Credit: Spotify

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 featuring appearances from Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Q-Tip. Its seismic impact turned heads to Mobb Deep, and its members continued to remain relevant.

Havoc and Prodigy, as the duo Mobb Deep, played a seminal role in the evolution of East Coast hip-hop in the 1990s. While Figures like Diddy and Biggie Smalls produced lavish, glossy rap music, Mobb Deep brought the sound back to the streets alongside acts like Nas and Big L.

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 passed away due to issues related to his sickle cell anaemia.

Since his death, hip-hop has been yearning to learn more about the New York legend. Through his former crew mate, Havoc fans have learned much more about the emcee’s tastes and approach to making music. From the creation of ‘Shook Ones (Part II)’ to his life in Queensbridge before fame, listeners have learned much about the life Prodigy led before his death.

However, a decade before his death, he began a blog to connect with his fans, prodigy-hnic2.com. Six days after its creation, Prodigy 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.”

In 2009, while in jail for possessing a weapon, he wrote a letter from Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, New York, naming his 40 favourite rappers, which he uploaded to his now-defunct blog. The exciting 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.”

Although this is a contentious bold statement, most would agree that due to the subjective nature of choosing one’s favourite artist, it is true that there cannot be one who is better than the rest.

The letter began with the edgy Queensbridge emcee entering 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, Prodigy did seal off the letter by listing his 40 favourite MCs of all time. You can see the complete 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