Albert “Prodigy” Johnson, the legendary solo rapper and a member of Mobb Deep, has passed away at 42.
The cause of his death is currently unknown, but the New York rapper has publicly battled health issues due to sickle cell anemia for decades.
Prodigy died in Las Vegas, according to TMZ. He was in the city as part of the “Art of Rap Tour” with Ghostface Killah, Onyx, KRS-One, and Ice-T.
Mobb’s publicist released the following statement:
“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.”
Nas, a longtime collaborator and one time rival, honored his late friend on Instagram. “QB RIP King P,” he wrote. “Prodigy 4 Ever.” Joe Budden, another former Prodigy rival, also remembered the late legend with reverence. “Rest In Peace Prodigy,” he wrote. “HipHop will miss you…That 1 hurts.”
RIP Prodigy
