Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy is dead at 42

Albert Johnson, better known as rapper Prodigy of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep, died Tuesday.

He was recently hospitalized in Las Vegas due to complication from the blood disorder sickle cell anemia, according to a statement released by his publicist. The statement, published on rollingstone.com, said Johnson battled the disease since birth and the exact cause of death is not yet known.

Johnson was 42.

Prodigy grew up in New York with Kejuan Muchita, better known as Havoc, and they joined forces in the early 1990s first as Poetical Prophets and then Mobb Deep. Prodigy and Havoc were on tour in Las Vegas with other rappers when he was hospitalized.

The duo's hits included "Quiet Storm" with Lil Kim, "Shook Ones (Part II)" and "Hey Luv (Anything)."

Nas, who is also from Queens, New York, called Prodigy a "king" in an Instagram post. Others also paid tribute to Prodigy, who was often praised for his skilled rhymes and lyrics.

Mobb Deep earned a platinum plaque for the 1999 album, "Murda Muzik," which featured the memorable remix of "Quiet Storm," still performed by Lil Kim on the road today. The duo also reached gold status with the albums "Infamy," ''Hell on Earth" and "The Infamous."

Prodigy released several solo albums, including the gold-selling "H.N.I.C." in 2000.

This story was originally published June 20, 2017 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy is dead at 42."