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/
Don't Be A Follower
Prodigy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always lead to some fights and gun shots
Niggas need to stop that bullshit hop
Unless it's really necessary to get hopped
You got asshole pulling out, busting on pounds
Just to hear the sound or to see the crowd bounce
Niggas need to save that shit for outside
Staying at the times you got to drug a man
But goddamn, you fucking up my pussy plan
Fuck it, y'all niggas never learn, so why should I concern?
After the show, I'll grab my click and the tires burn
Off to the next pavilion
The infamous men, women and children
Stick together like dry cement pieces
Our story go too long for rap lines
Too many of my niggas died on the front lines
The Mobb history go too deep for rhyme
Could you feel a pain in the trilogy of my regiment
Please do, we write these for you
With the hope that my words sink through
Like on the page how the ink do
Hey, yo, dunn check it
My every hour that passes is guaranteed packed
'cause the hour that's gone, ain't never coming back
I'm tired of wasted days, my eyes E&J glaze
Romp you tools flooded with smoke fumes
Make faster moves, my raps can't lose
Especially against you
How soon we forget niggas minds be getting absent
Not gone for a minute, y'all niggas trying to shit
It's time for Pee to turn back on the light switch
And pull your faggot ass click out the darkness
Yo, it's QB, queer bastard, we Queen's best
A quiet bullet will do yo ass justice
Why, you stupid fuck, look at you now
I can't believe how these niggas now a days gets down
He just a clown from a foul part of town, who barely blend in
He took my words on some personal shit
He just self-conscience
Trying to flip on some desperate shit
Don't be stupid, the Mobb been through it
Don't be a follower and get yo ass led to the fire
In the song "Don't Be a Follower," Prodigy calls out the violent and destructive behavior that he witnesses in his neighborhood. There is a prevalent "hip-hop" culture that includes fights and gunshots, which Prodigy believes needs to stop unless necessary. He disapproves of the unnecessary violence and noise that some individuals create to show off, which not only disturbs the peace but also puts people in danger. Prodigy's lyrics show confidence in his crew, the Infamous Men, Women, and Children who stick together in a community that has faced many tragedies together. Through his words, he hopes to drive home a message that survival and peace are possible without joining in on destructive behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
It go hip-hop on our block
Hip-hop is popular on our block
Always lead to some fights and gun shots
This popularity often results in violent altercations
Niggas need to stop that bullshit hop
People should stop this violent behavior
Unless it's really necessary to get hopped
Unless it is absolutely necessary to engage in violence
You got asshole pulling out, busting on pounds
There are people who are firing weapons recklessly
Just to hear the sound or to see the crowd bounce
They are doing so for the attention and excitement
Niggas need to save that shit for outside
People should not engage in this kind of behavior in public places
Or take all that noise up the block, dunn, aiight, un
They should take this activity to a more secluded area
Staying at the times you got to drug a man
Sometimes drug use is necessary
But goddamn, you fucking up my pussy plan
However, it can be inconvenient for others
Fuck it, y'all niggas never learn, so why should I concern?
People who never learn do not deserve concern
After the show, I'll grab my click and the tires burn
I will leave town after the show
Off to the next pavilion
I will move on to the next performance venue
The infamous men, women and children
The history of our group is well-known and respected
Stick together like dry cement pieces
We are very close-knit
Our story go too long for rap lines
Our history is too extensive to fit into a single song
Too many of my niggas died on the front lines
We have lost many members to violence
The Mobb history go too deep for rhyme
Our history is too extensive to fit into a single song
Could you feel a pain in the trilogy of my regiment
Our history is painful
Please do, we write these for you
We want people to understand our story
With the hope that my words sink through
We hope that our message resonates with listeners
Like on the page how the ink do
Like how the words are permanent on the page
Hey, yo, dunn check it
Hey, listen up
My every hour that passes is guaranteed packed
I make the most of every hour
'cause the hour that's gone, ain't never coming back
Time cannot be reclaimed
I'm tired of wasted days, my eyes E&J glaze
I am tired of wasting time and drinking excessively
Romp you tools flooded with smoke fumes
I am better than those who waste time smoking
Make faster moves, my raps can't lose
I am always making progress with my music
Especially against you
Particularly against those who are not productive
How soon we forget niggas minds be getting absent
People forget quickly
Not gone for a minute, y'all niggas trying to shit
People act recklessly when I am not around
It's time for Pee to turn back on the light switch
It is time for me to take control
And pull your faggot ass click out the darkness
And get rid of those who are not productive or positive influences
Yo, it's QB, queer bastard, we Queen's best
I am from Queens, and I am proud of it
A quiet bullet will do yo ass justice
People who are violent or reckless will face consequences
Why, you stupid fuck, look at you now
Those who do not learn will face negative consequences
I can't believe how these niggas now a days gets down
I am disappointed in those who engage in violent or unproductive behavior
He just a clown from a foul part of town, who barely blend in
Those who engage in negative behavior are not respected
He took my words on some personal shit
He took my words personally
He just self-conscience
He lacks confidence
Trying to flip on some desperate shit
He is trying to change his situation in a negative way
Don't be stupid, the Mobb been through it
Do not be foolish, we have been through difficult situations
Don't be a follower and get yo ass led to the fire
Do not follow negative influences, or you will face negative consequences
Contributed by Ruby H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.