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My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy
From one of the greatest rappers of all time, a memoir about a life almost lost and a revealing look at the dark side of hip hop’s Golden Era . . .
In this often violent but always introspective memoir, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy tells his much anticipated story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City. For the first time, he gives an intimate look at his family background, his battles with drugs, his life of crime, his relentless suffering with sickle-cell anemia, and much more. Recently released after serving three and a half years in state prison due to what many consider an unlawful arrest by a rumored secret NYPD hip hop task force, Prodigy is ready to talk about his life as one of rap’s greatest legends.
My Infamous Life is an unblinking account of Prodigy’s wild times with Mobb Deep who, alongside rappers like Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, and Wu-Tang Clan, changed the musical landscape with their vivid portrayals of early ’90s street life. It is a firsthand chronicle of legendary rap feuds like the East Coast–West Coast rivalry; Prodigy’s beefs with Jay-Z, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Ja Rule, and Capone-N-Noreaga; and run-ins with prodigal hit makers and managers like Puff Daddy, Russell Simmons, Chris Lighty, Irv Gotti, and Lyor Cohen.
Taking the reader behind the smoke-and-mirrors glamour of the hip hop world, so often seen as the only way out for those with few options, Prodigy lays down the truth about the intoxicating power of money, the meaning of true friendship and loyalty, and the ultimately redemptive power of self. This is the heartbreaking journey of a child born in privilege, his youth spent among music royalty like Diana Ross and Dizzy Gillespie, educated in private schools, until a family tragedy changed everything. Raised in the mayhem of the Queensbridge projects, Prodigy rose to the dizzying heights of fame and eventually fell into the darkness of a prison cell.
A truly candid memoir, part fearless confessional and part ode to the concrete jungles of New York City, My Infamous Life is written by a man who was on the front line of the last great moment in hip hop history and who is still fighting to achieve his very own American Dream.
In this often violent but always introspective memoir, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy tells his much anticipated story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City. For the first time, he gives an intimate look at his family background, his battles with drugs, his life of crime, his relentless suffering with sickle-cell anemia, and much more. Recently released after serving three and a half years in state prison due to what many consider an unlawful arrest by a rumored secret NYPD hip hop task force, Prodigy is ready to talk about his life as one of rap’s greatest legends.
My Infamous Life is an unblinking account of Prodigy’s wild times with Mobb Deep who, alongside rappers like Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, and Wu-Tang Clan, changed the musical landscape with their vivid portrayals of early ’90s street life. It is a firsthand chronicle of legendary rap feuds like the East Coast–West Coast rivalry; Prodigy’s beefs with Jay-Z, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Ja Rule, and Capone-N-Noreaga; and run-ins with prodigal hit makers and managers like Puff Daddy, Russell Simmons, Chris Lighty, Irv Gotti, and Lyor Cohen.
Taking the reader behind the smoke-and-mirrors glamour of the hip hop world, so often seen as the only way out for those with few options, Prodigy lays down the truth about the intoxicating power of money, the meaning of true friendship and loyalty, and the ultimately redemptive power of self. This is the heartbreaking journey of a child born in privilege, his youth spent among music royalty like Diana Ross and Dizzy Gillespie, educated in private schools, until a family tragedy changed everything. Raised in the mayhem of the Queensbridge projects, Prodigy rose to the dizzying heights of fame and eventually fell into the darkness of a prison cell.
A truly candid memoir, part fearless confessional and part ode to the concrete jungles of New York City, My Infamous Life is written by a man who was on the front line of the last great moment in hip hop history and who is still fighting to achieve his very own American Dream.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2011
107 people are currently reading
1750 people want to read
About the author
Albert Johnson
6 books23 followersAlbert Johnson, better known by his stage name Prodigy, was an American rapper and entrepreneur who, with Havoc, was one half of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
August 4, 2017
All memoirs by rappers should be read the rappers. I am soooooo glad I bought the audio version of this. As a big fan of Mobb Deep and Prodigy, himself, I couldn't have made a better choice. I took a lot of this with a grain of salt. Rappers brag, they twist things to shine on them, that's endemic to the genre. That said, this memoir still reads as honest in a way that Jay Z's Decoded did not. What interests me most about these memoirs are those moments of vulnerability that occasionally shine through and how frequent they are. There were many in this memoir and that was refreshing and fascinating. They were few (if any) in Decoded, that left me feeling "half-truthed".
Great read. Wish I hadn't left it on my to-read list for so long. Prodigy will be missed.
Great read. Wish I hadn't left it on my to-read list for so long. Prodigy will be missed.
March 6, 2024
Rounded up from 3.5. This is one of the first memoirs or autobiographies that actually made me like the person less. I thought this memoir/autobiography lacked humility and vulnerability and I remembered things happening in real time differently than his updates and therefore I was unable to trust or believe a lot of what he said and I thought the editor or his co-writer should have pushed him more on his historical family connections and the choices he and his mom made and the resulting impact and implications. I love hip hop especially growing up in the golden era that Mobb Deep was a part of and while I’ve always been more partial to Havoc I thought Prodigy was fine but the memoir showed aspects of him that I’d rather not have known and with the lack of vulnerability it didn’t make him more sympathetic just more seemingly manipulative and untrustworthy. I recommend this book to anyone who grew up during the golden era cause I did love the nostalgia and there are a lot of other artists mentioned so it’s helpful to get more background information on them.
March 14, 2025
"I’ve been in the music industry since I was sixteen years old, touring the world, selling millions of albums—groupies, drugs, alcohol, sex, radio, TV, magazines, videos, money, jewelry, cars, fashion, rap verses, beats, and studios at my disposal nonstop for seventeen years straight. Nonstop..."
My Infamous Life was a pretty gritty telling of the life of a successful rapper. Back in my younger days, I was big into hip-hop music. I followed its genesis in the late 80s, right up until it turned into trash; circa ~2005+ (IMHO). I enjoyed the writing here, and I felt he did a good job telling the story. The book is pretty hardcore, and I'm willing to bet that a lot of the writing will likely shock and/or horrify some of its readers. More below.
Author Albert Johnson, known professionally as Prodigy, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for being in the rap duo Mobb Deep along with Havoc. He died in 2017, aged 42, from complications of sickle cell anemia.
Albert Johnson, AKA Prodigy:
I'll say right up front that my reviews always reflect how much I enjoyed the book in its finished presentation. Regarding biographies like this, this means my rating is based on how well the story was told, and not how much I agree or disagree with the author's life choices or opinions expressed.
Prodigy writes with a decent style, that I found lively and engaging. The book is a page-turner. The author also read the audio version I have, and did a great job of the narration as well.
Prodigy wrote the book while he was incarcerated. The writing begins with a scene from prison. He drops the quote above, and it continues:
As touched on briefly above, Prodigy had sickle cell anemia. He talks about it quite a bit in the book. He writes:
The book details countless shootings, stabbings, cutting people's faces with razor blades, robberies, and other assorted criminal activity. It also details the many beefs the rapper had with other rappers. So much drama. Every second person talked about here ends up being killed in one way or another; usually by getting shot by some other thug. "Live by the sword..."
It was pretty remarkable to read the accounts of these incidents. He would talk about how he and his group would roll up to a place, and then 2 seconds later, it had quickly escalated to people slicing faces with razor blades and shooting each other. The stories like this are almost too many to count. I'm amazed that he wasn't killed, or sentenced to a longer prison term himself.
On a positive note, there are also many interesting stories of his interactions with his contemporaries in the industry. Prodigy talks about a lot of famous people in the music business here, including many famous rappers. People like Nas, 50 Cent, G Unit, Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, Capone & Noreaga, Notorious BIG, Mary J. Blige, the WU-TANG Clan, Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and many more. He even has a few interesting stories about Nicole Kidman and Lindsay Lohan. All these made for great reading.
Finally, Prodigy talks at some length about how Mobb Deep, as well as many other popular East Coast rap groups were being surveilled by a team of undercover detectives from the NYPD. He was picked up by these guys a few times, and eventually learned how closely the NYPD was monitoring the rap scene. Some more super interesting writing.
********************
My Infamous Life was an eye-opening look into a foreign world. Kind of like setting foot on another planet for a little while. That so much of urban America is full of people behaving like this is honestly pretty scary and grim. I'm not gonna clutch pearls here, however, as it did make for a great story.
Prodigy is also pretty open and honest about some of the darker times of his life, which was pretty incredible. The book also has a ton of funny and interesting stories about the industry as a whole. It's hard to knock a book that brings all that to the table.
4.5 stars.
My Infamous Life was a pretty gritty telling of the life of a successful rapper. Back in my younger days, I was big into hip-hop music. I followed its genesis in the late 80s, right up until it turned into trash; circa ~2005+ (IMHO). I enjoyed the writing here, and I felt he did a good job telling the story. The book is pretty hardcore, and I'm willing to bet that a lot of the writing will likely shock and/or horrify some of its readers. More below.
Author Albert Johnson, known professionally as Prodigy, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for being in the rap duo Mobb Deep along with Havoc. He died in 2017, aged 42, from complications of sickle cell anemia.
Albert Johnson, AKA Prodigy:
I'll say right up front that my reviews always reflect how much I enjoyed the book in its finished presentation. Regarding biographies like this, this means my rating is based on how well the story was told, and not how much I agree or disagree with the author's life choices or opinions expressed.
Prodigy writes with a decent style, that I found lively and engaging. The book is a page-turner. The author also read the audio version I have, and did a great job of the narration as well.
Prodigy wrote the book while he was incarcerated. The writing begins with a scene from prison. He drops the quote above, and it continues:
"..Seventeen years. Do the math. I came to prison when I turned thirty-three. The truth is, I never took the time to stop and mature mentally until now, to step outside my little fast-paced world and see what needed to be adjusted. It’s like I was suspended in time. Like I was sixteen years old for seventeen years. I never grew up. Do you follow what I’m saying? I am a man now. My hardheaded ass took the long rocky road to get to this point, but at least I’ve finally made it."
As touched on briefly above, Prodigy had sickle cell anemia. He talks about it quite a bit in the book. He writes:
"A sickle-cell crisis gets gradually worse as time passes. Normal red blood cells are small round circles that resemble a round piece of candy like a Certs mint or a Lifesaver without the hole in the middle. When going into a sickle-cell crisis, normal round red blood cells change to a crescent or sickle shape. Those sickle-shaped blood cells create a domino effect, interlocking throughout the body, creating clotting and blocking oxygen from flowing through the bloodstream. Loss of oxygen combined with loss of blood flow creates tremendous pain, risk of stroke, bone damage, and other life-threatening consequences. It also causes the immune system to weaken and makes it easy to get infections."
The book details countless shootings, stabbings, cutting people's faces with razor blades, robberies, and other assorted criminal activity. It also details the many beefs the rapper had with other rappers. So much drama. Every second person talked about here ends up being killed in one way or another; usually by getting shot by some other thug. "Live by the sword..."
It was pretty remarkable to read the accounts of these incidents. He would talk about how he and his group would roll up to a place, and then 2 seconds later, it had quickly escalated to people slicing faces with razor blades and shooting each other. The stories like this are almost too many to count. I'm amazed that he wasn't killed, or sentenced to a longer prison term himself.
On a positive note, there are also many interesting stories of his interactions with his contemporaries in the industry. Prodigy talks about a lot of famous people in the music business here, including many famous rappers. People like Nas, 50 Cent, G Unit, Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, Capone & Noreaga, Notorious BIG, Mary J. Blige, the WU-TANG Clan, Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and many more. He even has a few interesting stories about Nicole Kidman and Lindsay Lohan. All these made for great reading.
Finally, Prodigy talks at some length about how Mobb Deep, as well as many other popular East Coast rap groups were being surveilled by a team of undercover detectives from the NYPD. He was picked up by these guys a few times, and eventually learned how closely the NYPD was monitoring the rap scene. Some more super interesting writing.
********************
My Infamous Life was an eye-opening look into a foreign world. Kind of like setting foot on another planet for a little while. That so much of urban America is full of people behaving like this is honestly pretty scary and grim. I'm not gonna clutch pearls here, however, as it did make for a great story.
Prodigy is also pretty open and honest about some of the darker times of his life, which was pretty incredible. The book also has a ton of funny and interesting stories about the industry as a whole. It's hard to knock a book that brings all that to the table.
4.5 stars.
October 4, 2017
I am by no means a fan of rap music but what I do love is autobiographies read by their authors. I stumbled across this and really enjoyed hearing Prodigy's story. It felt authentic and gave me a glimpse into what was important to him and why. I found him and his story surprising; it wasn't what I imagined. I had the impression it was authentic and validated my theory that famous people come from weird huddles, with their lives overlapping with other famous people, but not necessarily having a direct impact on each other. I haven't figured that out yet.
Prodigy was an interesting guy. I would have liked to talk to him about his book and his life. And now I'm listening to his music. It turns out I actually don't hate rap as much as I thought; maybe because it makes sense to me now.
Prodigy was an interesting guy. I would have liked to talk to him about his book and his life. And now I'm listening to his music. It turns out I actually don't hate rap as much as I thought; maybe because it makes sense to me now.
May 18, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2: The late rapper penned the raw materials of his memoir in prison. It’s unflinchingly honest and often shocking: It’s jarring that such a successful (although not as financially successful as counterparts like Jay-Z) and acclaimed artist could be repeatedly embroiled in life-threatening situations. He admits that he often looked for trouble, and this led to tension with partner Havoc, who eschewed negative attention and anything that took away from their achievements and money flow. Prodigy thoughtfully explores his childhood, development, strengths, and foibles. Along the way, we meet famous rappers, along with other celebrities, as well as interesting personalities who orbited him. I wished for more insights into his music though, especially details about the makings of his Mobb Deep and solo albums. His life was tragically cut short from complications related to sickle cell, and questions still loom. He seemed to have turned a corner in the right direction and had so much more to offer.
July 7, 2017
I was a big Mobb Deep fan so when I heard that Prodigy died recently, I checked this out. It's not a great book and he could have used some much tighter editing. However, it was interesting to find out more about his life story, but I would have loved to know more about his family, his travels while on tour etc., and a little less about the details of every fight (and there were many) that he ever got into.
November 1, 2024
Just a lot of cheating and beating up random security people really, not a lot of insight, character or vulnerability. The only thing that would have made me give 4 stars is the silly little voice he did when quoting anyone else.
September 21, 2016
Prodigy's autobiography somehow manages to be both terrible and impressive at the same time.
I'd list all the things wrong with it, but we'd be here all day, so here's just a few of them:
The timeline's all fucked the fuck up. It keeps jumping back and forth in time, but not for literary effect or anything. They just failed to consult the wiki.
Prodigy claims to have seen a UFO. (He also blathers on about the Illuminati, which he's threatened to write a book about.)
Prodigy tries to front like he didn't get beat up by Keith Murray and Saigon.
He's got a million and one stories about times he almost shot someone. Much of the book is just a history of his various weapons acquisitions.
He rats out seemingly every Queensbridge rapper there ever was for all manners of fuckery, including snitching, accidentally shooting people, getting robbed, so on and so forth.
Having said all that, the book is still kinda impressive in that it must be twice as long as the typical half-assed rap memoir, and relatively little of it is BS filler, in this case letters he wrote from prison. Apparently under the impression that he really is that important[1], Prodigy obviously put a lot of time and effort into working on this book. Maybe he didn't have shit else better to do in prison.
[1] Hell on Earth might honestly be the best album of all time, but still.
I'd list all the things wrong with it, but we'd be here all day, so here's just a few of them:
The timeline's all fucked the fuck up. It keeps jumping back and forth in time, but not for literary effect or anything. They just failed to consult the wiki.
Prodigy claims to have seen a UFO. (He also blathers on about the Illuminati, which he's threatened to write a book about.)
Prodigy tries to front like he didn't get beat up by Keith Murray and Saigon.
He's got a million and one stories about times he almost shot someone. Much of the book is just a history of his various weapons acquisitions.
He rats out seemingly every Queensbridge rapper there ever was for all manners of fuckery, including snitching, accidentally shooting people, getting robbed, so on and so forth.
Having said all that, the book is still kinda impressive in that it must be twice as long as the typical half-assed rap memoir, and relatively little of it is BS filler, in this case letters he wrote from prison. Apparently under the impression that he really is that important[1], Prodigy obviously put a lot of time and effort into working on this book. Maybe he didn't have shit else better to do in prison.
[1] Hell on Earth might honestly be the best album of all time, but still.
July 30, 2020
I have been a fan of Mobb Deep and their music for as long as I could remember; from the time I discovered Hip Hop Music back in the early 90s, and hearing P (RIP) reading his autobiography took me back to days in my youth; me growing up, loving the music but not really understanding what it was all about.
This book opened my eyes to the side of Hip Hop, Life, Fame and its struggles that I was not aware of. The brutal honesty, setbacks, mistakes and achievements all summed up in one great literary work - MY INFAMOUS LIFE.
This book opened my eyes to the side of Hip Hop, Life, Fame and its struggles that I was not aware of. The brutal honesty, setbacks, mistakes and achievements all summed up in one great literary work - MY INFAMOUS LIFE.
June 15, 2013
This is a very thorough memoir which opens readers up to many of Prodigy's personal and entertaining stories. I can't recall ever being bored at a given point in this book, which means a lot for someone with a tiny attention span like me! Overall it was just a dope read. I would suggest this book even to someone who's not a Prodigy/Mobb Deep fan.
May 15, 2011
I've always been a fan of Mobb Deep and Prodigy was my favorite from the duo. After reading this book, I understand his lyrics more and his wild lifestyle. Good read.
Want to read
September 11, 2011Thanks to the Borders closing, I got this book for $2.50!!!
August 6, 2024
From picking this up 2 days ago to now, I have wasted company time reading and reading and reading this book. P is probably the best rapper and the reason why a lot is the way it is in all things rap/streetwear related, so to be able to read straight from the source on how mobb deep came up and all is straight water flowing.
I was hooked just in how earnest he is and refusal to spare a detail - it’s an almanac sense of nyc, rap, police, and getting out over to survive. A+
I was hooked just in how earnest he is and refusal to spare a detail - it’s an almanac sense of nyc, rap, police, and getting out over to survive. A+
February 25, 2022
To all my Killers and my hundred dollar billers...
Interessante Autobiographie auch wenn ich lieber mehr über die Produktion von Musik und weniger über Schlägereien gelesen hätte, die gefühlt auf jeder dritten Seite stattfinden.
Aber wie sagt er so schön:
I was a natural born troublemaker. It excited me. Sorry if you can't relate. That's just me. That's the same reason why I'm writing this book from a solitary-confinement prison cell in Mid-State Correctional Facility...
Trotzdem spannend Geschichten aus dem Golden Age des NYC-Hop-Hops zu lesen und über Prodigys Kampf mit seiner Sichelzellenanämie.
Neben dem üblichen Geprotze gibt er sich aber auch selbstreflektiert und scheut nicht davor zurück seine verletzliche Seite zu zeigen...
R.I.P. Prodigy
Interessante Autobiographie auch wenn ich lieber mehr über die Produktion von Musik und weniger über Schlägereien gelesen hätte, die gefühlt auf jeder dritten Seite stattfinden.
Aber wie sagt er so schön:
I was a natural born troublemaker. It excited me. Sorry if you can't relate. That's just me. That's the same reason why I'm writing this book from a solitary-confinement prison cell in Mid-State Correctional Facility...
Trotzdem spannend Geschichten aus dem Golden Age des NYC-Hop-Hops zu lesen und über Prodigys Kampf mit seiner Sichelzellenanämie.
Neben dem üblichen Geprotze gibt er sich aber auch selbstreflektiert und scheut nicht davor zurück seine verletzliche Seite zu zeigen...
R.I.P. Prodigy
February 2, 2025
a lot of snitching
August 14, 2020
Gets extra +15 stars for having Prodigy himself read it. Unfortunately the book is not that well written.
February 21, 2021
rest in peace prodigy
who knew mary j. blige was feeling dun
who knew mary j. blige was feeling dun
October 24, 2020
Before I begin, allow me to pay my respects to Prodigy🙏🏽. May you Rest In Peace my brotha💔😢 You are missed!
⠀
I love me some Mobb Deep😁. It’s hard to be a fan of hip-hop and not love Mobb Deep. Although I love their music, unfortunately, this audiobook wasn’t a big hit for me.
⠀
I give it 3 1/2 out of 5⭐️s. At almost 14 hours long, it took me a month to finish listening to it. I mostly listened while driving in my car and, on my morning walks.
⠀
The disconnect for me was that I thought it was too long for no reason. Some of the stories were drawn out and definitely could have been shortened. Also, Prodigy talked a lot about women. I wasn’t interested in hearing about that topic. When he wasn’t discussing women, he was talking about fighting. It seemed as if after every Mobb Deep concert, he got into a fight.
⠀
I appreciated when he shared stories about getting his life and health in order. Unfortunately, this was a small portion of the book.
⠀
There is one story I found hilarious. It’s a story about a UFO shining a light over Prodigy’s house and into his bedroom. It wasn’t the fact that he saw a UFO that was funny, it was his response to his girlfriend when she demanded that he go get their children that made me laugh...hard😂.
⠀
What surprised me was all the not so good things Prodigy had to say about his partner Havoc. I wonder how Havoc felt after reading this book🤔!
⠀
He shared a few stories about living with sickle cell. Which I thought was the cause of his untimely death. It wasn’t until recently I learned the cause of his death was accidental choking.
⠀
Overall, if you are a true Mobb Deep fan, I think you will appreciate this book. Prodigy is the narrator, which is cool. It was nice hearing his voice, as he shared his story.
⠀
⠀
I love me some Mobb Deep😁. It’s hard to be a fan of hip-hop and not love Mobb Deep. Although I love their music, unfortunately, this audiobook wasn’t a big hit for me.
⠀
I give it 3 1/2 out of 5⭐️s. At almost 14 hours long, it took me a month to finish listening to it. I mostly listened while driving in my car and, on my morning walks.
⠀
The disconnect for me was that I thought it was too long for no reason. Some of the stories were drawn out and definitely could have been shortened. Also, Prodigy talked a lot about women. I wasn’t interested in hearing about that topic. When he wasn’t discussing women, he was talking about fighting. It seemed as if after every Mobb Deep concert, he got into a fight.
⠀
I appreciated when he shared stories about getting his life and health in order. Unfortunately, this was a small portion of the book.
⠀
There is one story I found hilarious. It’s a story about a UFO shining a light over Prodigy’s house and into his bedroom. It wasn’t the fact that he saw a UFO that was funny, it was his response to his girlfriend when she demanded that he go get their children that made me laugh...hard😂.
⠀
What surprised me was all the not so good things Prodigy had to say about his partner Havoc. I wonder how Havoc felt after reading this book🤔!
⠀
He shared a few stories about living with sickle cell. Which I thought was the cause of his untimely death. It wasn’t until recently I learned the cause of his death was accidental choking.
⠀
Overall, if you are a true Mobb Deep fan, I think you will appreciate this book. Prodigy is the narrator, which is cool. It was nice hearing his voice, as he shared his story.
⠀
August 10, 2018
A part of me wants to give this book 1 star and a part of me wants to give it 5 stars, so I settled in the middle.
Reasons for 1 star...
I feel like this is a character background to Prodigy and not really an autobiography of Albert Johnson. Where does "Prodigy" end? Where does Albert Johnson begin?
There was also a lot "sntiching" in this book. So much so that I thought he was going to snitch on me for something!!!
He also either jumps around in time alot and/or he has some of his dates and times mixed up. Some of these things were easy fixes with just a google search, which makes it somewhat frustrating.
I also felt he played up the tough guy image (aka "Prodigy" ) imagine too much. The book almost sounds like a super long verison of the now infamous interlude on "The Infamous" album. I just can't believe that Albert Johnson was that tough, but maybe he was.
The reasons I want to give 5 stars.
Without all the faults it is still greatly entertaining to listen too. The faults of the book is in some cases the most entertaining parts. For example, Prodigy "snitching" about his crews beef with rapper Noriega is entertaining.
Also, there is just great hip hop history being told be a figure that was apart of the one of the most important rap duos in history.
Reasons for 1 star...
I feel like this is a character background to Prodigy and not really an autobiography of Albert Johnson. Where does "Prodigy" end? Where does Albert Johnson begin?
There was also a lot "sntiching" in this book. So much so that I thought he was going to snitch on me for something!!!
He also either jumps around in time alot and/or he has some of his dates and times mixed up. Some of these things were easy fixes with just a google search, which makes it somewhat frustrating.
I also felt he played up the tough guy image (aka "Prodigy" ) imagine too much. The book almost sounds like a super long verison of the now infamous interlude on "The Infamous" album. I just can't believe that Albert Johnson was that tough, but maybe he was.
The reasons I want to give 5 stars.
Without all the faults it is still greatly entertaining to listen too. The faults of the book is in some cases the most entertaining parts. For example, Prodigy "snitching" about his crews beef with rapper Noriega is entertaining.
Also, there is just great hip hop history being told be a figure that was apart of the one of the most important rap duos in history.
July 4, 2017
I had always been hesitant to read rapper autobiographies but I said "f it", after Prodigy's passing. I had my doubts going in, but this was a surprisingly good read for any fan of Mobb Deep. Especially if you came up listening to early 1990's NYC hip-hop during that era. The behind-the-scenes access to that whole era that Prodigy provides in this book is priceless and there's never a dull moment.
I also appreciate the honesty and vulnerability that he put into writing this book.
RIP, Prodigy.
I also appreciate the honesty and vulnerability that he put into writing this book.
RIP, Prodigy.
January 10, 2016
Albert "Prodigy" Johnson is one half of arguably the greatest rap duo to come out of the 1990s. Mobb Deep. This book is enthralling, filled with illuminating details about one of the most vibrant decades for rap/hip hop. Any fan of Mobb Deep will eat this book up. Read it and find out why "there ain't no such thing as half way crooks." It's so good!!!!
July 2, 2017
My Infamous life by Prodigy
Prodigy was an inspiration to me his words very powerful and uplifting and letting us know he is human just like us he has u drawn into his life story I could feel his pain and struggle and found out details the media never showed us and he will be truly missed... Rest In Paradise #Goodread
Prodigy was an inspiration to me his words very powerful and uplifting and letting us know he is human just like us he has u drawn into his life story I could feel his pain and struggle and found out details the media never showed us and he will be truly missed... Rest In Paradise #Goodread
May 22, 2018
Hearing Prodigy tell his story made you feel like you were right there through it all. I spent most of the time on the edge of my seat waiting for the next thing to happen. Growing up in New York during the same time made it easy to relate. I was back in that time again. I love Prodigy! I love Mobb Deep! The Audiobook was definitely the best choice.
January 9, 2024
Fascinating story about a rapper I admired but really knew nothing about. He lived a wild life - totally reckless and undisciplined but he did have some access to privilege and culture. Great stories of an already forgotten New York.
June 8, 2015
Listened to the audiobook. As an added bonus the book is narrated by Albert "Prodigy" Johnson. He does a phemomenal job telling his life story. Couldn't stop listening to it.
September 29, 2017
Awesome read! Prodigy sets the scene for his life in his own words!!! Touching having read this after he has now passed!
June 13, 2018
A well co-written biography of one the most dark and fascinating lyricists in the history of the game.
December 21, 2024
This is a weird one for me to review.
I was engrossed throughout even though I wanted to knock some sense into him.
Pros
- Behind-the-scenes stories of the 90's hip hop scene.
- In-depth insight into Albert, the man hidden behind Prodigy.
- Prodigy's narration
- Better understanding of sickle cell anemia
Cons
- Albert/Prodigy was kind of an ass.
- Why does this feel like he's snitching on everyone?
- Albert believed in some wild stuff. I essentially became this emoji as I listened: 🤨
Final thought
I love that we get to a place of maturity and emotional intelligence at the end but maaan, dude was stubborn!
They say you shouldn't meet your heroes and this book confirms the adage. Albert was a complex man and while I appreciate that he didn't sugarcoat anything, sometimes confession is good for the soul and bad for one's reputation. I'm left with a different perspective on him as a man; one I never would have reached had I not read this book.
Regardless, Prodigy was a giant in hip-hop and left an indelible mark with Mobb Deep.
I was engrossed throughout even though I wanted to knock some sense into him.
Pros
- Behind-the-scenes stories of the 90's hip hop scene.
- In-depth insight into Albert, the man hidden behind Prodigy.
- Prodigy's narration
- Better understanding of sickle cell anemia
Cons
- Albert/Prodigy was kind of an ass.
- Why does this feel like he's snitching on everyone?
- Albert believed in some wild stuff. I essentially became this emoji as I listened: 🤨
Final thought
I love that we get to a place of maturity and emotional intelligence at the end but maaan, dude was stubborn!
They say you shouldn't meet your heroes and this book confirms the adage. Albert was a complex man and while I appreciate that he didn't sugarcoat anything, sometimes confession is good for the soul and bad for one's reputation. I'm left with a different perspective on him as a man; one I never would have reached had I not read this book.
Regardless, Prodigy was a giant in hip-hop and left an indelible mark with Mobb Deep.
July 11, 2024
I have never been a massive Mobb Deep fan. Outside of the major hits, Shook Ones part 2, The Infamous, Quiet Storm I find their music too nihilistic and depressing.
Despite that, it was fascinating to get an insight into Prodigy, who comes across as an outlaw, free thinker and an eccentric. His unconventional upbringing and bloody minded non conformity come across strongly.
He is perversely likeable, even as he jumps from one petty beef to the next. Success doesn't detract from a ludicrous impulse to "keep it real", that sounds exhausting, and as a reader you just wish he could have relaxed and enjoyed his success.
The psychology behind amassing an armoury of illegal weapons was pretty interesting to me, and I wondered if all his sickle cell agony left him vulnerable and in need of constant protection. RIP P.
Despite that, it was fascinating to get an insight into Prodigy, who comes across as an outlaw, free thinker and an eccentric. His unconventional upbringing and bloody minded non conformity come across strongly.
He is perversely likeable, even as he jumps from one petty beef to the next. Success doesn't detract from a ludicrous impulse to "keep it real", that sounds exhausting, and as a reader you just wish he could have relaxed and enjoyed his success.
The psychology behind amassing an armoury of illegal weapons was pretty interesting to me, and I wondered if all his sickle cell agony left him vulnerable and in need of constant protection. RIP P.
December 7, 2025
Een fantastische inkijk in het leven en de carrière van Prodigy en Mobb Deep. Voor iedereen die dit boek leest, is er gegarandeerd wel iets te vinden waar je het niet mee eens bent of wat nogal discutabel is. Maar Prodigy lijkt ieder geval wel alles van zich af te schrijven op zijn eigen authentieke manier.
Wat bij mij vooral blijft hangen is dat als je tussen alles doorleest, Prodigy eigenlijk niet het leven heeft geleefd dat bij hem past. Hij komt uit een goed ‘nest’ en is bewust het geweldig, armoede en criminaliteit gaan opzoeken, terwijl die er helemaal niet gelukkig van bleek te worden.
Wat ik minder vond aan het boek, was dat het tweede deel van het boek vooral over de muzikale carrière ging, terwijl de muziek daar het minst was. Terwijl ze de tweede helft van de jaren ‘90 hun beste muziek maakte, gaat het in het eerste deel van het boek voornamelijk over het criminele leven in de projects. Daardoor wordt er weinig verteld over hoe hun beste nummers en albums tot stand zijn gekomen.
Al met al genoten van deze autobiografie. Een type boek waar helaas maar weinig goede van geschreven zijn door hiphop artiesten.
Wat bij mij vooral blijft hangen is dat als je tussen alles doorleest, Prodigy eigenlijk niet het leven heeft geleefd dat bij hem past. Hij komt uit een goed ‘nest’ en is bewust het geweldig, armoede en criminaliteit gaan opzoeken, terwijl die er helemaal niet gelukkig van bleek te worden.
Wat ik minder vond aan het boek, was dat het tweede deel van het boek vooral over de muzikale carrière ging, terwijl de muziek daar het minst was. Terwijl ze de tweede helft van de jaren ‘90 hun beste muziek maakte, gaat het in het eerste deel van het boek voornamelijk over het criminele leven in de projects. Daardoor wordt er weinig verteld over hoe hun beste nummers en albums tot stand zijn gekomen.
Al met al genoten van deze autobiografie. Een type boek waar helaas maar weinig goede van geschreven zijn door hiphop artiesten.
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