Prodigy, of New York hip-hop group Mobb Deep, died Tuesday, his publicist said. He was 42.
“It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep,” his rep said in a statement.
Prodigy was hospitalized “a few days ago in Vegas” after a performance due to “complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis,” according to the statement. “As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth.”
His cause of death is not yet known.
The Queens rapper was known for his role in Mobb Deep, which he formed with Havoc in the early 1990s. Starting out as Poetical Prophets in 1992, the group made their Mobb debut with “Juvenile Hell” one year later.
The duo released eight total albums, the latest being 2014’s “The Infamous Mobb Deep.”
Fellow East Coast rapper Nas was among the first to remember the him on Instagram, writing “QB RIP King P. Prodigy 4 Ever.”
