The Prodigy first emerged in the underground rave scene in the early 1990s and achieved popularity and worldwide recognition with UK number one singles such as "Firestarter" and "Breathe", both singles coming from their UK and US chart topping album The Fat of the Land (1997). A third single from the album, “Smack My Bitch Up”, was also successful. They earned titles like "the premiere dance act for the alternative masses" and "the Godfathers of Rave", and remain one of the most successful electronic acts of all time. They have sold an estimated 25 million records worldwide, and won numerous music awards during their career, including two Brit Awards for Best British Dance Act, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Kerrang! Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards, and received two Grammy Award nominations.
The Prodigy were founded in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by keyboardist and songwriter Liam Howlett. He had taken piano lessons in his youth and gained the ability to play difficult passages in just a few run-throughs. After he decided to pursue a music career, Howlett met dancer and vocalist Keith Flint in mid-1989 at a rave at which Howlett was DJing. After Flint requested Howlett make a mix tape for him, Howlett obliged, returning a cassette several days later with a collection of his own songs on the other side. Howlett had scratched the word "Prodigy" onto the cassette, the same name as the Moog Prodigy analogue synthesiser, and Howlett's moniker. The tape was well-received by Flint and keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill who developed new dance sequences to the music and suggested to Howlett they begin a group together. They were soon joined by MC and vocalist Maxim, then known as Maxim Reality, and female dancer and vocalist Sharky, a friend of Flint's. Together they became the first line-up of the Prodigy.
On 4 March 2019, Keith Flint was found dead at his home in Essex, just weeks after playing six live dates in Australia and New Zealand. On 5 March, the band announced on Twitter that "all forthcoming concerts in 2019 would be canceled, effective immediately".
Following Flint's death, fans began using the Twitter hashtag "Firestarter4Number1" on various social media platforms to get "Firestarter" to top the British singles charts again. This was done out of respect for Keith Flint and to raise awareness of suicide among men.
On 20 August 2019, one day before his 48th birthday, Liam Howlett posted on the band's official Instagram page, saying he is "back in the studio making noise [...] brand new Prodigy tunes are gonna roll", referring to his intention to keep on releasing music under the Prodigy moniker.
Along with the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, the Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. The Prodigy, however, is not considered entirely representative of the genre as their production "often reflected the more intelligent edge of trip-hop, and rarely broke into the mindless arena of true big beat" according to AllMusic. The Prodigy are also considered alternative dance, techno, electronica, breakbeat hardcore, and rave.
Liam Howlett cited early electro as a big influence, mentioning tunes like "Clear" by American music group Cybotron and "Al Naafiysh" by Hashim. Liam Howlett also cited The Bomb Squad, Public Enemy, and Rage Against the Machine as influences.
We Are the Ruffest
The Prodigy Lyrics
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We are the roughest, see?
Come together, come together.
The Prodigy's We Are the Ruffest has the lyrics that showcase their distinct style of mixing heavy beats and electronic elements with vocal samples. The song starts with the hook "Everytime we play, we are the roughest. We are the roughest, see?" which reflects the band's aggressive nature and a quintessential anthem for mosh pits. The lyrics signify how their music inspires the audience to indulge in an intense and rough dancing experience when listening to their tracks. The repetition of "We are the roughest" emphasizes their dominance in the electronic music scene and an invitation to their fans to be part of their musical journey.
The line "Come together, come together" implies that the band is calling out to their listeners to unify and further bring the spirit of unity and togetherness during their performance. The lyrics reflect a time when electronic music was still a new and emerging genre, and The Prodigy's unique sound captured the attention of the youth, who were looking for music that appealed to their rebellious spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Everytime we play, we are the roughest.
Whenever we perform our music, we bring an intense, aggressive energy that sets us apart as the most rugged and hard-hitting act around.
We are the roughest, see?
We are clearly the toughest, most hardcore group out there, no question.
Come together, come together.
Let's all unite and join forces to create an unstoppable force of raw power and energy that will blow everyone's minds.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CORIN LAKE, GLADSTONE REDWOOD-SAWYER, KARL GIBSON, LIAM HOWLETT, LOUISE FRANCIS, LYNDON HAYNES, TREVOR RENNIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind