First off this could not have happened without DanTheMan. It’s a long strenuous day and after several calls I reach one exhausted individual that is only hours away from having his freedom taken away or so he thought. Early in the morning the day that Prodigy was going to go to jail I sat down with him to talk about so many issues that were surrounding him. Later that day it was announced that he would have 30 more days of freedom. In a time when a man is only hours away from having his freedom taken from him find out what goes through the mind of Prodigy…. Enter HNIC.

illRoots.com: Well, you know I just wanted to thank you for giving me this interview, I know its been a long stressful day for you.

Prodigy: No doubt.

illRoots.com: One song that you would think sum up your entire life?

Prodigy: I don’t know that’s a hard question, you know everything in one song.

illRoots.com: Okay just this time period?

Prodigy: Um..shit probably Real Power is People the song I got on HNIC 2.

illRoots.com: You know I heard Pearly Gates, and I just wanted to clarify that song and your religious beliefs?

Prodigy: No doubt. I’m definitely a spiritual person, definitely believe in the creator of the universe and everything and there’s definitely a higher power. I believe what you put out into the universe is what you get back,Word.

illRoots.com: Could you still elaborate on the Pearly Gates song?

Prodigy: I mean on Pearly Gates I was basically trying to grab peoples attention and say something about religion that was shocking for people to hear. So they would be like “Yo what the fuck was he saying, ayo run that back”. So I just wanted to grab peoples attention and plus it was just an opportunity to raise questions, so I didn’t really have to explain everything in a song, I just wanted to get people to raise questions be curious. So like more questions like the one you just asked me, so now I can explain it. What I’m talking in an interview instead of writing it in my verse. So basically I believe that all religions were basically forced upon us as means to control the people, because where they took us from where we were originally from, where we were indigenous. Them niggas took us from Africa and basically when we out there we didn’t have any of them Bibles and none of that shit, we just had our own spiritual connection with the universe and whatever have you. Basically they stripped us of our spiritual connection and [they] have us believing in some other shit that has them forcing it down our throat. Its not even our culture, has nothing to do with our history or anything. So that’s basically what I was saying on that song. Just showing how I don’t have fear to talk against that because I don’t believe in that shit.

illRoots.com: Whats your view on hip-hop right now?

Prodigy: Shit is just popping right now, its many more ways, more business opportunities available so you can go from Hip-Hop or rap to other ventures. Its opened up a lot of doors lately. Its definitely in a good place right now the way technology is going its definitely in the forefront.

illRoots.com: Dealing with technology, your new joint is going to be put out with Voxonic Technology that Andre Harrell endorses could you speak more on that?

Prodigy: Yeah, basically Voxonic is a company that owns a patent on this technology where they can take my songs , “Keep It Thoro” for example and have it in several different languages in the world, like any language really, and its me talking in that language. So its sounds weird but when you hear it you’ll be like “How the fuck did they do that”. So basically I heard about their technology, I set up a meeting with them, we sat down and spoke, and I told them what I was trying to do with my album HNIC 2, they told me what they were trying to do with their technology and we just put it together. They brought me in as a partner in their company and also hired me to do A&R so I can sign acts.

illRoots.com: Speaking more on your music, what can look forward to on HNIC 2?

Prodigy: Definitely look forward to a lot of just no nonsense music, this the real rebel music right here. Not watered down, not filtered, this is real shit you don’t have nobody deleting parts in my rhymes or none of that. Word, ain’t none of that shit, this is the real deal.

illRoots.com: This upcoming bid they gave you what?

Prodigy: Its 3 ½ years.

illRoots.com: How do you feel this is going to affect you as a person?

Prodigy: I mean its going to clean out my body and mind its going to have me in good or rather excellent physical condition when I get home because I’m going to just be reading [and] working out, not smoking, not drinking. When I get home I’m going to be focused like a mother fucker.

illRoots.com: So this is like a training camp for you?

Prodigy: Yeah, because where I’m at in my life this is supposed to happen, you know the universe is attacking me because I didn’t do the right thing and I know who I am. Once you know who you are and you continue to go down the wrong path then the universe is going to get you.

illRoots.com: What some of the bigger things that you feel you’ve done wrong over the last couple years to set the universe against your or brought this upon you?

Prodigy: Just not being as focused as I should [have] been on my health. Just like my diet and you know my physical conditioning. You know just not being focused on what I need to be doing and where I need to be going with my music and with my life and my business’ you know I just really wasn’t focused. So this was bound to happen, something was bound to happen. You know I was trying to change and it was hard and something was bound to happen to force me to change because it is what it is I can’t fight it.

Prodigy - “ABC” (Directed by DanTheMan)

illRoots.com: A lot of people gave Mobb Deep a lot of flack because you went with G-Unit, what’s your reasoning behind that?

Prodigy: I mean its business, we keeping Mobb Deep relevant and alive on the TV screen and on tours anybody hating on that, well that’s just pure hatred. Like we staying relevant, how [are] you goin[g] to be mad at niggas staying relevant.

illRoots.com: So is Havoc going to be coming out with another solo album or can we look out for another Mobb Deep album?

Prodigy: Right now focus is all on the HNIC 2 and after that another Mobb Deep album.

illRoots.com: With Fif?

Prodigy: Hell yeah we still with G-Unit.

illRoots.com: With this bid coming up what emotions are running through your head right now as your getting ready to go in and have your freedom taken away?

Prodigy: Basically just making sure that my wife is left with everything, she can handle everything, as far as my album and all the business act is taking care as the marketing and promotion, she know what she had to do. You know and just wrapping up these videos and just making sure everything is good because that’s going to make everything else go smooth. My album is smooth and everything else is done. That shits done in the can.

illRoots.com: So when are yall going to be releasing that?

Prodigy: First Tuesday in March.

illRoots.com: So I heard they tried to set you up to snitch out 50?

Prodigy: Yeah, they definitely did.

illRoots.com: So what’s the deal with that?

Prodigy: Yeah, they definitely tried to get me to put shit in his car, [they] said they would let me walk if I did that. But you know it wasn’t going down like that.

illRoots.com: Whats the prowess on that though, why 50?

Prodigy: You know that shit gets deep, you got a lot of racists’ people in this world, just evil motherfuckers, that’s what it is, that’s what we’re dealing with out here. We have to stay a step ahead of the game like protect ourselves from these motherfuckers.

illRoots.com: So you got pulled over and they search my car?

Prodigy: Basically they illegally searched my car and found a weapon in the car, locked us up.

illRoots.com: Can’t you just get that registered though?

Prodigy: Nah, I’ve got criminal history. I’ve got a little rap sheet.

illRoots.com: What was one time in your life that you can really contribute most of the success from?

Prodigy: Hard work, you work hard your going to succeed eventually.

illRoots.com: Okay Saigon, your rundown of what went down?

Prodigy: I mean basically he started that by burning our album cover on SMACK DVD, so we seen him at the club and niggas just pounded him out. He saw an opportunity where he could take a shot at me in the middle of all that, so he took a shot, and then niggas pounded him out some more. Like that’s all that really happened.

illRoots.com: So what other ventures are in store for P?

Prodigy: Just working on these movies, I got an autobiography that I’m working on its called My Infamous Life. I got a lot of things I’m working on just basically albums, movies, and books.

illRoots.com: So you’ve only got one more album on G-Unit, do you plan on re-signing ?

Prodigy: You never know what will happen, you never know.

illRoots.com: I got to be real with you I want to get up early its like 3:30 now.

Prodigy: Word up, I gotta get up at 9 to go jail.

illRoots.com: Man that’s rough.

Prodigy: Well man, keep it up, you guys are doing great things over there.

illRoots.com: Thanks friend, and shout out to Planet Asia for schooling me and opening me up to different spiritual beliefs and the sort. Look out for much more from Prodigy and Mobb Deep and much more from Hallway / Waxx / Kinggs with www.illroots.com.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 14th, 2008 at 3:09 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.