Exclusive Interview: Prodigy Live from the Belly

Prodigy, half of Hip Hop’s most prominent duo, Mobb Deep gives Ei8ht with Hip Hop Lives Online (HHLO) an exclusive interview from behind prison walls. Even though he is locked up P still finds the time to promote his new album, take a shot at Nas and reaffirm his loyalty to G-Unit.

HHLO: What’s good P, first things first, how is your health holding up on the inside?

Prodigy: I’m good, I’m chilling.

HHLO: I know that sickle cell is something that you have been battling for your whole life. I actually bumped into you in Montifiore Hospital in the Bronx right before you went in, I didn’t want to press for an interview because I respected your situation. Now around that time a lot of people were speculating that you were trying to exaggerate your sickness to avoid going to jail, how did that make you feel?

Prodigy: I don’t give a fu*k what people say, know what I’m saying. I know what it is, I was born with sickle cell.

HHLO: Ok, so let’s talk about the new album H.N.I.C. pt2. What was it like making this album knowing that when it dropped you would be behind bars? I can only imagine the cramming and preparation that was involved as far as making videos and setting up the proper promotion avenues.

Prodigy: I mean it’s all good because I like working hard. I work my best under pressure, so knowing that I was about to go in it put me at my best with my lyrics, with concepts to videos, just everything. So it was good, it felt good making the album and I think I put out one of my best pieces of work with this album and DVD.

HHLO: Now you clearly had a message to get out on this album. You touched on a lot of government issues, the Sean Bell case and more. What spurred on the new “Political P”?

Prodigy: I mean it’s nothing new. If you pay attention to Mobb Deep, if you pay attention to Prodigy you would know that in ‘95, ‘96 this is how I was talking, maybe they didn’t understand it back then but it is what it is. If you do your research and do your homework and go back and look you would see on albums like “Hell on Earth”, and on mixtapes and songs like “I Shot Ya” with LL and Keith Murray and Foxy Brown, these are the same things that I was talking about. Illuminati, the Secret Government, this is what I talk about, this is what’s real, these are facts. Everybody should know about it because it’s out there, it’s not like hidden information anymore, it’s all over the Internet and in bookstores, so people just need to know what time it is.

HHLO: Speaking of politics, what are your views on our prospects of having our first black President?

Prodigy: I mean it’s cool. I’m happy that it’s looking like we’re definitely going to have our first black President but that don’t mean that the dude is (going to be) a good President. That doesn’t mean that he is going to do the right thing just because he’s black. So people need to check on him, check his background, check his record, people need to put pressure on him, make sure he’s doing the right thing and look into him find out what he’s all about. I mean that’s how I feel about it. Everybody’s all open that Obama’s going to be President. I mean that’s cool and everything but what is he going to do? What does he represent?

HHLO: Now you’re a Queens’s native, and I heard you mention the Sean Bell case on your album, what are your views on the outcome of the case and what do you feel needs to be done to combat this pattern that we as black men are experiencing with pigs? (On a side note salute and RIP to Larry Davis the black mans lone victory against the NYPD).

Prodigy: Before I even started my sentence I was telling people that they need to have cameras in their car. People need to protect their-selves. If Sean Bell would have cameras in his car that night, we would have seen the truth. We would have known the truth. The same in my case, if I would’ve had cameras in and out my car, you would’ve seen that the police lied during my trial and I would’ve beat the case, illegal search, but I didn’t and I have no way of proving that. I learned from the best of them, and my man 50, he got a bulletproof SUV, he has cameras inside and outside his car. You see there’s cops that want to kill us, arrest us illegally for no reason, and there are a lot of racist cops out there, not all of them are racist, but a lot of them are. We need to protect ourselves and think ahead and have cameras inside and outside your car, inside and outside your house… so instead of buying all of these rims and flashy cars and jewelry and sound systems in our car, we need to first protect ourselves. We got to prioritize and do what’s important first.

HHLO: Now I spoke with Hav and he seems to be pretty cool with whatever roll that you give him on your solo ventures, but is there a reason why his roll is usually limited on your albums?

Prodigy: When I do my albums it has to be different from a Mobb Deep album, like if it’s not different… then what the fu*k is the difference. Something has to separate the H.N.I.C Prodigy solo project from a Mobb Deep project and that’s what separates it. I get Hav to do two or three beats and that’s it, to make it different, otherwise there wouldn’t be a difference. I have to do that.

HHLO: Now I noticed that there were no real G-Unit features on this album, which I am actually happy to see, but was there a reason for that?

Prodigy: I did that for the same reason. To take it back a little bit, we did a song with 50 called “Pop Them Thangs” for the Americaz Nightmare album on Jive. Now purposely, it was my decision not to put the song on Americaz Nightmare because I didn’t want people to think, “Ah, they needed 50 cent in order to sell records,” and I didn’t want to use 50 like that. I purposely made the decision to take that song off of the album for that reason. So when we made the G-Unit deal, we did lots of songs with Yayo, Banks and 50, I was all over Banks album, I’m on Yayo’s new album that will be out soon, Havoc did beats on the last album Curtis, so that’s what it is. We work good together, we make good music together. When I went off to do my solo project I purposely didn’t put G-Unit on there because it has to be different. If I would have had Yayo on a song or Banks and 50 on a song it would’ve been like the last “Blood Money” album that just came out. When I do my projects, when I do my albums, each project is different, so that’s why their not on there. I purposely didn’t put them on there because I wanted to separate it from everything else, this is Prodigy’s album. I want People to know this is my solo album. This isn’t a G-Unit project or a Mobb Deep project, its Prodigy’s album. I got remixes coming with Yayo on there and 50 for the H.N.I.C. 2, but really the album is just me, I purposely did that. I would love to have songs with 50 and Banks and Yayo, those are my nig*as, I love those nig*as. They make some of the best music in rap to me. I don’t care what people say or what they think about them, these is my nig*as. These are the nig*as I run with, these are the nig*as I make music with, these are people I relate to. I relate to their music, their music is in the same vain as Mobb Deep, so that’s what it is.

HHLO: How has the support been from the G-Unit family since you’ve been locked up?

Prodigy: Ah, it’s nothing but love. They support in ways that I can’t even talk about right now, I’ll talk about it later, but it’s definitely there, those are my brothers.

HHLO: Now your album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard charts for Top Rap Album. Was that still an honor or do those numbers even mean as much with the way the music game has shifted?

Prodigy: Yea that’s major right there, that’s major. I was up there with Madonna and a bunch of other people so that definitely major. The way the music industry is right now you got to expect that, their trying to destroy black music, their trying to really destroy rap music. So you got companies promoting that slogan “Hip Hop is dead” and they got puppets like Nas out there promoting that bullshit. And what that does is it gets in peoples subliminal minds, it puts that message in their minds that Hip Hop is dead. So now you got all of these music companies and distribution companies saying “yea Hip Hop is dead, it’s dying so we can’t put as much money as we use to, its not selling like it use to,”, but that’s not true. It’s just new technology, and it’s a new way that Hip Hop is selling its called digital, it’s called internet, it’s on the internet, that’s where the music is selling. And the CDs is still selling but the technology changed. It’s like with the 8-tracks went to records, and records went to CDs, now CDs went digital. So when people look at SoundScan the numbers look down but that’s not where the sales are coming from. They fail to realize that there has to be a new SoundScan made for digital sales so you can see all of the sales combined, that’s the real figure. So Hip Hop is dead and all that, all of that is a plot to destroy rap music. It makes these companies stop putting money into the project and into marketing and promotions of certain projects. They won’t put money into it because they believe that Hip Hop is dead, or Hip Hop is dying but that’s a lie. Lil’ Wayne just sold what 400,000 his first day or something like that. I thought the industry was dead, what happened? How did he sale that much? It’s because he has a father like Baby pumping money into his project. He doesn’t have to deal with these companies that want Hip Hop to die. I’m happy for Lil’ Wayne and Cash Money because their proving what Prodigy is talking about. Hip Hop ain’t dead that’s a lie. It’s a plot to destroy our music.

HHLO: So for those out there that don’t know what went down; explain what happened on the night of your arrest?

Prodigy: Basically I got pulled over, an illegal search. I took it to trial the cops lied, so I ended up taking a plea bargain for 3 ½ years. Now that’s the short easy version, I’ll get more into it when I get home.

HHLO: Do you feel that you were targeted?

Prodigy: Umm, yea. Illegal search, the cops lied at my trial, so yea I would say that. They target most rappers. It’s not just the companies and the music industry that want our music dead; it’s the entire Corporate America. There’s an entire part of America that’s racist that doesn’t like rap, and doesn’t like black people. Yea we’re targeted, we’re targeted like a Motherfu**er. Ain’t nothing really changed.

HHLO: Ok, so now how long are you expected to be down?

Prodigy: Like I said it’s supposed to be 3 ½.

HHLO: Now you’ve been known to talk a lot of slick sh*t on wax, have you had to check a Nig*a’s chin in there since you’ve been down?

Prodigy: Nah, it ain’t none of that, it’s nothing but love. Like from the inmates and the CO’s its mostly they love Mobb Deep or they heard of us, so its like if you need anything or want anything, it’s all good. I bumped into a lot of people that I knew from the streets or people who know who I know, so I ain’t have no problem and I don’t expect no problems. When you’re in jail, once you carry yourself like a man and show respect to people your going to get that same respect in return. If you carry yourself like a bitch ass Ni*ga and that’s what it is, then your going to get treated like that.

HHLO: Now you didn’t let the Muslim’s in there talk you into wearing a kufi or nothing did you?

Prodigy: Nah I don’t believe in religion, I’m a spiritual person but I don’t follow anybodies religion. I don’t follow man made religion, I don’t believe in all that.

HHLO: Now clearly you and Havoc formed one of the top rap groups of all time, will we be getting another Mobb album once you touch back down?

Prodigy: Yea of course definitely that.

HHLO: Now as we celebrate 35 years in hip-hop, what decade do you feel is the best decade, of all time the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, or in my opinion this joke of an era which reigns from 2000-2008?

Prodigy: I mean I love it all. I love it all for real.

HHLO: Do you have any last words for your fans?

Prodigy: Just Log onto HNIC2.com, become a member, create a profile, look out for my autobiography coming out. Go get that HNIC 2 album, the video and DVD. Any rap heads out there with unique music, come to Voxonic, we’re the future of music

HHLO: Now what about the all the hot chicks out there that want to send you some flicks to hold you down while you’re locked up, is there an email they can send flicks to? Because if not I mean they can always send them to me and ill make sure they get to you, I mean I don’t want to get you in trouble at home or anything?

Prodigy: Email HNIC2.com

HHLO: I just want to say respect and hats off to you, you have left your foot print in this game and the new album is fire, get home safe and may God bless

Prodigy: Aight cool.

Photo Credit: Chad Griffith