A coroner has confirmed the cause of death of Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy was choking.
The 42-year-old star died in June after being hospitalized for sickle cell anemia in Las Vegas. The Mobb Deep rapper, whose real name was Albert Johnson, had to be pulled out of a meet-and-greet after taking ill.
At the time of his death, friends claimed he died by choking on an egg in his hospital room. The Clark County Coroner’s Office confirmed on Thursday that the cause of his death was indeed choking but they made no mention of the egg when speaking to the media.
TMZ originally reported the choking as his cause of death when Johnson passed away in June, but it was never confirmed.
The rapper was in Las Vegas on the Art of Rap tour, alongside some of hip-hop’s most acclaimed talent including Wu Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, KRS-One, Onyx and Ice-T. The rapper, whose real name was Albert Johnson, had to be pulled out of a meet-and-greet after taking ill.
Johnson had suffered sickle cell anemia his whole life. The condition causes blood cells to take on a curved shape that can then cause blockages in blood vessels and it can be exacerbated by dehydration. There were fears at the time of his death that the scorching 110-degree heat he was performing in may have exasperated his condition.
Come to downtown Brooklyn on August 12th as The Source Magazine pays homage to the man who told us that until our death, our goal is to stay alive. The Prodigy Tribute is one of the features of the 4th Annual Source 360 Conference August 10-13th.
