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Prodigy - Apostle’s Warning Pt. 2
Interview By: Danielle Stolich
 Nobodysmiling.com : You explained that your arrest is a classic case of racial profiling by the NYPD Hip-Hop Police Unit…what is your take on the Hip-Hop Police?
Prodigy : When I first heard about Hip-Hop Police I thought it sounded crazy. When other people hear about it, they think this is just rappers’ trying to make ourselves look gangster like we’re the mob and like it’s necessary for us to have a task force. But that’s not the case; it’s really serious and it’s nothing new. Like for my case, I hired a private investigator and found out a lot of information about the task force. They have been investigating us (Mobb Deep) since 1992, taking pictures of us, filing reports, etc.
 It’s illegal, racist and just unconstitutional for them to do this. It can’t last because they are doing something illegal and the more people talk about it, it will be exposed. A lot of people don’t talk about it because a lot of people don’t go through it. But the ones who go through it, like me, 50 Cent, T.I., Lil’ Wayne, they know it’s for real. But to the general public, they just looking like, “Stupid rappers riding around with guns trying to glorify this lifestyle…They wish they were the Mob.” The Hip-Hop Police started in New York and its spread throughout the country. They cooperate with other states and coordinate the efforts of the surveillance all over the country.
Nobodysmiling.com : If you could change anything that happened the night of your arrest what would it be?
Prodigy : Yeah, I would have had a lock on my box in my car so if the police tried to open it, they would have had to break it which would have proved it was an illegal search.
Nobodysmiling.com : People always hear about the beefs but you’ve collaborated with a lot more artists than those you’ve had beef with over the years. When you guys have beef, it usually stems from something personal. How did this stuff with Saigon start?
Prodigy : This started because Saigon was burning our album cover on SMACK DVD because he’s friends with Tru Life. Since Tru Life is saying “F*ck Mobb Deep”, Saigon decided to take it upon himself and say “F*ck Mobb Deep.” That’s basically how it started.
Nobodysmiling.com : Your partner Havoc made some negative comments about Southern rappers a few months ago that circulated on the Internet…But Bun B (UGK) recently gave Mobb Deep props on being one of the realest, gimmick-free groups in Hip-Hop…why is there so much dissension between NYC and rappers from other coasts?
Prodigy : I think if people pay attention they’ll see the South and the North influence each other. We all inspire each other and got love for each other because we all doing the same sh*t. It doesn’t make sense for a New York rapper to hate on a Southern rapper because all Black people are from the South. We migrated up North to get away from the effects of slavery and before that we all come from Africa or the islands. So the hating just don’t make sense. If you ain’t got a hit record, it really doesn’t matter.
When Hav said the comments about T.I., I thought a lot of people took it wrong. And I’m sure Hav felt what he said was wrong. But at the same time that’s my n*gga and I back him up with anything he say. As soon as it happened I reached out to T.I.’s manager and everything was cool. Same thing with Bun B. Back in the days we met Bun B at Suave House Studios when we did a song with 8Ball (8Ball & MJG). Bun was there and I didn’t know who he was because I didn’t really listen to music in other markets. He was cool and expressed how much he was feeling our music. Then I got back home and found out who UGK was and heard they music. They was hot. So I could never hate on the South; I got family from the South. If you got a hot record, you got a hot record.
Nobodysmiling.com : Rap and street life were not always synonymous with each other…Now, with more rappers getting arrested and most rapping about the streets despite never having never lived that lifestyle, the lines are now blurred. Do you think this hurts the music?
Prodigy : I really can’t speak for any other rappers and how they’re living. But as far as my life, real shit happens. Real shit. And at the same time I’m a rapper, I make albums. But at the same time I’m gonna put my experiences, what I go through and what I see into my music. A lot of people got the wrong idea; they’re not listening to the music. They’re just paying attention to what’s on the surface. A lot of people might hear a Prodigy record and say, “He thinks he’s a gangster. He’s not a real gangster; he’s a rapper. Real gangsters don’t talk about it.”
But that gotta be somebody that’s just listening on the surface because if you listen to what I’m saying you would know that I don’t think I’m a gangster. I’m really talking about some real shit that’s going on in my life and what I’ve been through. And can’t nobody tell me what I can and can’t talk about ‘cause it’s my life and I’ll talk about it if I choose to. A lot of these rappers are reckless with they lyrics and it just doesn’t make sense. It’s a bad influence on the kids and I’m very conscious of what I say and how I say it. I try to tell the truth without putting that negative energy out.
Nobodysmiling.com : You have an autobiography your writing. What can we expect from that?
Prodigy : It’s so much that’s happened in my life and in Mobb Deep’s career that people don’t know about. If people knew these things they would probably understand us more and respect why we do a lot of the things we do. I feel like the book is important because I can talk about everything that went on in our lives that people don’t know about. And in an autobiography you can’t lie because the publisher has to check all the facts first. People are gonna read it and say, “Damn, I didn’t know Hav and P was going thru that.”
I start off with my grandparents and my parents’ lives and just talk about changes Mobb Deep went through as far as labels, personal shit, dealing with my sickle cell, etc. It explains how I changed for the better and became a man instead of bullshitting. It’s definitely a book people could learn a lot from as far as dealing with jealousy, the music business and people in the streets. Just life in general. If you want to learn from other people’s experiences, you could learn a lot from my autobiography (laughs).
Nobodysmiling.com : Tell us about your screenplay ‘Dope”.
Prodigy : “Dope” is a movie I wrote that is loosely based around my father’s life. He used drugs since age 14 and passed away from AIDS in ’97 as a result of sharing needles. I just took things from my father’s life in general and wrote a script based on his experiences. It’s really artistic and real. I’m gonna play the main character and I got a few other actors on board for the project. I got Rick Gonzalez from the movie Coach Carter and Hassan Johnson (HBO’s ‘The Wire’) and some other actors who were feeling the script, too. This was something I was gon’ do before I caught the case so I won’t be able to shoot it until I come home.
Nobodysmiling.com : On a final note, here’s a list of people and places associated with Mobb Deep. What are the first thoughts that come to mind at the mention of each of these people/places?
Nobodysmiling.com : LOUD RECORDS.
Prodigy : How we learned the entire music industry by being on Loud Records. We were able to be hands-on with everything in the office. It wasn’t your regular artist/label relationship. Steve Rifkind was our family and we help build that company from the ground up.
Nobodysmiling.com : GHOSTFACE.
Prodigy : When I think of Ghost I think of how you gotta be unique. You can’t sound like nobody else so when people hear you they can be like,”I like what you do.”
Nobodysmiling.com : Capone and Noreaga (CNN).
Prodigy : When I think about them I just think about that (sings) “LA, LA/Big city of dreams” (laughs).
Nobodysmiling.com : Lil’ Kim.
Prodigy : Lil Kim? When I think about her I just hear, (sings) “Ayo Prodigy tell’ em what it is son!” (laughs). But when I think about Kim, I recall how she writes her own lyrics. When we did “Quiet Storm” she wrote her own verse.
Nobodysmiling.com : Tragedy.
Prodigy : Tragedy. When I think about Trag, I think about my early years in Queensbridge when I first came to the ‘hood. When I first met Hav…that’s how Havoc got his name, from Tragedy.
Nobodysmiling.com : Biggie.
Prodigy : When I think about Biggie I just think about that tour we did with him, a lot of wild stuff happened on that tour. We had a lot of fun with Biggie, Cease, Kim, all of ‘em and we got real close on that tour. That’s how we became friends.
Nobodysmiling.com : Cormega.
Prodigy : Mega? When I think about ‘Mega I just used to think about how ill he was. Not like he’s not ill now but when I first came around the ‘hood, n*ggas used to always be like, ‘You wanna be down with us, you gotta battle ‘Mega.’ Everybody from the projects used to talk about how good ‘Mega was and the whole hood used to walk around repeating his rhymes. I knew his rhymes before I met him.
Nobodysmiling.com : Diddy.
Prodigy : When I think about Puffy, I remember how he wanted to sign Mobb Deep before he was gonna sign Biggie. When I think about Puff I think about how we could have been the first rappers on Bad Boy. We took the Steve Rifkind deal instead and then he signed Biggie and The Lox. A lot of people don’t know that.
Nobodysmiling.com : Raekwon.
Prodigy : I just think of when I first met son he took us to Staten Island and has us messed up. (laughs) I just think of fun.
Nobodysmiling.com : Alchemist.
Prodigy : When he first came around I thought he was an FBI agent (laughs). I had to actually see Alchemist make a beat before I said, “Alright he’s not a cop.”
Nobodysmiling.com : Big Noyd.
Prodigy : First thing that comes to my mind is dynamite. That’s his nickname ‘cause he just brings excitement. When we do shows he always brings mad energy.
Nobodysmiling.com : 50 Cent.
Prodigy : I think of genius. He’s a smart individual, business-wise, music-wise.
Nobodysmiling.com : Queens, NYC.
Prodigy : When I think about Queens I think about E. Money Bags.
Nobodysmiling.com : Havoc.
Prodigy : I think of longevity when I think of Hav. He’s like 90% of the reason why Mobb Deep lasted so long. Havoc’s work ethic influences me.
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Want more? Log on to www.HNIC2.com to communicate with P as he prepares for his bid. Check daily for personal blogs, music, videos and the latest news on Prodigy.
In addition to Prodigy's official site www.hnic.com, below are a few useful links:
Grand Introduction is where he talks about the night of his arrest and the charge.
http://www.hnic2.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1622086%3ABlogPost%3A802
Here's Prodigy's bio in his own words... http://www.hnic2.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1622086%3ABlogPost%3A1336
Here's a recent interview he did with New York HOT 97 personality, Angie Martinez where he talks about his most recent charge. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR2FQ5PaAe4
H.N.I.C. Part 2, to be released world-wide on Voxonic Music in partnership with AAO Music/Reality in March 2008.
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