Prodigy, one half of the group Mobb Deep, has passed away at 42.
According to his publicist, Prodigy was hospitalized “a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth.”
The rapper’s publicist said “the exact cause of death has not been determined.”
“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,” a rep said in a statement to Billboard. “We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.”
Prodigy’s passing likely comes as a surprise to fans, since he was just on tour and even performed on Saturday for the Art of Rap tour.
The rap duo Mobb Deep consists of Prodigy and Havoc, who came together in New York in the 1990s and had hits like “Quiet Storm” and “Shook Ones.”
In addition to his music career, Prodigy has also made forays into the culinary world with “Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook.”