We lost Prodigy of Mobb Deep three years ago, and it still hurts. Rap will never be the same, but P etched his words into our hearts forever. With the blessings of his family, P’s life is honored on the newly released album, In the Name of Prodigy by Flee Lord an emcee from Queens who came up under P. The title itself is wordplay on the traditional reference to Saints; those who serve as patrons to protect and guide, as P was many but not in the traditional sense as the album cover depicts P as a saint but holding a gun, the juxtaposition of his life. These 10 nostalgic tracks are exclusively produced by the only person who could produce this album – Havoc.
Torch Carriers (Feat. Ransom) flows like water over a boom bap instrumental, with powerful lyrics referencing the battle with the devil, jealously and even COVID. It’s dark with imagery of death and the afterlife, but I’m here for it.
Infamous Bop (Feat. Big Twins) begins with a quote from Prodigy in his own words about the many elements of hip hop and it being a global phenomenon. Big Twin and Flee Lord come across as hungry emcees with raw energy. We are kept in the present moment with a line reminding us we now have to deal with COVID on top of the daily struggles of life.
Busta Rhymes on Major Distribution begins with a momentary pause to shout out the incredible Havoc and P, which we should do more often instead of jumping straight into the music. A more upbeat instrumental perfect for Busta’s energy as he rhymes about moving coke, it’s grimy.
All for the Goat (feat. Conway the Machine) is fast paced with horns, energetic
Snippets of P’s voice on the intro to 1A.M Music quote him talking bout setting trends and wanting recognition for it, a reminder of people today to remember their influences. This track is about what goes on after hours, the work to make things happen and the sometimes darker things that need to go down.
Wu-Lord (feat. Raekwon) felt perfect on a slow, dark beat.
Raise the Bar featuring Prodigy’s daughter Santana Fox, sent chills through my body. A mellow reflective melody serving as an ode to the legacy of Mobb Deep that no one can argue with. They absolutely raised the bar in the hip hop industry and changed the game. I enjoyed the references to loved Mobb Deep tracks such as, ‘Always quiet before the storm’ which was a reference to Quiet Storm.
The final track, Bound to Take Losses features an emotional first verse from Havoc, on how he me P in the 90’s having seen a lot but ‘went platinum but still didn’t sell our soul, fresh out of hell hole but humble though’. The hook, ‘Fallen but never forgotten’. A lesson for us all here.
I don’t think the pain of loss will ever be erased, but we can move forwards celebrating P’s life and appreciating everything he contributed to our lives through his music.
Rest in Power P.
