Prodigy is the name of more than one artist. For the electronic group, plea… Read Full Bio ↴Prodigy is the name of more than one artist. For the electronic group, please correct your tags to The Prodigy.

1) rapper from Mobb Deep
2) group fronted by Todd Duane and Lale Larsen
3) 90s teenage rapper
4) 70s powerpop from Minnesota
5) US progressive/power metal
6) lounge jazz, alias of Miki Litvak
7) 90s US metal
8) US rapper in The Dominion

1) Albert Johnson (born November 2, 1974 in Bradford, Brooklyn, New York and died on June 20, 2017 in Las Vegas), better known by his stage name Prodigy, was a member of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep. Prodigy worked as a solo artist since the early 2000s. He was born to parents of Ethiopian and Jamaican descent. Prodigy was born with sickle cell anemia and suffered from the disease throughout his life. Propelled to awareness partially by fellow Queens, New York rapper Nas, who took a similar approach lyrically on his championed "Illmatic" album from 1994, as well as with the aid of a successful single, "Shook Ones Pt. 2," Mobb Deep suddenly found themselves developing a quickly growing cult. A year later, in 1996, Prodigy and Havoc released "Hell on Earth"; debuting at number six on SoundScan, the album found them fully realizing their approach, dropping both evocative beats and cinematic rhymes that communicated the dark side of New York's urban landscape. Thanks to a grim video for "Hell on Earth (Front Lines)" and theatrical Scarface-like photos inside the CD booklet picturing the duo with guns and a mound of cocaine, Mobb Deep had created an elaborate image for themselves that took hardcore gangsta rap to a new level for East Coast hip hop. Their next release, "Murda Muzik", was heavily bootlegged while still in its demo stage, leaking rough versions of the nearly 30 songs the duo had recorded onto the streets and over the internet.

Months after the bootlegs leaked and after several pushed-back street dates, "Murda Muzik" was formally released, debuting at number three on the Billboard charts and quickly going platinum on the strength of "Quiet Storm," a song that epitomized the Mobb Deep style. The album was welcomed by critics, who again lauded the group's lucid cinematics, driven primarily by Havoc's production. In late 2000, Prodigy finally released his long-rumoured solo album, "H.N.I.C.", which saw the more lyrically gifted member of the group collaborating with outside producers such as The Alchemist and Rockwilder on tracks that didn't depart far from the trademark sullen Mobb Deep style. Their follow-up, "Infamy", was the duo’s last album for Loud, distributed by Columbia Records and was, for some, a disappointment lyrically and musically, while others praised it as amongst the best rap albums of the year. Loud was absorbed by its new distributor shortly afterwards.

Mobb Deep then signed with Jive, under a unique deal that gave the duo its own imprint, Infamous Records, and released "Amerika'z Nightmare", a very uneven effort, which featured production by The Alchemist and Lil' Jon. However, despite a successful single that featured a Thomas Dolby sample. The duo was not happy with Jive, and were let go at its request. The duo took a hiatus afterwards and came back in 2006, signing to 50 Cent’s Interscope/Universal-distributed G-Unit imprint. Their well-hyped "Blood Money" was a failure from the money side when compared to fellow label mates like 50 Cent, Young Buck and Lloyd Banks. Some accused the duo of selling out, with their beats and rhymes not up-to-par with previous efforts on Loud.

He completed work on his third solo album "H.N.I.C. Part 2", which was previewed on his official mixtape "The Return of the Mac" on the independent label Koch Records. The mixtape single and mixtape video are called "Mac 10 Handle," and it shows Prodigy once again reverting to his trademark braids that he had prior to the release of Mobb Deep's 2004 "Amerika'z Nightmare" album; different from the short fade he had from 2004 to 2006. "H.N.I.C. Pt. 2 was released through Voxonic Inc., of which Prodigy is an equity holder.

www.hnic2.com/

ABC
Prodigy Lyrics

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A,B,C's Ringtone by PRODIGY Complimentary "A,B,C's" Ringtone A,B,C's Ringtone by PRODIGY

[Young P:]
Ayo daddy show these mothafucka's how we do it

P, P, P, P
P, P, P, P
Who holding down NYC huh?

P, P, P, P
Yeah, listen

[Prodigy:]
It don't matter who popping for the moment
P is forever, it don't matter what's the new hot shit
My shit better, courtesy of myself, thanks to me
I've work hard to come with these
Sixteen's is much more than a rap, this is pure facts
You see what's really good when you catch him by himself
Dolly, I leave a fool holy like Jesus Christ
It's a miracle he still living
And you could say a whole life time of prayer
But you never in this lifetime player be the mayor of the murder murder
Killer killer, bloody rap songs out the slums in the squala
Made a few dollars, now they say I'm too rich
I give some to you, now a nigga cool
Ha, I ain't got two cents for you bums
Now watch as I burn rubber in the six-huns
CL made my gun ring a bell
Where the shots came from they never can tell
They just here to fire and everybody bails
One nigga on the ground dying in hell
Fo'real!

[Chorus: Prodigy and kids]
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M O
P P P P P P P
And numero uno P
There's no other
Kids tell 'em who I be
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M O
P P P P P P P
The one and only
H.N.I.C. who holding NYC huh?

[Prodigy:]
Listen, R.I.P season begins
Dead bodies popping up, niggas getting hit
Others getting beat the fuck out and bashed out
MOP style, they get mashed out
I razor blade you up and cut you bad
You gon' need plastic where your face's at
Boy I'll bullet riddle you up and chop you into parts
Then scatter you all over the East Coast, kiko
You're playing with your life
You play with me you're like a baby running with a knife
You're upset your wife got my CD in the changer
And you rap too and she don't bump your bangers
Your shit wack and then on top
Your life style don't match the shit you pop
This is gon' be simple 'cause you're easy
Like 1 2 3, I do it niggas greasy as...

[Chorus: Prodigy and kids]

Overall Meaning

The Prodigy's song ABC is a rap track that talks about the importance of being the best in the music industry. The song features a conversation between Young P and Prodigy, where the former demands the latter to show off his abilities as a rapper. Prodigy responds by saying that he doesn't care about who is popular at the moment, as he believes that his own music is much better than anyone else's. He claims that his lyrics are pure facts and that he speaks the truth about what's happening in the world. Additionally, he talks about his ability to be violent towards others if they mess with him, often using graphic imagery to describe his actions.

As the song progresses, Prodigy emphasizes his dominance in the rap game and how no one can compare to him. He talks about how he made money from his music and is now too rich to care about helping others. He then goes on to threaten anyone who tries to challenge him, stating that he will "razor blade" them and cut them into pieces. The chorus of the song contains a children's choir singing about the alphabet, but Prodigy inserts his name in place of the letters P, which emphasizes his dominance and importance.

Overall, the song ABC is a portrayal of Prodigy's confidence and dominance in the rap game. He talks about his ability to be violent and how he is untouchable by his rivals. The song's title and chorus act as an ironic juxtaposition to the dark themes explored in the verses.

Line by Line Meaning

Ayo daddy show these mothafucka's how we do it
Prodigy is asking his father to show everyone how they do things.

It don't matter who popping for the moment
The current popular trend doesn't matter to Prodigy.

P is forever, it don't matter what's the new hot shit
Prodigy's name will remain relevant and doesn't care about new trends.

My shit better, courtesy of myself, thanks to me
Prodigy's music is superior and this is thanks to his own hard work and effort.

Sixteen's is much more than a rap, this is pure facts
The lyrics in Prodigy's songs are more than just raps, they are true and pure facts.

You see what's really good when you catch him by himself
Prodigy is at his best when he's alone and focused on his music.

Dolly, I leave a fool holy like Jesus Christ
Prodigy can leave someone feeling like they've had a religious revelation after listening to his music.

It's a miracle he still living
Prodigy's music is so powerful that it's a miracle that anyone can still be alive after listening to it.

And you could say a whole life time of prayer
Even if someone prayed their entire life, they still wouldn't be able to match Prodigy's skill and talent.

But you never in this lifetime player be the mayor of the murder murder
No one can match Prodigy's level of skill in creating violent, murderous rap music.

Killer killer, bloody rap songs out the slums in the squala
Prodigy creates intense, bloody rap music describing life in the ghetto.

Made a few dollars, now they say I'm too rich
Prodigy has become successful and some people criticize him for being too rich.

I give some to you, now a nigga cool
Prodigy gave some of his wealth to his friends and now they're happy and content.

Ha, I ain't got two cents for you bums
Prodigy won't give anything to people who didn't support him before he became famous.

Now watch as I burn rubber in the six-huns
Prodigy will now drive away in his fast sports car and leave his haters behind.

CL made my gun ring a bell
CL, an associate of Prodigy, created a gun that worked well and made a distinctive sound.

Where the shots came from they never can tell
Prodigy and his crew are skilled enough to leave no trace of where their gun shots came from.

They just here to fire and everybody bails
Prodigy and his crew are here to shoot their guns and make people run away in terror.

One nigga on the ground dying in hell
After all the violence, someone is left dying on the ground.

Fo'real!
Prodigy is serious and not joking around.

A B C D E F G
Prodigy is reciting his ABC's.

H I J K L M O
Prodigy is reciting his ABC's (continuing from the previous line).

P P P P P P P
Prodigy is emphasizing the letter P.

And numero uno P
Prodigy is declaring himself as number one.

There's no other
No one else can compare to Prodigy.

Kids tell 'em who I be
Prodigy is asking kids to tell people who he is.

The one and only
Prodigy is unique and there's no other like him.

H.N.I.C. who holding NYC huh?
Prodigy is the Head N***a In Charge and controls New York City.

Listen, R.I.P season begins
A season of violence and death is beginning.

Dead bodies popping up, niggas getting hit
People are being killed and their bodies are being left in public places.

Others getting beat the fuck out and bashed out
Others are being beaten up severely and brutally.

MOP style, they get mashed out
Like the rap group MOP, Prodigy and his crew are mashing out their enemies.

I razor blade you up and cut you bad
Prodigy is threatening to use a razor blade to severely injure someone.

You gon' need plastic where your face's at
The person being threatened will need plastic surgery to fix their face after being cut.

Boy I'll bullet riddle you up and chop you into parts
Prodigy is threatening to shoot someone multiple times and then dismember their body.

Then scatter you all over the East Coast, kiko
Prodigy will scatter the body parts over the East Coast of the United States.

You're playing with your life
The person Prodigy is threatening should take this seriously because their life is in danger.

You play with me you're like a baby running with a knife
The person playing with Prodigy is like a baby who doesn't know how to handle a dangerous object.

You're upset your wife got my CD in the changer
The person being threatened is upset that their wife prefers to listen to Prodigy's music over theirs.

And you rap too and she don't bump your bangers
The person being threatened is also a rapper but their music isn't as good as Prodigy's.

Your shit wack and then on top
The person being threatened has terrible music and is also a bad person on top of that.

Your life style don't match the shit you pop
The person being threatened's lifestyle doesn't match the violent and dangerous lyrics of their music.

This is gon' be simple 'cause you're easy
Prodigy will easily defeat and overpower the person being threatened.

Like 1 2 3, I do it niggas greasy as...
Prodigy can easily take down his enemies and do it in a brutal way.

Contributed by Isaac B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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