Prodigy Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Prodigy's H.N.I.C., Pt. 2 landed as the Mobb Deep member was beginning a three-and-a-half year sentence on unlawful gun possession charges. It also follows his excellent Return of the Mac album by just a little over a year, although Prodigy has taken to calling that effort a "mixtape" even when it looked and played like your standard issue full-length. Put these two facts together and it might explain why the ambitious H.N.I.C., Pt. 2 is a near masterwork, an almost classic that just can't lift its head over the bar Return of the Mac placed so high. Compared to that album, H.N.I.C., Pt. 2 is a much more varied and traditional effort with producer Alchemist stepping aside occasionally to let folks like Apex, Sid Roams, and Prodigy's Mobb Deep brother Havoc behind the boards. Roams gives "ABC" a wonderful nightmare texture while Apex kills on "It's Nothing" by hyping up Prodigy's usual horror show backing tracks into something much more frantic and brittle. Havoc's church organ loop gives "I Want Out" a fittingly dramatic sound for a pre-prison goodbye song, plus a reminder of how much the Mobb Deep attitude will be missed. "This is usually the part of the movie where the pistol comes out" is how Prodigy deals with his inescapable situation, but his promise to return and dominate is sure. The stunning "Veterans Memorial, Pt. 2" sheds light on where it all began as the rapper recounts the first jewelry store robbery he pulled off with dad and tells of childhood memories of Havoc's brother "Killer" ("They shot him in his head /Killer ran home/Took some Advil/Pulled the bullet out on his own"). Besides being Alchemist's greatest moment, "Young Veterans" warns the freshman thug that this desolate life is no place for the weak, but when the redundant murder numbers begin halfway through, the album starts to numb and the stories become less effective. Strangest and most disposable of all is the "ABC" remix which uses some kind of translation software to turn the Prodigy's English verses into Spanish language rapping. Odd that his last track before lockup would be a gimmicky, oddball sounding remix, plus there's an overall feeling that the uneven H.N.I.C., Pt. 2 was rushed. Not so surprising considering P's legal situation and taking the highlights into account, it's even forgivable. Hardcore fans will be down with every cold hard minute, everybody else gets a B+ effort, and the hip-hop game as a whole gets a really good reason to save Prodigy's place at the table for the next three-and-a-half years. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As a member of the hardcore crew Mobb Deep, Prodigy lost some fans the minute they signed with 50 Cent's G-Unit, and their first full-length for the label, the merely fair Blood Money, didn't help in the least. Prodigy's solo album, Return of the Mac, is the return to form that follows with sinister beats, cold rhymes, and most importantly the Alchemist. The Mobb's long-time producer only handled one cut on Blood Money, but here he's in charge of every track. Steeped in history, the rapport between rapper and producer creates a world unto itself, one reflected in the album's artwork, where bravado style and the good life shine in a world of broken concrete and busted windows. The peering out the window could be searching for prey since Prodigy makes it quite clear his moneyed world has come at the expense of others. "Mac 10 Handle" takes a bit of the Geto Boys' "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me" and twists it into an N.Y.C. version of Scarface with Tony Montoya weary from all the glorious drugs and with his hand on the gun, paranoid as ever. "You've got different colors leaking out you/Like red, yellow, and white/You've got some stomach on your Nikes/You got blood on my G-Units" is the horror-show way "Take It to the Top" rolls, and everywhere else there are stories of decay, decline, death, and shoving your way to the front instead of waiting in line. Those bloodied and most definitely comped G-Unit clothes Prodigy mentions is one of the few times life with 50 is in the picture, and hip-hop gossip hounds will note that the label for his solo career is Koch, a "graveyard" according to 50. Whenever Prodigy works with the Alchemist, the results are so haunting it wouldn't be surprising if Mobb central was located in a graveyard, and even if this is familiar ground, an album so tight in theme and feel is refreshing in an era where most lyricists invite anybody and everybody. The album is short when compared to its contemporaries, clocking in at just under 40 minutes, and about five of those are spent on dialog and Alchemist loops. That's only a warning for those foolish enough to buy their music by the pound because Return of the Mac is admirable for being succinct and delivering on its title. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On H.N.I.C., his first solo venture outside of Mobb Deep, Prodigy collaborates with a long list of featured guest rappers, many of them from his Queensbridge stomping ground, and he also works with a variety of producers, most notable among them the Alchemist and Rockwilder. Prodigy's Mobb Deep partner, Havoc, makes only two appearances over the course of the 22-track album. Despite the number of outside contributors, H.N.I.C. isn't much of a departure for Prodigy, who remains true to his style lyrically and raps over an assortment of productions that are reminiscent of Mobb Deep. All of this should please Mobb Deep fans, as this album is simply a twist on the legendary Queensbridge duo's usual approach. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
