Today we celebrate the life and memory of Prodigy — 1/2 of the legendary 90s rap duo Mobb Deep who passed away one year ago today.
While the Queens-bred MC will always be remembered primarily for his hard-hitting music and thought-provoking lyricism, he also was a pretty fly guy, too. Over the span of his 20+ year career in the game, the man born as Albert Johnson has put bootleg Hennessy jerseys on the map, collaborated with Supreme, and unintentionally curated one of the most diverse headwear collections in rap [Editor’s note: Just do a Google search, guys — you will rarely find a pic of him without a proper snapback, skully, or bandana!]
Keep scrolling to get a look at why Prodigy will forever be missed, both for his fresh skills on the mic and his fresh swag while out on the scene:
10. (6/2014) Styling in Paris with this very black-and-proud Africa tee while performing at Le Trianon.
Image: David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns / Getty Images
9. (1/2002) That time Diddy brought Mobb Deep to the shiny suit side alongside 112 for the Infamy album single “Hey Luv (Anything),” but both dudes still managed to keep their Queens-bred edge. Prodigy had on the ill jacket toward the end, too!
8. (7/2013) Hanging at Max Fish in the Lower East Side of New York City with XGames, pairing a graphic-heavy adidas tee with a matching camo bucket.
Image: Sandy Kim / X Games
7. (10/2016) This super ill camo apron he wore in the promo photos for his cookbook Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook.
Image: Teddy Wolff/Infamous Books
6. (6/2011) Seen here rocking this vintage Le Coq Sportif crewneck while hanging with Mobb Deep partner Havoc and G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks backstage at HOT 97 Summer Jam 2011.
5. (4/1993) Where it all began: rocking all-black-everything and wheat Timbs on the cover of Mobb Deep’s debut LP Juvenile Hell. Been fly since the late teens!
4. (06/2017) Draped in vintage Michael Jackson tee vibes while hitting the stage with Havoc for HOT 97 Summer Jam 2017, just a week before his death.
Image: Taylor Hill / WireImage
3. (5/2016) Celebrating Cazal’s 40th Anniversary in New York City
2. (2/1995) This custom Hennessy football jersey he had on in the “Shook Ones, Pt. II” music video that had everybody in the ’90s on their custom gear steez. You can even buy your own version right now by clicking here.
1. (6/2011) Popping up on a coveted Supreme collab tee, which dropped a few months after Prodigy was released from a prison stint that went on to influence his best-selling memoir My Infamous Life
R.I.P. Prodigy — may your legacy live on through all the platforms that you influenced.
