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.
Young Veterans
The Prodigy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Prodigy starts rapping at 1:03]
[Prodigy:]
Yeah
Don't try that with P, nah give ya'self a break
You're f'ing with the wrong nigga, do ya'self a favor
Or just like that you'll be pushing up grass
You're a plant fool; I'll put your flesh in the dirt
I tried to be polite, but you wanna be a jerk
Tried to prove a point; the only thing that you proved
Is people get killed simply for being rude
You thought you was the man, turned out to be a chump
You thought something sweet, believe Jay(Z) if you want
Ga'head believe Nas or whoever you choose
You come on over here and you gon' see the truth
It's nothing out the ordinary, this is what we do
My team's so strong, I feel sorry for you
These rappers is pissed off, they're not being felt
They get record deals but their albums get shelved
While I'm...
[Chorus x2: Prodigy]
Heavy on the dimers and heavy on the smoke
Pockets full of hundreds, doing hundreds in the post
GT Carrera nigga daring nigga front
Fucking with these young veterans you'll get done
[Prodigy:]
We're heavy on the dimers and heavy on the smoke
Pockets full of hundreds, doing hundreds in the post
GT Carrera nigga daring nigga front
Fucking with these young veterans you'll get done
I'll react like a Terminator nigga what?
Won't stop coming till I know a nigga done
Rikers all good, it made me a millionaire
Or when it come time to squeeze yogi, we don't care
Now we thirty-thou feet in the air
Getting head from a pretty face who ain't scared
To fuck with these Gs and she's happy that she did
'Cause we turned out to be that shit that she felt
Baby on the real, all these lame niggas now the deal
My dudes give out the wounds that never heal
On the real, all these lame niggas now the deal
My dudes give out the wounds that never heal
[Chorus x2: Prodigy]
[Prodigy:]
Don't be mad at me, be made at ya'self
For being so garbage you need to be killed
For putting out bullshit like you saw the joke
'Cause you're from the hood don't mean your shit's dope
Just 'cause you got bodies don't mean you're gon' gold
Like just because you're black don't mean you got soul
Niggas coming home from doing wild time
Talk about P - "Yo P I could rhyme"
50 Cent did it; I could do the shit too
But you're not 50, he individual
And you're not H and you're definitely not P
What would make you think it's so easy to be?
I've been doing this since I was a Rugrat
I'm gifted; I'm blessed with talents you can't match
Stop dreaming, wake up and smell the 'Kush'
You better than P? Nah you wish!
[Chorus x2: Prodigy]
[talking: Prodigy w/ a friend]
The Prodigy's song Young Veterans is a rap song that discusses the idea of being a veteran in the hip hop industry, and the respect and fear that comes with it. Prodigy begins by warning anyone who tries to mess with him that they are messing with the wrong person and could end up getting hurt. He talks about how he has tried to be polite, but some people just insist on being rude and ultimately end up getting themselves into trouble. Prodigy boasts about himself and his team, saying that they are strong and capable of handling anyone who crosses them. He talks about how he is a veteran in the game, and how he has been doing it since he was young. He advises others to wake up and realize that they are not on his level, and that they will never be as good as he is.
The lyrics of Young Veterans highlight the idea that being a veteran in the hip hop industry means having power and respect. Prodigy warns anyone who tries to disrespect him or his team that they will be dealt with accordingly, and talks about the success and wealth he has achieved through his music career. He also emphasizes the idea that not everyone in the industry has what it takes to be successful, and that real talent and hard work are what set him apart from others.
Overall, the message of Young Veterans is one of strength, respect, and warning those who dare to cross the wrong person. The song is a testament to Prodigy's own success and skill, and serves as a warning to anyone who might doubt his abilities or try to challenge him.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Prodigy nods in agreement with his friend
Don't try that with P, nah give ya'self a break
Don't test Prodigy, save yourself the trouble
You're f'ing with the wrong nigga, do ya'self a favor
You're messing with the wrong person, do yourself a favor
Back up offa me lil nigga real fast
Get away from me quickly
Or just like that you'll be pushing up grass
Or you'll be dead in no time
You're a plant fool; I'll put your flesh in the dirt
You're an easy target; I'll kill you and bury you
I tried to be polite, but you wanna be a jerk
I tried to be nice, but you're being difficult
Tried to prove a point; the only thing that you proved
You tried to prove something, but only proved that people get killed for being rude
Is people get killed simply for being rude
People are killed for being rude
You thought you was the man, turned out to be a chump
You thought you were tough, but you're weak
You thought something sweet, believe Jay(Z) if you want
You believed something that's not true
Ga'head believe Nas or whoever you choose
Go ahead and believe Nas or anyone else you want
You come on over here and you gon' see the truth
If you come here, you'll see the reality
It's nothing out the ordinary, this is what we do
This is just a normal thing for us
My team's so strong, I feel sorry for you
My team is so powerful, I pity you
These rappers is pissed off, they're not being felt
These rappers are angry because they're not successful
They get record deals but their albums get shelved
They get signed but their music doesn't get released
While I'm...
Meanwhile, I'm...
[Chorus x2: Prodigy]
Repeats the chorus twice
We're heavy on the dimers and heavy on the smoke
We have a lot of bling and smoke weed
Pockets full of hundreds, doing hundreds in the post
We have lots of cash and are successful at basketball
GT Carrera nigga daring nigga front
We drive expensive Porsche cars and challenge anyone to mess with us
Fucking with these young veterans you'll get done
Don't mess with us or you'll lose
I'll react like a Terminator nigga what?
I will respond like the Terminator, what do you think?
Won't stop coming till I know a nigga done
I won't stop until I'm certain you're defeated
Rikers all good, it made me a millionaire
Going to jail made me rich
Or when it come time to squeeze yogi, we don't care
Or when it's time to shoot someone, we don't mind
Now we thirty-thou feet in the air
Now we're on top and successful
Getting head from a pretty face who ain't scared
Receiving oral sex from a fearless woman
To fuck with these Gs and she's happy that she did
To mess with us and she's proud of it
'Cause we turned out to be that shit that she felt
Because we proved to be the real deal
Baby on the real, all these lame niggas now the deal
Seriously, these boring rappers are popular now
My dudes give out the wounds that never heal
My crew inflicts damage that lasts forever
Don't be mad at me, be made at ya'self
Don't blame me, blame yourself
For being so garbage you need to be killed
For being so bad you deserve to die
For putting out bullshit like you saw the joke
For releasing worthless music as if it's a joke
'Cause you're from the hood don't mean your shit's dope
Just because you're from the ghetto doesn't mean you make good music
Like just because you're black don't mean you got soul
Likewise, just because you're black doesn't mean you have soul
Niggas coming home from doing wild time
Guys who just got out of jail
Talk about P - "Yo P I could rhyme"
Saying that they can rap like Prodigy
50 Cent did it; I could do the shit too
If 50 Cent can be a rapper, then so can I
But you're not 50, he individual
But you're not 50 Cent, he's unique
And you're not H and you're definitely not P
You're not Havoc or me
What would make you think it's so easy to be?
What makes you think it's easy to be like us?
I've been doing this since I was a Rugrat
I've been rapping since I was a baby
I'm gifted; I'm blessed with talents you can't match
I'm talented and special in ways you can't compare to
Stop dreaming, wake up and smell the 'Kush'
Stop daydreaming and face reality
You better than P? Nah you wish!
You think you're better than me? No way, you're delusional
Contributed by Charlie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Water Sniper
3:01 - 🗣️ Cause you're from the hood don't
Mean your shit is dope
Just cause you got bodies don't
Mean you're going gold
Like just because you black don't
Mean you got soul
Niggas coming home from doing wild time
Talkin bout P - "Yo P I could rhyme"
50 Cent did it I could do the shit too
But you not 50, he a individual
And you not H and you definitely not P
What make you think it's so easy to be?
I've been doing this since I was a Rugrat
I'm gifted I'm blessed with
Talents you can't match
Stop dreaming, wake up and smell the Kush
You better than P? Nah you wish!
PaperChaserDotCom
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Кондрат Степанов
Полностью поддерживаю)
Dylan
Prodigy kill the beat rip my niggaz Mobb deep forever homie
OG Sancho
@Dylanq
Dylan
@OG Sancho ?
OG Sancho
@Dylan I don't know what happened to my comment???...But I was saying Prodigy Lives On...Realest Music You ever heard💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯!!...RIP Prodigy 🙏🙏🙏🙏
MONT-DOGG
Prodigy legit had two producers in his camp that fit his style perfectly..like a glove. Havoc and ALC
Yuntrail Williams
And Sid Roams too
MONT-DOGG
@Yuntrail Williams oh snap forgot about sid
NEVER HUNGRY AGAIN
What was the intro song