Hip hop has lost another legend. According to multiple reports, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, real name Albert Johnson, has passed away. He was 42 years old.
Fellow Queens, NY native, Nas, was the first to break the news, posting, “QB RIP King P. Prodigy 4 Ever” under a photo of Prodigy on Instagram.
According to Billboard, Prodigy was in Las Vegas for the Art of Rap tour with Ghostface Killah, Onyx, KRS-One, Ice-T and others. The rapper’s publicist says he was hospitalized following Saturday’s performance due to complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis, a disease he’s battled since birth.
“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’s rep said in a statement. “We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.”
The exact cause of death has not been released.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Johnson family.
