By Andrew Barker. Senior Features Writer. Notorious B. Shortly after that, they were dropped from their label. Rather than dwell on the southward turn their nascent careers had taken, Havoc and Prodigy regrouped, and resolved to take matters into their own hands. The result was a genuine masterpiece of pulp art that evokes the novels of Mickey Spillane and the films of Sam Pekinpah. But Havoc continues to produce, having lent his talents to tracks for Kanye West, Eminem and 50 Cent over the last decade, and he hopes to try his hand at film scoring in the near future.

Most Popular
Follow Billboard
We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Mobb Deep stood tall as East Coast hardcore rap figureheads on the basis of their epochal album The Infamous. Released in April , The Infamous was released almost exactly a year after Illmatic and about half-a-year after Ready to Die -- the debut masterpieces of Nas and the Notorious B. Subsequent Mobb Deep releases were equally influential, especially Hell on Earth The following decade, Prodigy and Havoc recorded for G-Unit -- the label of Mobb Deep disciple 50 Cent -- as well as numerous other outlets. The duo's partnership faltered for a time, but they were actively performing into mid, when Prodigy died from complications of an illness that had afflicted him since infancy.
About Billboard
As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined. RiP to the great one Prodigy. Rap game lost a legend the world lost a G. Prodigy 4 Ever. We not only talked music we talked about everything but all I can say right now is RIP. Prodigy and his Mobb Deep cohort, Havoc, grew up together in Queens, New York City and broke into hip-hop with a raw, vivid and vicious distillation of East Coast gangsta rap.
The duo disbanded in but reunited in In , Havoc and Prodigy originally went by the name "Poetical Prophets" and began making a demo tape. The group saw its first major success with their second album, The Infamous , released in Mobb Deep catapulted to the top of the hardcore hip hop scene through Havoc and Prodigy's straightforward narration of street life. Following the release of The Infamous The production of this album was very dark and sample-based thanks to Havoc, who produced the beats from this point forward, although Q-Tip also contributed to the production and mixing.