Prodigy's Details

Born in Hempstead, New York, on Long Island, Prodigy is generally considered to be the more lyrically skilled member of the duo Mobb Deep. He was born to parents of Ethiopian and Jamaican descent. Prodigy spent years making a name for himself alongside partner Havoc on albums such as The Infamous 1995, and Hell on Earth in 1996, before releasing his first solo album, H.N.I.C., on Loud Records in late 2000. In this album, Prodigy teamed up with a roster of outside producers such as the Alchemist and Rockwilder, trying to prove his own without Havoc's production to carry him. Even though Havoc did appear on two tracks, Prodigy undoubtedly proved himself to be a visionary solo artist, even going as far as to produce a couple songs himself. Though the album didn't elevate him to the superstar status of Jay-Z or DMX, he did win the hearts of both critics and fans alike as he had with his work in Mobb Deep, dropping harsh reality-based rhymes about the darker side of urban life with an unbalanced and sedate flow.

In April of 2007, Infamous Films announced that Prodigy will star and Executive Produce his next indie-film H.N.I.C. In addition to Prodigy, the film will star Hassan Johnson (HBO's The Wire), J.D. Williams (HBO's The Wire), Davetta Sherwood (The Young and The Restless), Rick Gonzalez (Coach Carter), among others. The film is described as a genre-bending story, though the exact story and the details are being kept under wraps. Production is scheduled for Spring 2007.

On October 9, 2007, Prodigy plead guilty to unlawful gun possession charges. Since this was his third gun conviction, he was facing a fifteen-year sentence, however, he has struck a plea bargain giving him a commuted sentence of 3 1/2 years. Prodigy maintains the search of his car was an illegal search prompted by a traffic violation, and unwillingness to cooperate with the police in a buy and bust operation targeting rapper 50 Cent.

The Prodigy - No Good (start the dance)