The late Queens rapper Prodigy was a beloved artist in New York and, alongside the likes of Nas, was one of the most respected lyricists from the borough. As part of Mobb Deep with his crewmate Havoc, the two were responsible for some of the 1990s biggest hits, most notably ‘Shook Ones (Part II)’ and ‘Quiet Storm.’
Mobb Deep’s 1995 album The Infamous is an East Coast classic and features appearances from the likes of Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Q-Tip. It’s seismic impact turned heads to Mobb Deep, and its members continued to remain relevant.
Since the mid-1990s, LeFrak City native Prodigy has been respected, and his music sought after. His 2000 solo album, H.N.I.C., debuted at number 18 on the Billboard 200, and he impacted many people in the culture. Unfortunately, in 2017, Prodigy (real name Albert Johnson) passed away due to issues related to his sickle cell anaemia.
However, a decade before he passed away, he began a blog to connect with his fans, prodigy-hnic2.com. Six days after its creation, Johnson told news publication The Village Voice why he began a blog, stating, “I want to connect with my fans on a one-to-one basis, so when folks leave comments, I write ’em back.”
While in jail for possession of a weapon, in 2009, a letter he wrote from Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, New York, naming his 40 favourite rappers, was uploaded to his now-defunct blog. The interesting piece of paper read, “In all reality, there is no greatest of all time. There are many great rappers. There is no greatest rapper ever.”
Following this, the edgy Queensbridge emcee went into a deep reflection on society and racial inequality. With references to slavery and “the elite,” many could consider the letter’s content conspiratorial. However, Johnson did seal off the letter by listing his 40 favourite MCs of all time. You can see the full list below.
Prodigy’s 40 favourite rappers:
- Ludacris
- Three 6 Mafia
- Naughty By Nature
- Missy Elliott
- T.I.
- B.G.
- Lil Wayne
- Beanie Sigel
- Jadakiss
- DMX
- Big Pun
- Ma$e
- Chuck D
- Kanye West
- Scarface
- UGK
- Young Jeezy
- G-Unit
- Eminem
- Outkast
- Wu-Tang Clan
- KRS-One
- Remy Ma
- Foxy Brown
- Lil’ Kim
- MC Lyte
- Jay-Z
- Biggie Smalls
- 2Pac
- Snoop Dogg
- Mobb Deep
- Nas
- N.W.A
- EPMD
- Slick Rick
- Kool G Rap
- Big Daddy Kane
- Rakim
- LL Cool J
- Run-DMC
