H.N.I.C. enough hard snare snaps and gloomy strings for the hardcore Mobb fans while redefining the formula with upbeat tracks and jumpy piano chords and samples. Overall, H.N.I.C. is an outstanding combination of diverse sounds and complex themes. As long as Prodigy is rapping, the bridge ain't over." - Vibe (December, 2000). Rest In Peace, Prodigy! LP is still not available to stream!

Mobb Deep "The Infamous" (New York Daily News, 1995)

It's a telling tale for rap duo Mobb Deep. Out of the rugged, raw South Queensbridge Houses, Prodigy and Havoc come to the world of hip hop with a message of survival in the 'hood. They do not arrive with candy-coated tales of living large. They deliver narration that spins tales of survival as they roll through the urban jungle. Their defense: it's their reality. "I've seen people get killed, my best man. Young kids is murderers, going out there and killing kids for selling crack on their corners," says 20-year old Prodigy, aka Chaka Johnson. "It's nothing, like, spectacular about it. You can say, 'Dag, he's 20 years old -- how could he go through that?' A lot of us do. There are a lot of 20-year olds just like me -- they just don't know how to put it in words." So Mobb Deep did it for them. Barely legal and with an album already to their credit, Mobb Deep enter with their sophomore album, "The Infamous," an ice-cold portrait of life in the darkest corners of NYC. Mobb Deep's truth comes to the music via the South Queensbridge Houses, where Havoc grew up. Havoc still lives there, and vows to stay. Prodigy's mom sent him to live with his grandmother on Long Island at age 15 after he was arrested for selling drugs near his childhood home in the Lefrak City complex. Prodigy first spotted Havoc -- description identical, save a couple of inches -- jacking up a guy twice his size in the lunchroom at Manhattan School of Art and Design. "He was real little back in the day -- a shortie," recalls Prodigy. "A little short n!gg@ beatin' on some big n!gg@. I saw him the next day, told him he was wrecking that kid nasty-like. "After that, we would be rhymin' with each other. Everybody was, like, 'Y'all need to get together and form a group.' We battled everybody in school -- we was the illest." Their first album, "Juvenile Hell," came in 1993. Though its only single "Shook Ones Part 1," still has hard-core rap enthusiasts nodding their heads, paltry sales, sloppy business practices and a lackluster push from their label sent the album nowhere -- fast. Cont'd...

Havoc admits the culprit was the duo's misguided illusion of dollar bills and quick fame -- an immature business sense that sent the high school dropouts back to Queens empty-handed. "The bottom line is that we wasn't on top of our game," Havoc once confessed. "We wasn't handling our business the way we was supposed to. We [were] young." Now, armed with G.E.D.'s and a few extra years in the business under their belt, Mobb Deep find themselves in the middle of a Mobb Deep craze -- their songs all over the charts, their videos all over music television and 500,000 people across the country listening to their tales of life in the 'hood. A cursory listen tells you their music is everything your mother forbade you to hear. It's just what conservatives, parents groups and the likes of presidential candidate Sen. Bob Dole have been bashing. But Prodigy repeats what most defenders of gangsta rap have already said: They're just rapping about what they see on the streets. "I feel that Bob Dole and Bill Clinton make me like this. How can they complain when I write songs about what they put me through? Ironically, it's not only the streets that are putting Prodigy through it. He has a serious case of sickle-cell anemia, a blood disease that dehydrates him and threatens his bone strength. He already has a bad hip that he must have replaced. "My leg is f***** up," Prodigy says. "But that doesn't affect my performing." Prodigy says they study the Koran, the Bible, and even quotations from Mao Zedong, sharing views with their project counterparts. "You got to keep it to the street. Keep the phat beats, but knowledge -- read up on books, talk about everything," Prodigy said. "Right now, we got 500,000 ears, so we're going to make some use of that." - New York Daily News. July 23, 1995. R.I.P., Albert "Prodigy" Johnson!

Donnie Propa "Straight From The Crate Cave" (Mobb Deep Edition)

Here's the latest mixtape from one of UK's finest DJs, Donnie Propa. Following the success of his Straight From The Crate Cave series highlighting the work of the D.I.T.C. Crew, Rawkus Records, Pete Rock, and separate releases for Jeru The Damaja, J. Dilla, Masta Ace and more; Donnie Propa has compiled a new Straight From The Cave mix for those poetical prophets out of Queensbridge/LI named Mobb Deep! The infamous duo of Prodigy and Havoc have made some of the most influential records to come out of Queens dating back to the mid-90s. Donnie Propa's all-vinyl mix takes you on a journey through many of those classics, dig into it below, and Rest In Peace, Prodigy! I'd tell you to cop the cassette, but I'm sure they'll be sold out by the time you see this!

Mobb Deep "Hell On Earth" (November 19, 1996)

Mobb Deep are out to shit on those who spit on them. Havoc, the outfit's Napoleon-size producer/poet, grew up, like Nas, Marley Marl, and Roxanne Shante, in New York's surreal Queensbridge Housing Projects. Prodigy is his suburban-reared rapping other half, the good cop to Havoc's bad one as Hell on Earth, the duo's third album, pursues retribution like Charles Bronson in the Death Wish flicks. If the subject matter is somewhat limited to this "I'm gonna get you first, sucka" motif -- reflected in ditties like "Blood Sport" ("This ain't rap / it's blood sport / Your life cut short") and "Get Dealt With" ("My live n!ggas in the back / Got the gats blowing out of your back") -- well, Mobb Deep's big payback always sounds bitchin'. It was the subtle keyboard clamor of 1994's "Shook Ones Pt.2," sedating you and stimulating you at once, in a guileless high, that solidified Mobb Deep's position as the East Coast's reigning drama lords. Hell on Earth pursues a similar percussion-and-bass gumbo of sound. Straight-ahead war drums pounce out conversations with light strings, electric pianos, ancient videogame sound effects, and, on "Nighttime Vultures," pissed-off-buzzard shrieks. Very occasionally, you'll hear a longing for sanctuary inside Mobb Deep's insanity. "Dreams of growing old with my son," beams a warm Prodigy on "Apostle's Warning," his voice shimmering with earnestness. Havoc, more typically, concocts a love-triangle hostage situation in "More Trife Life," warning one of his soldiers "don't never go see a bitch." We don't know if Havoc lives or dies. What matters, according to the Thugster's Handbook, is that his manhood remains in check; that in the face of doom Havoc flexes his middle finger. - Spin (1/97). Revisit this classic WINTER album below...

Original album review in Spin and Hell on Earth advert below...

Prodigy "H.N.I.C." (Press Kit, 11/14/00)

Prodigy put his lifetime in between the papers' lines. He's the quiet storm n!gga who fight rhymes. P, yeah, you heard of him, the haunting lead vocalist who, along with partner-in-rhyme, Havoc, propelled Mobb Deep to platinum heights. On his debut solo release, H.N.I.C. (Head N!gga In Charge), Prodigy of Mobb Deep unveils a slew of gems that takes listeners on a journey through life, death and the pains of living in this cruel world. Prodigy's distinctive off-beat/on-beat rhyme style has effectively made him one of the most respected emcees in hip-hop. He explains his writing process, "When I write rhymes I think about who is poppin' right now. I try to come with some other sh!t that nobody is saying or if they did I twist my sh!t, so it sounds different." By the age of 15, Prodigy, an art & design student at the prestigious Graphic Arts High School in Manhattan, was trading rhymes with classmate-turned-rhyme-partner, Havoc. In 1993, Prodigy and Havoc released Juvenile Hell on 4th-n-Broadway. In 1995, Mobb Deep signed with Loud Records and released their classic opus, The Infamous. This album became the unofficial Mobb Deep debut and spawned the underground gold single "Shook Ones".... Hell On Earth followed in 1996 and Murda Muzik in 1999.

Murda Muzik spawned another classic with "Quiet Storm" and then another with the remix featuring Lil' Kim. "Quiet Storm" was originally intended to be a track for Prodigy's solo album. Prodigy reminisces, "That song was actually supposed to be Noyd, Havoc, and me. But these n!ggas wanted to go party and left me in the studio.... I sat there all night and wrote the song. I was gonna save it for my solo album, so I could just hand in the album all done. But n!ggas was like you gotta put that on the Mobb album. I was like hell no, that's my solo sh!t." He refused for six months and ultimately put it on the Murda Muzik LP. The song calmly worked its way from underground mix-tape favorite to a groundbreaking classic within a few months. In the tradition of "Shook Ones" and "Quiet Storm," Prodigy comes equipped with one of the most powerful records this year and first single to be released from H.N.I.C, "Keep It Thoro." "That's my flippin' on the whole industry song," confesses P. "A n!gga get tight sometime cause he feels that n!ggas don't show respect when it's due. So I just had to do a song that said f#ck everybody." Produced by honorary Mobb Deep producer, Alchemist, this amplified gem is sure to work its way from the corner to the clubs in no time. Cont'd below...

Instead of avoiding personal matters such as the state of his health, Prodigy tackles his battle with sickle cell on the emotional "Never Feel My Pain." "I felt that sh!t needed to be put out. A lot of n!ggas come out with songs about pain, but I'm saying you have never felt my pain." Quickly killing any speculation of a Mobb Deep break-up, Prodigy explains why he decided to release a solo album, "Mobb Deep is still Hav and me; my solo album is just a whole different project we comin' out. Before we started doin' Murda Muzik, I decided to put out some solo sh!t, because I was writing so many rhymes." Prodigy continues, "At one time, Mobb Deep was coming out like every two years and there was a big gap in between with no music out. We decided to release H.N.I.C. to fill the gap between Murda Muzik and the next Mobb album so that Mobb is consistently in the public's eye. On H.N.I.C., fans get the chance to soak in the provocative thoughts of one of hip-hop's most prolific lyricists. - Press Kit. R.I.P., Prodigy! H.N.I.C. isn't on streaming platforms, I'll update when its back.

Mobb Deep "Murda Muzik" (August 17, 1999)

The high-profile album that is hyped and delayed beyond expectation only to fail to live up to the fanfare is an all too common tale in hip-hop. Such is not the case with Murda Muzik, the fourth joint from Queensbridge alchemists Mobb Deep. Unquestionably one of the most anticipated rap releases of the year [1999], Havoc and Prodigy's basement-born collision of ominously minimalist breakbeats and insightfully infamous poetics have never sounded so mature and defined, particularly on the tracks such as "Allustrious" and "Quiet Storm." Even the album's newest cuts impress, particularly "Can't Fuck Wit" with Raekwon and "It's Mine" with fellow Queensbridge product Nas. Cop that! - CMJ (9/99). Man, I remember coppin' a  bootleg of Murda Muzik at a neighborhood carwash! in the spring of '99, lol. That's how much this project was leaked, bootlegged and highly anticipated! The production was incredible, adding The Alchemist's production to Hav and P's already gritty soundscapes, and also featured vocals from Big Noyd, Cormega, Lil' Cease, 8 Ball, Kool G Rap and, of course, Lil' Kim on the smash remix to "Quiet Storm." People don't talk about Murda Muzik as much as they do The Infamous or Hell On Earth, but the replay value is nearly as intense, so revisit this classic below - released on this day in 1999! Dig up the bootlegs, too, for some extra tracks! lol.

Below is a review in Spin Magazine + the Platinum Party flyer...

Prodigy "H.N.I.C. Tribute Mix" (Rest In Peace)

On this day in 2017, we suffered the loss of one of hip-hop's greatest artists, Prodigy of Mobb Deep. We must continue to recognize and represent Prodigy's contributions and the impact he's left on this world, so today I am sharing this H.N.I.C. Tribute Mix that was released via NahRight in 2017. Peace to Eskay and Stan Ipcus. The mix includes classic songs, deep album cuts, freestyles and many slept-on gems as well. Prodigy's close friend, journalist, and co-author of their Commissary Kitchen book, Kathy Iandoli (fellow Fat Beats alumni, too!), shared heartfelt words in Prodigy's memory, which I hope will help explain why this was such a loss to the hip-hop community: "When he left prison a few years ago, P called a bunch of rappers he was on the outs with. He didn’t want to carry old negativity into his new life. That’s the kind of person Albert "Prodigy" Johnson was. He slick talked in his rhymes, yet as a man, he cared about the world.... His lyrics became vernacular. Instrumentals to his classics are pop culture soundbeds. There is not a single part of hip-hop that wasn’t touched by this genius.... You always said your darkest songs were just you rhyming through the pain. You’re not in pain any longer." Prodigy put his lifetime in between the paper's lines, so listen to a great tribute mix below, and celebrate his life through his finest music. In Memory Of... Albert "Prodigy" Johnson! 

Mobb Deep "The Infamous" (25th Ann. Expanded Edition)

In commemoration the 25th anniversary of Mobb Deep’s The Infamous, Sony Music has released a digital-only expanded edition of the groundbreaking East Coast rap masterpiece. The Infamous – 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition includes bonus tracks “Shook Ones, Part I” (Original Version), and Infamous sessions mixes of “The Money (Version 2)” and “Lifestyles Of The Infamous,” now available digitally for the first time. A deluxe 12″ vinyl 25th-anniversary edition will be available later this year featuring the original album in its entirety and a variety of rare mixes, alternate takes and unreleased tracks recorded in 1994 during the making of the album. “When Prodigy and I started on The Infamous album, all we wanted to do is to make good music - give the world a glimpse of our lives - put out an audible image of Queensbridge so that people could hear what we see every day. I guess we were successful because 25 years later, many believe that this record is one of the greatest hip-hop records of all times," said Havoc. R.I.P., Prodigy... listen to the classic album below.

J.PERIOD "Queensbridge Finest" (The Live Mixtape)

J.PERIOD presents his latest release in his Live Mixtape series; a tribute to Nas and Mobb Deep with "Queensbridge Finest." The mixtape was recorded live on April 27, 2020 and has now been released for the world to stream and/or download. The mix is one of a handful of mixes J.PERIOD has released in recent months, all very rich with classics, remixes and live blends. Dig into it below...

Mobb Deep "The Infamous" (25th Anniversary)

"The Infamous", Mobb Deep's spooky second set, ships April 25, and on it group members Havoc and Prodigy sound cold like an Eskimo's toes, insane, pained, and badder than turned milk. The pair's hard-edged rhymes form a series of technicolor postcards from the hell they roam - throughout New York's Queensbridge Housing Projects - packing high-caliber chrome, "It's similar to Vietnam," says Prodigy on "Survival Of The Fittest," which issues some phat, frisky fierceness. Over more blunted bounce that is cut with cool, cinematic clatter, the duo takes listeners into their wild world - a sphere where cash rules, paranoia pervades, homies die, and moms cry. As they do whatever to maintain or - even more - reign as swanky ghetto celebs, they wreak more havoc than a cyclone. Their credo: protect ya' neck, stand by your crew, and get the next man before he gets you. The dynamic Mobb Deep duo sound captivatingly ill on "The Infamous." (Billboard 4/8/95). For me, I've spoken on Mobb Deep and The Infamous album numerous times over the years (reviews, promo, articles, mixes, etc), but celebrating it's 25th Anniversary without Prodigy here in the physical just feels different, ya know? Much love to Havoc who has been holding it down, keeping P's legacy strong and continuing to celebrate the life one of our culture's greatest eMCees. For a full summary greater than any/all the posts I could ever do on the album, check Dart Adam's 25th Anniversary Retrospective on Mobb Deep's The Infamous, HERE. Enjoy the original promo stickers/lyrics from the LP above and below. 4/25/95: 25 years passed in an instant! R.I.P., Prodigy! 

Prodigy "Rewind: The Tape Deck 2010-2019" (Mixtape, 2019)

Rest In Peace, Prodigy ... still in our memories. A few months back, Hip-Hop Is Read put together this compilation mix in tribute of Prodigy's contributions between 2010-2019. To close out the decade, we look back all these records and verses from Prodigy; tracks that also feature The Alchemist, Roc Marciano, Mobb Deep, Nas, Durag Dynasty, Slim The Mobster, Mac Miller, Vado, 50 Cent, Styles P, M.O.P., Statik Selektah, Your Old Droog, and more. Artwork by Weird Art Society and John Bernhardt. Props to HHIR, holding it down since 2007. Dig into their fresh Prodigy mix below...

Mobb Deep "Juvenile Hell" (Press Kit, 1993)

"Coming with jeep-crushing drum beats and ill jazz/funk samples, Mobb Deep is the latest rap export from 4th & B'Way's stable of stars. On their debut album, Juvenile Hell, the MC duo of Havoc and Prodigy bring the flavor. Over hardcore tracks produced by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Paul Shabazz & Slick, and Keith & Dale, they spout spirited rhymes that explore the interior and exterior of urban life. Mobb Deep has spent the last couple of years hangin' in project hallways, bonding with homies, sipping 40s of malt liquor, and knocking suckers out to get a rep. They've now emerged from this street-savage upbringing, telling it like it is in ten songs that'll have ya doin' the freaky-deke at any blazing jam. "We want people to dance to our music, but we also want them to flip the coin and peep what we're sayin'," says Prodigy. It can be said without fear of contradiction that growing up in the ghetto can be cool and messed up at the same time. While, thanks to everyday mental trauma, it can make you stronger in the mind, it can also place you six-feet under. "I think we're a couple of the most strong-minded people in the world," says Havoc of he and his partner."

"Survivors of outdoor bloodbaths and other vestiges of boulevard brutality, as well as active participants in the more joyful activities on the asphalt landscape, Mobb Deep has arrived in Planet Hip Hop with songs like "Peer Pressure," "Me And My Crew" and "Hit It From The Back" that transport the listener to where they come from. Havoc, who is from Queensbridge Queens and Prodigy, a Hempstead Long Island native, met in 1990, when they were students at New York City's High School of Art and Design. "I was in the 10th grade," recalls Havoc. "He was in the 9th. We both used to battle in the lunchroom. One time we went against each other, and because we were real short - we're both just over five feet - everybody said we'd look good together. So we collaborated, and it worked out." The pair began cutting demos. Then, after performing in a number of talent shows, tracking a phat promo for WBLS New York's weekend rap show, and getting ink in The Source "Unsigned Hype" column, they got a rep. Later, Mobb Deep (whose name represents how they roll with their crew) found themselves in the middle of a label bidding war. "It took a while for things to happen for us," says Prodigy, 'but we're happy with the way things turned out'." - 1993

The Alchemist x Mobb Deep "Built To Last" (Mix)

The 'Built To Last' Radio Show is hosted by Corrado and I Joe, each Thursday from 8-9pm on Radio campus FM in Toulouse, France. The latest mix in their series of tributes to classic emcees and producers is this Infamous Mobb Deep set, featuring production from Alchemist. One of the best combinations in rap history, the chemistry that Alc, Hav & P had in the studio was near unmatched. You definitely wanna dig into the tags and listen to all the other quality mixes from Built To Last. Rest in Paradise, Prodigy: Hip-Hop misses your voice and perspective in music. Dig into it below...