The New Breed of Hip Hop

Whether you believe he was a ballerina before “Shook Ones” or not, Prodigy of Mobb Deep seriously aided in laying a foundation for the gutter aesthetic of mid-nineties hip hop. Partner Havoc’s murky soundscapes blended with P’s lazy east coast drawl, unorthodox flows and gruesome portrayals of the hood are forerunners to your “hardest out” emcees still keeping it thorough or just claiming to these days.

Recent Mobb Deep releases haven’t exactly leapt up the charts or crushed radio, but the duo did during the summer of ’04 celebrate a reportedly lucrative deal with Jive Records in true dunny-bounce fashion, with their smash hit “Get it Twisted.” Then, in a surprise move, the independent minded QB reps signed with Queens native 50 Cent’s G-Unit Records camp, donning matching crew hand tats to show allegiance. But the venture didn’t quite jump off as expected, and Mobb Deep’s G-Unit debut, ‘Blood Money,’ performed poorly by today’s inflated industry standards.

Now P, still very much one half of an accomplished veteran combo, is going for self in a huge way, via the Alchemist produced Koch Records release ‘Return of the Mac (March 27).’ P, apparently unfazed after surviving a near plane crash in October, keeps it uncut in a recent session with NBS concerning his new project, ‘H.N.I.C. 2,’ major label strife, and his on-again-off-again relationship with Nas.

Nobodysmiling.com : P what’s good man?

Prodigy : What up yo? Chilling man.

Nobodysmiling.com : This is Mike from Nobodysmiling.com. How are you?

Prodigy : Aight. Chilling. I’m chilling over here.

Nobodysmiling.com : That’s what’s up. P what’s up with the title of this new joint coming out on Koch, ‘Return of the Mac?’ Are you reinventing yourself into a new pimped out Prodigy? What’s up with that?

Prodigy : Nah, it’s the return of the M-A-C: Mac 11, Mac 10.

Nobodysmiling.com : So it’s Mac like the hammer and not like the movie.

Prodigy : Nah; not like the pimp-talking bout the gun.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. I got you. What sparked the decision to do the entire album with Alchemist? What’s up Al-by the way - what’s good?

Alchemist : What’s up homie?

Nobodysmiling.com : Chilling.

Prodigy : I mean basically, when we put it together it was just a mixtape; it was just getting people ready for ‘H.N.I.C. 2.’ We didn’t look at it as a album at all.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK.

Prodigy : Once we did the video for “Mac 10 Handles,” and it got the response that it got, labels start throwing a whole bunch of money.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK.

Prodigy : Basically, Koch offered me a deal for my solo album and they wanted ‘Return of the Mac’ to be apart of the deal. And then it’s just like ‘Yo man: we’ll give you x amount of dollars,’ you know what I’m saying?

Nobodysmiling.com : Word.

Prodigy : And basically me and Al just worked together because that just naturally happened. Same [with] me and Hav is me and Al-one or the other; we got in-house production. We don’t really mess with too many outsiders.

Nobodysmiling.com : So you guys have that same good chemistry as you and Havoc.


Prodigy : Yeah. Exactly. It’s all in the family.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. That’s what’s up. You mentioned the video-we definitely have to talk about that-but H.N.I.C. 2, will that be through Koch as well?

Prodigy : Yeah.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. I got you. P, why use the Pac sample on the “New York Shit” joint when obviously he’s on record dissing you guys back then and even talking about your disease. So why use that sample here?

Prodigy : I wouldn’t base any problems that me and Pac had-that wouldn’t stop me from using his voice on a sample.

Nobodysmiling.com : Really? I know you know a lot of people would say ‘I wouldn’t even do that. I don’t really F with dude.’ You don’t feel that way.

Prodigy : I don’t fuck with Jay-Z neither. I’d use his voice for a muthafuckin chorus; I don’t fuck with Nas. I’d use his voice for a chorus. That wouldn’t stop me from using somebody voice for a chorus; if the shit sound good it sound good.

Nobodysmiling.com : So it’s just about the music, OK.

Prodigy : Yeah, it’s all about how the chorus sound-‘Oh that shit sound hot together-the Biggie and the Pac sample sound good-’ I don’t give a fuck about Pac! I’m just saying that shit sound hot together; that’s a ill idea for a chorus. It don’t matter what Pac did or whatever…that’s not the case. The case is the shit sound like a good record.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. That’s real. That’s funny; that’s probably what a lot of people think when they’re sampling you. You’re one of the most highly sampled cats in hip-hop really.

Prodigy : Yeah they probably like ‘We don’t give a fuck about Prodigy. Prodigy: That shit sound right!’ (Laughs).

Nobodysmiling.com : (Laughs).

Prodigy : Probably don’t even like my shit. (Laughs)

Nobodysmiling.com : P, I’m interested to know what the song “7th Heaven” is about, considering your lyrics about God and Jesus on “Pearly Gates” and some of the stuff in the new video.

Prodigy : Yeah “7th Heaven” is just like yo… a song is just saying [if] ni**as try to jump me, that’s not gon happen. You know what I’m saying? You going to “7th Heaven.”

Nobodysmiling.com : What do you mean exactly?

Prodigy : It means that’s not happening. You gon get a free set of wings.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. I got you. Do you feel like you’re unfairly censored to an extent on G-Unit/Interscope?

Prodigy : Yeah, I feel like all major labels try to censor you to a certain point; they want you to do a radio record. They want you to do certain things that fit their way of doing things. Dealing with Koch, they deal with things on a smaller level. They got the potential to still have big sales [but] they do things on a smaller scale. I’m just feeling that right now. I’m not feeling on the big major shit right now. I’m just feeling being myself and having a company that ain’t tryna stop me from saying certain shit. They just like ‘Man do you. We just happy you here man.’

Nobodysmiling.com : Word. You’re feeling the freedom you get with them. Was it because of the backlash about the stuff on “Pearly Gates?” Is that part of the reason why Interscope trying to tone you down a bit?

Prodigy : Nah, I just think it’s somebody up there that didn’t agree with what I had to say and they asked me to change it and I changed it. I didn’t try to argue with them or try to fight it. I changed it. They ain’t like it so I changed it.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK.

Prodigy : I ain’t tryna hinder Mobb Deep’s album from coming out; I wasn’t tryna slow the project down, so I changed it.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. I feel you. So P I saw the “Mac 10 Handles”-very vivid video; some good images. How should people interpret the image of you standing before a statue saying ‘I’m so impulsive, I’ll start gunning right in front of Mary, Jesus and Joseph/ if that’s what it is/ ni**a I’ma live.’ Is that just straight forward or is there anything else someone could take from that?

Prodigy : I don’t know. They just gon have to take it how they wanna take it man. That’s just me speaking my mind. If somebody try to do something to me then nothing is gonna stop me from protecting myself; basically that’s what that line mean. I don’t give a fuck who’s standing there in front of me; somebody try to do something to me [then] I’m gonna protect myself.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. I hear you. P, why is this still reality rap for you, like you say in “Mac 10 Handles-” people say there’s too much gangsta in rap but it’s just reality for you? Some people may ask why you haven’t grown past the violence and the street stuff in twelve/thirteen years of being a recording artist-I’m sure you hear people say that.

Prodigy : When you grow up a certain way in certain neighborhoods you don’t just cut your ties off; I don’t just cut my peoples off and say ‘I ain’t fucking with them ni**as no more.’

Nobodysmiling.com : OK.

Prodigy : I still keep all my ties with my people. I still deal with a lot of shit; I still deal with a lot of bullshit. I can’t avoid it-it’s no avoiding it.

Nobodysmiling.com : One might ask whether keeping ties necessarily means being involved in some of the negative stuff your people go through. Some people may ask why can’t you bring them in with you so that their not involved in that. You say there’s no getting around it.

Prodigy : Yeah it’s no getting around it. You can’t hide from reality! What you gon do, hide? You gon run and hide? You gotta deal with the reality; people still live in the hood. You can’t move everybody out the hood; we not rich like that. You know what I’m saying?

Nobodysmiling.com : OK.

Prodigy : A lot of our people still live in the hood; we still gotta go deal with them; they still our friends; a lot of mothers and grandmothers are still in the hood and we still go in there, and we still gotta deal with the entire neighborhood. You can’t sneak in the hood and sneak out.

Nobodysmiling.com : Word.

Prodigy : You gotta deal with everybody, and that’s what I’m saying. Like, whoever saying ‘Why you just can’t get yourself outta that shit-’ well you not living the same life I’m living. Period.

Nobodysmiling.com : That’s real. Different strokes…So you’re saying, in effect, that over all this time that you guys aren’t welcome in your hood to a certain extent? You would think you have people who have love for you if you mess with them, but you feel like you really have to watch you guys’ back when you go out there.

Prodigy : Of course we got people that love us. The love overpowers the hatred-put it like that; it’s more love than hate. You always gon have that don’t agree; you always gon have people that don’t get along: this block don’t get along with this block [or] this person don’t get along with this person. That’s just what it is man. Everybody’s not gon be friends yo.

Nobodysmiling.com : Word.

Prodigy : And that’s what it is.

Nobodysmiling.com : That’s reality, you’re right. That’s real. P, do you feel like pain brings out the best in you? I remember on “Keep It Thoro” you say ‘I miss my ni**a…kill me/ so I can go and join em.’ Do you feel like because of all the stuff you’ve been through pain brings the best out of you?

Prodigy : Pain is what made me man.

Nobodysmiling.com : Yeah?

Prodigy : I was born with pain-this sickle cell bullshit… know what I’m saying…did a lot to me mentally man.

Nobodysmiling.com : Word. And you feel like getting it out through your music is the best way you can deal with it huh?

Prodigy : Yeah. How else could I deal with it? I ain’t tryna be in jail.

Nobodysmiling.com : Word.

Prodigy : I get my frustration out in my songs. I might punch somebody-knock they fucking teeth out every now and then but that’s on rare occasion.

Nobodysmiling.com : Yeah, hopefully a rare occasion so we can keep hearing the new joints from you. P, you mentioned Nas like you don’t really F with Nas. That relationship non-existent these days?

Prodigy : Yeah, that just ain’t happening. He’s on a whole ‘nother planet.

Nobodysmiling.com : You feel like he’s really gone overboard huh?

Prodigy : Yeah, he somewhere else.

Nobodysmiling.com : Word. I remember as recent as the Central Park concert a few years ago-I was actually out there-you guys came on stage and…so you’re not really on the same page.

Prodigy : I mean that was cool: [to] come on stage and show New York City that we stand together. Nobody heard about the big fight that happened back stage though; that’s what ni**as ain’t hear about.

Nobodysmiling.com : Between you guys and Nas?

Prodigy : It was a big-big-big commotion back stage, but we still- we put all of that aside and we still got on stage; we still did the show. And that’s what it was. You know what I’m saying?

Nobodysmiling.com : So some of his people didn’t want you guys there or something?

Prodigy : Some of his people didn’t want us there [and] some of our people didn’t give a fuck if they ain’t want us there or not.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. You guys are pretty much from the same era and actually, even though he did knock you for joining G-Unit, he said a lot of his favorite collabs are the early joints with you guys. You guys being from the same era, you don’t agree with his assessment that hip hop is really dead and declined?

Prodigy : Aw heeeell no! That’s one of the stupidest statements I ever heard in my life: hip hop is dead. That’s like the dumbest shit you could ever say. You got kids that hip hop is brand new to them. You got muthafuckas-how you think all them ni**as in the south feel? They poppin right now [and] you talking bout hip hop is dead. You got ni**as like me-my career is just beginning and you talking bout hip hop is dead? Why? Because you getting tired of it? That’s the dumbest shit you could ever say.

Nobodysmiling.com : Wow. OK. He might say-like you said hip hop is new to some kids; he might say it’s being misrepresented and the kids need to learn-like in the song “Where Are They Now,” where he’s naming all the old emcees; the kids need to learn that instead of some of the new stuff, but you don’t feel that way.

Prodigy : I just feel like hip hop is far from dead. This shit is alive and kicking ni**as in they head.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. (Laughs). P, do you do any spokesperson work to contribute to the cause of curing sickle cell or creating more awareness for it?

Prodigy : Nah, not yet. I’m creating awareness by doing songs about it though.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. Besides just mentioning it, do you have joints dedicated to that?

Prodigy : I mean, just on the ‘H.N.I.C.’ I got a whole song about sickle cell- “You’ll Never feel My Pain.’ You definitely like more kind of shit like that coming outta me, but I ain’t down with no organization or nothing like that. I ain’t do nothing like that yet.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK.

Prodigy : I ain’t ready for that yet.

Nobodysmiling.com : I hear you; in due time. Word up. P, you guys- man you guys have been through a lot. Like you said, pain. Did your outlook on life change at all after the near plane crash incident with 40 Glocc, Sam Scarfo and Hav in October?

Prodigy : Nah.

Nobodysmiling.com : Nah?

Prodigy : I knew we was gon be aight. I knew that plane wasn’t gon crash.

Nobodysmiling.com : Oh you had faith that it wasn’t gon crash?

Prodigy : Nah, I just knew that it wasn’t gon crash cause I know we here for something important; our job ain’t done yet. I knew that plane was gon land very safely; I already knew we was gon be aight.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK.

Prodigy : Other people don’t feel the same way I feel. I feel like we was gon be aight. Our job is not done on this earth and that was that.

Nobodysmiling.com : And what do you feel like that job is for you personally?

Prodigy : I mean, we got more music to put out. We got a whole bunch of shit just to put out man. Like…everybody’s gon see; everybody’s gon see it unfold before their eyes. Not just music-it’s a whole bunch of shit. We have a serious purpose on this planet, which ain’t fulfilled yet. We not gon die in no plane crash or…ain’t nothing-none of that shit is gon happen to us until man until our job is complete.

Nobodysmiling.com : Well, for somebody whose been through as much as you have you’re pretty confident that it’s not going to end abruptly like that.

Prodigy : Aw hell no man! This shit is serious. I got a serious job to do man-all of us.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. I hear you P. Listen, obviously the industry is suffering right now; they’re cracking down on the mixtapes; album sales have been going down. Some people say that in order to improve the overall album sales artists need to connect better with their fans. Do you feel like your new material-‘Return of the Mac’ and your new album-is what the people want from P in 2007?

Prodigy : I think the people just want you to be you. I don’t think you’re supposed to connect with the fans.

Nobodysmiling.com : No?

Prodigy : Cause when you’re a brand new artist, how do you connect with the fans then? You don’t even know who your fans are. The fans like you because of you being yourself and that’s what it’s gon be with my album and ‘Return of the Mac.’ They gon like me cause I’m being myself. I don’t have to make a connection to anybody.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. I hear that. You have anything else you want to say to the people before we wrap up?

Prodigy : Yeah, it’s the return of the muthafuckin Mac. ‘H.N.I.C. 2.’ I’m here ni**a!

Nobodysmiling.com : (Laughs) Word up. P, I appreciate your time and I appreciate your openness. Good looking.

Prodigy : Aight homie.

Nobodysmiling.com : Aight Al. Y’all be good. I’ll definitely check for the album man

Alchemist : Aight

source-nobodysmiling.com