New Prodigy Interview Speaks on EVERYTHING (one of the best/realest interviews ive ever read)

Planet Ill: Let’s start with Juvenile Hell.
Prodigy: Um Juvenile Hell basically we were high school dropouts; like we just dropped out of school and we was like f**k that, we’re doing Rap for a living. We wanted the chains, we wanted to be in videos, we wanted the cars, the girls; we wanted that whole lifestyle. So when we made that album we were just like little ni***s just rapping about everything that we was going through in the streets.


We was drinking 40’s, smoking weed, wilding, hoeing, you know what I’m saying, weapons doing all kinds of s**t. So when we made that album we were just so focused on having parties and wanting that lifestyle that the album didn’t come out good. We didn’t even concentrate on making a ill album; we was just like come on we got to hurry up so we can f***king be rappers. So we did our best though. We did like three beats on that album. That was the first time we started making beats.


It was hard for us to get the beats that we was feeling from other people, plus it was too expensive and we couldn’t afford it, so we was like f**k it let’s start making our own beats. So we did like three beats “Hit It From The Back, “Hold Down The Block, and “Stomp ‘Em Out” and to tell you the truth those were like the three best songs on the album. So when we seen that, we was like “Wow we got some s**t. We got to make the whole next album, f**k even going to producers.”


So when we did that album that was basically our mind frame we were just young and dumb and that was the result of us not paying attention to business, of us not paying attention to us making a good album. The result was it wasn’t…it didn’t blast off like how we wanted it to. Like how it should have blasted off. So after that, that s**t hit us hard; we was hurt because Nas had Illmatic out.


He was popping with that album we was like ahhh he’s getting all the shorties at the show he’s riding around in a Lexus, chilling in the projects. We like, “Awww we fucked up; we got to go back in. We got to go in hard son.” Now we started paying attention to what we was doing when we made Infamous. The album got to be crazy, so every beat had to be some s**t the whole hood was feeling. You couldn’t come with no corny s**t. So that’s all it was; we made a beat, come outside on the block, play that s**t on the radio. N***as was like, “Oh that s**t ill!” That’s the formula: the hood love it then the world’s going love it.
So basically that Infamous album was crazy, we started getting older, and we started getting into more crazier shit in the street. N***as was bugging; that was a crazy time in my life. I was doing coke and f**king drinking E&J for breakfast. Wilding like for real no joke, we was really wilding like smoking dust (laughs).


We met Raekwon and them n***as (laughs) being on Loud [Records]. They turned n***as out smoking that s**t. They was smoking that sh*t, I think they just passed it to us one day they didn’t even tell us what it was

Planet Ill: Who passed the dust blunt to you?

Prodigy:I think it was Ghost (laughs). He was chilling with some white kids. Word is bond son. How we meet them n***as was, we was up in the Loud office one day right and all them n***as was up there cooling. Them n***as is older than us and we followed in their footsteps for real. We was on our own shit but we followed in their footsteps a lot with business and how they handled they business and how they was consistently on they business grind. Them ni***s wasn’t playing.


They was in the office making deals. If something ain’t go right, we see them flipping out, flipping chairs and s**t, flipping desks, wilding. We seen all that, so we was feeling them n***as, so we started hanging out, started going out to Staten Island, hanging out in the harbor, hanging out in their hoods and s**t just chilling.


We was out there one night chilling with Ghost. He had like two white kids; they was in a silver Benz and back then Rae had a dark navy blue Acura. So we all chilling and sh*t we was little n***as son we had the St. Ides mixed with Hawaiian punch. N***as called that shit the red eye. We was drinking that shit; n***as drinking Old English mixed with Guinness Stout, n***as called that shit Kunta.


All I know is I smell [something]. [But] that don’t smell like weed. So we smoking, I think Havoc was smoking back then. So we getting blasted (laughs)! We was f**ked up. So they like what’s up with Nas they want to meet Nas. They was like “yo we want do a song with Nas” [We were] like cool we going set that up for ya’ll so they drove us back to Queens Bridge.
Havoc is like “yo there was something in that weed son, I’m f**ked up.” I’m like I don’t know man that s**t got me feeling right though. We called Nas so we all got together in the studio and did “Eye For An Eye”. We dropped Infamous ,know what I’m saying, that s**t took off.
Then Rae dropped his solo album. He was wilding talking about coke, and dust and I started listening and I was like these n***as is ill dust heads son. We was little n***as I was like let me try that shit and I smoking that shit everyday after that. I was smoking dust blunts. That was my s**t. N***as turned me out with that shit know what I’m saying? The hood is wild, the hood will turn you out to a lot of shit anyway. Word.

Planet Ill: I feel you. Let’s talk about that Hell on Earth record which is very underrated.

Prodigy: As we did the Infamousand that s**t took off. So we was like aight, we did it this time, we got the gold plaque. At that time, we didn’t have the mind state like we are ill and we the best; we was on some humble s**t. We was always on some humble s**t cause that first album humbled us the f*** up son.
That was a big humble pie like a motherf**ker son. We was level-headed, down to earth. Just do your job, do it good, keep it moving; that’s what we was about. We was aight cool, we got a hit record now let’s not suck our own d**k, let’s keep it going. So we started working on the Hell On Earth s**t. During that album that was two years 96 and 97 we made that album and it came out at the end of 97.
Planet Ill:All the Tupac beef?

Prodigy:Nah not just that, like that happened at the end when the album came out. During the whole time when the album was in making, it took two years. Then the Tupac s**t happened. So that whole two years while we was making that album mad s**t happened like that truck I bought from down south, the black truck when I had bought the green s**t.

Planet Ill: So talk about the two years you were talking about Hell on Earth and a lot of shit went down you were talking about the Tahoe you had.
Prodigy: Yea the Tahoe, know what I’m saying, n***as crashed my car. God bless the dead, my man Twin, his twin brother got killed in the accident. One of our other friends, Ghost, got killed in the accident. People got hurt real bad in that accident and you know that s**t hit n***as hard man because you know it’s death,you know what I’m saying?


So we had to deal with that and that was serious. My man lost his twin brother and then another one of my mans was held responsible for that, even though it was an accident. He got to deal with that reality; he’s thinking damn he killed his friend by accident and everybody dealing with the reality of the situation. A lot of people got hurt my man, Money O got hurt; he was almost paralyzed, Twin that survived broke his collar bone. They found one of my mans in a tree. They found his head slit down the middle.


After that, Havoc’s brother committed suicide and that was crazy man. It was weird cause Killa B wasn’t like that. He wasn’t that type of person to do something like that. He was a wild boy, he was busting his guns and all that, but he wasn’t the type of n***a to kill himself so that hit n***as hard and it was confusing and ‘til this day it affects all us and it’s just hard to understand why certain things happen in life. That’s how life is man, it’s real crazy. And right after Killa [B], my man Yammy got killed out of town. He was doing some work out of town and somebody ran up behind him with a bat and hit him in the head with a bat and killed him. Yammy was one of the strongest n***as that I knew.


That was our man; he gave us the name Infamous ‘cause that was his name. He had it tatted on his arm infamous Yambo. So when Yammy got killed that fucked us up man ‘cause he would come to every show; that was like our strength and even Twin that was our strength that was the wild twin that died. The twins got different personalities, Scarface he was the wild one like anything that go down, before me and Hav even notice it they on it; it’s not going down like that. So we lost a lot of strength, Killa, Yammy, Scarface. It was devastating to ni***s.


We lost loved ones, we lost a lot of s**t man, so right after that my father died of AIDS. He was a heroin addict since fourteen sharing needles and s**t. So he died of AIDS and that fucked me up. I found out about that while I was locked up. I was in county for like two weeks. I found out about that when I was locked up and as soon as I got out it was crazy man all that s**t back to back. It was just wild and me and Hav got to be strong and do this album and think about the future, but it was just hard. So that was just going on when we made that album.


Interview By IPOPPED OFF. Intro By Odeisel
In part two of our Prodigy interview, Prodigy talks about how his relationship with Nas developed and he tell us the reason for the change in his demeanor and focus following Juvenile Hell.
How did the beef with Jay-Z begin? How did Prodigy go from Nas comrade, to having issues? How did Mobb Deep rebound from all the tragedy that surrounded them following the release of The Infamous? Read on or scroll down to listen.

Planet Ill: So you went from the Hell on Earth to Murda Musik


Prodigy: When we got to Murda Musik our attitude it was kind of foul ‘cause of all the s**t that happened in our life. It hardened n***as up in a negative way. That was our whole attitude with that album. We felt like we was left alone ‘cause we lost a lot of strength. We lost our loved ones and then we was like damn like how we going keep it movin? These was ni***s that protected us and loved us and now they’re gone. So our whole attitude was like f**k everybody, f**k everything [and] anybody try something, they’re gonna die. Straight up and down they’re gonna [go] down and that was our mind state when we made Murda Musik.
That was an ill feeling ‘cause you felt lonely, and like I said we lost a lot of strength. I’m sure all of us felt that way, so we just felt alone like, “How we going to do this?” We got to go crazy almost to survive now cuz it’s tough out there when you doing shows, different hoods, different states. Dealing with all kinds of n***as. A lot of n***as is just on some stupid s**t and they’ll wild out start shooting you, try to rob you, whatever.


N***as is crazy in the streets. Everybody is not like a person like myself that won’t flip on somebody when I have the opportunity. If you don’t deserve it I will leave you alone. A lot of people don’t feel like that; they don’t give a f**k about you or your safety or your opportunity or anything.
We deal with that everyday when we go do shows. After parties we got to do autograph signings, we in the hood ‘cause that’s our audience. Like we’re not in the malls in suburbia, we doing autograph signings in Baltimore on the corner record store in the hood lining down the block for Mobb Deep just to get an autograph, we like wow this s**t is crazy. I’m talking about it’s people in line that’s looking like they can’t get some sneakers but they coming to buy an album; that s**t is bugged out. So its like we dealing with all this s**t so we got to be careful. So that was just like the whole thing with making Murda Musik .We were just at that point where we didn’t give a f**k no more.

Planet Ill: How do you feel about that album now?

Prodigy: I look back and I’m like wow you can feel the power in the album, that’s why it went platinum. We put all that energy into it. That aggressive, negative energy and its positive energy at the same time, but all of that energy combined is the reason why that album was so successful. We was like f**k that nobody is stopping us. We’re going to make a hit, we’re going to go on tour, we’re going to come back safe. Nothing is going to happen. This s**t is going to be a success and that’s exactly what happened.

Planet Ill: When Lil’ Kim dissed Foxy Brown on the remix of “Quiet Storm” did that create tension with you and Capone and Noriega?

Prodigy: It didn’t bring no tension. Capone from the block and NORE was always coming to the hood. We had our own little personal differences, little personal s**t that happened, but we put that in the past and it’s cool. We wouldn’t let nothing like that, some bitches arguing get to us. We had beef with each other, we dealing with real s**t. Like ask NORE, ask ‘Pone; n***as been through some s**t son like we would never let nothing like that get us mad. We been through way worse.

Planet Ill: So let’s go to Infamy.

Prodigy: When we did Infamy that was around the time you know where Nas started coming around more. Like at first, Nas didn’t really take too kind to me when I first came to the hood. He actually told n***as I was corny and that Hav need to go solo and it got back to me and I was like damn and that s**t kind of hurt me.
I just came to Queens Bridge and I didn’t want n***as to start like word P corny he can’t hang out with us no more so that s**t kind of hurt inside. I was like f**k that. By him saying that, I swear to everything I love word to my kid word to everything, by Nas saying that s**t to my man Twin that I was corny and Hav need to go solo and Twin came back and told me I was like yo, by him doing that that’s what made me ill with the rhymes because I was like what? You said what? I’m going to show him.


After that, that’s when I made “Shook Ones.” That’s when I made all that shit. My rhymes changed. From that point on that’s when my rhymes changed because I used to rhyme some kiddy voice type s**t like on Juvenile Hell, you could tell we was young we had the kid voice and s**t. But when I heard Nas said that s**t I was like hold up this s**t is serious. I can do this for real. I’mma show everybody.
F**k that he just put the fuel on my fire when he said that and I just started really paying attention to what I was saying; like ain’t nobody going to say nothing I say is weak and I started going hard. I never felt no kind of way towards Nas after that either. I always thanked him in my mind because if it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have been what I am today so in my mind I always look up to Nas.
I always look up to him for that reason and because he’s an ill writer, he got ill songs, ill music so I always look up to Nas and I never felt like any animosity or I never felt like any jealousy or anything. I was satisfied with my own success. I never felt like I wanted what Nas had or he owes me something or I never felt any kind of way towards Nas because he said that to Twin. I always took it and turned it into something positive.
So around the time of Infamy, Nas had started hanging out around more and I was working on Murda Musik the movie and I was shooting a movie for Queens Bridge and for Mobb Deep. I wanted people to see how we was living, like what was going on. People never got a chance to ever see that.
I was like Queens Bridge needs a movie. Mobb Deep needs a movie. People just come inside, be on the block see what n***as is doing, how n***as be hustling like we need to make a movie about this shit. So I started doing that and I said to myself I was like, “Know what? I’m going make this movie and I’m going let certain n***as that I chose to play the parts instead of trying to get real actors. I’mma get certain n***as that I chose that I think can handle that job; I’m get them to do it. So I went to Tim Lord, Nas’ man. I was like Lord I got this part he was like, “Yea aight P. I’ll do it for you, P.”
He probably thought I was bulls**tting and a year later from when I told him he was like, “Oh s**t you wasn’t playing son, you got me in a movie and sh*t this is gangsta!” So I was like, “Yea it’s nothing n***a, you deserve this. Everybody out here, we need a movie son. The world needs to see this s**t.” So I told Twin, Littles, everybody is in that movie son I got everybody in that movie, Nas, everybody. When Nas started seeing this he was like damn P making me look bad because why didn’t I do this first. This was kind of late. That’s why I did the movie. Like why didn’t nobody ever do a movie about this s**t? We in 99, son.


We should have been did a movie back in 97- 96 or something like when Nas first came out. Somebody should have been like they need a movie about their life and their hood. I was like f**k that I’m going to do like f**k that don’t talk about it be about it just do it. So I wrote that shit like f**k it. I’mma do that shit. I got everybody together got everybody in the movie.
Everybody got in that motherfucker; n***as that don’t even get along with each other because I didn’t know certain shit like my man Uncle Lameek, Havoc’s uncle he didn’t really get along with Tim Lord in the hood but I didn’t know that because that was s**t from back in the day.
But a lot of n***as in the hood knew that. So it was by chance when I said you play this part and you play this part and they interacting with each other in the movie. N***as was like, “Yo those n***as don’t even get along. That’s ill that you got them to play that s**t son.” That was kind of crazy when I found that out


You know Nas was just like…you could tell he never said that, but u know I’m pretty smart. I can observe how people feel from their actions and their movements and just seeing certain things you could tell he was kind of upset that he didn’t do it first. And people might have been telling him like yo why you ain’t doing it? P out here doing it.


So we at Soundtrack Studios and Nas started booking sessions right next door to us; out of nowhere. That’s Nas, he’s [usually] at the Hit Factory or somewhere ill like he’s in Bermuda doing his album or something. I was like damn he’s coming over here? I’m like aight cool.
So I’m doing songs for the movie soundtrack and not only did I get everybody from the hood in the movie, but on the soundtrack I got all new rappers from the hood, all the new n***as and dun was seeing that too. And people were going back to him telling him like P is doing a lot for QB, what are you doing?


Like I said this wasn’t on my mind, this not the reason why I’m doing it, to make Nas look bad. I’m doing it because this is what needs to be done. So Nas start booking sessions. So I go over there like what’s up and he’s like yeah I’m working on a QB album but it was a Queens borough album. It wasn’t a Queens Bridge album he was getting everybody from Queens like LL, Run DMC. I was like oh aight that’s cool and somebody else told me he was doing that. The n***as that told me he was doing that was told me before Nas told me.
So Nas came to the studio and he told me that. I was like yo, you know what we need to do? This n***a Jay-Z is taking little jabs at us on songs. I said if you listen to “cough up a lung where I’m from Marcy son” [“Where I’m From”] the n***a not only does he have the plastic cup in his hand and he got the football jersey, but the n***a said a line in his rhyme where he said “I’m from a place where you and your mans hung in every verse in ya rhyme.”


So when I heard that, I was like, “Who is Jay talking about who is talking about hanging in Marcy in they line?” Then I thought about “Trife Life” in my verse I said “jetted through Marcy ‘cause D’s[detectives] ain’t baggin’ me” because I was out there. I was f**kin’ with my n***as from Marcy. That’s where I be at before all that Jay-Z s**t. Those were n***as I went to school with.


So now I ain’t peep it back then when that song came out, but down the line when I’m in the studio talking to Nas around that time I peeped it. I’m like aww he talking about me in that song yo and he bit our shit with the little plastic cups in the hood and if you do the research and history of it, Jay-Z was on some speed boat in the Bahamas Versace type of shit. Then “Shook Ones” came out, then Jay came with the plastic cups, football jerseys in the projects, taking jabs at us and I was like Nas, what we need to do is go at these n***as because number one, his lil’ man is trying to s**t on you; talking about your life is written and all this s**t. That’s when Memphis Bleek was trying to take lil jabs at Nas.


I was like these n***as is going at us subliminally and I was like f**k that, we need to go at those n***a. Let’s make a song about them, son. And he was like nah nah that n***a ain’t nobody to be doing that son. I’m like son I’m telling you its gonna be a problem and he like nah. I’m like aight cool. ‘Cause in my mind, I’mma address it on my own anyway. I don’t give a f**k what this n***a do. I love you Nas but I’mma handle this ‘cause you buggin.


During that same time, he’s at the studio next to us. All of a sudden I found out Littles just did a song on the QB album. Oh ain’t nothing wrong with that, oh so and so just did a song and I’m like, “”Oh this n***a trying to intercept; he trying to do the same thing!” And now I found out the Queens Borough album changed to the Queens Bridge album, the QB album. Now I’m like oh I see what this n***a is doing and during the same time when he came to the studio, he started calling my crib like I would come home my girl be like Nas called. I’m like what? Nas never called me before that was amazing to me!

Prodigy: I call him back like what up son? I’m like, wow Nas getting a little cooler with me and s**t, but at the same, I’m not stupid. At the same time like damn, it takes for us to go platinum; it takes for us to blow up? Now he want to be cool and s**t? Like we should have been close back then when we was trying to get close and doing songs together. But he was too on his high horse to be f**kin with n***as. When we went platinum, n***as started saying Mobb Deep better than Nas or Prodigy better than Nas. I wasn’t even feeling that way; I was always feeling like nah I’m not better than nobody. Nas is ill, I’m my own n***a. But of course when I write my rhymes I’m the best n***a in the world. But in reality, when I’m conversing with you and anyone else I’m like, “Nah I deal with reality. I’m not the best n***a.” I’m pretty good. There’s other n***as that’s ill though, so that’s always my mentality.

So it changed to the QB album. I was like wow I see what he’s trying to do. During all this time, I’m going at Jay-Z. I started writing songs ‘cause he was saying all that faggot s**t and n***a it’s three years later and now you going to say something? You ain’t say nothing when it was war! You ain’t went to Cali. We could have got bodied out in Cali, son! Them n***as ain’t playing. Them n***as is gangs; they do they body shit. Murder every day straight up just because of the color you got on. They don’t give a f**k about you.

This is the shit we dealing with when “L.A. L.A.” came out. We in Cali performing that s**t. It was the number one record on the radio in LA. Our song going back at Snoop and them it was number one on the radio in LA! We had to go to Cali to perform that s**t. We could have said, “Nah we ain’t going to Cali, they going to kill us.” We had to go and do our job. It was number one on the radio, it was a demand. It’s nothing but love from the fans because number one, the fans don’t give a f**k about that East Coast/West Coast shit. That’s something that the media did and all this bulls**t. Mobb Deep been doing shows in Cali, my n***a. When we had “Hit It From The Back,” when my man Bigga B used to work for Loud in Cali, he brought us on tour everywhere in California back when we had Juvenile Hell. Back when with The Infamous, Cali loved Mobb Deep. So this little bulls**t going back and forth with Snoop, Cali didn’t give a f**k about that. So we out there doing shows and s**t still getting love. So years later he’s [Jay-Z] trying to restore the feeling? What feeling you trying restore?

What are you talking about son? Who are you talking about and why are you talking? Shut the f**k up son you should have said something a long time ago. Me and Fat Joe were in Loud offices one day and I even heard Fat Joe say it. I didn’t even come out and say nothing, I was just chillin’ in the office and Fat Joe came out and said, “Yo this mother**ker Jay-Z said he’s trying to restore the feeling.” I looked at Fat Joe I said “Word! I feel the same way son, I feel you on that!” He was like, “Yo that n***a is a funny n***a for saying that. Who is he talking about?”

So I told Nas, he was like nah he ain’t nobody, we ain’t going to diss him. I said f**k that, I’ll diss him on my own. So I diss that n***a, sh**ttin on him. I said in the “Source Magazine,” “Yo that n***a is a bitch ass n***a for saying that, he wasn’t even around when that shit happened,” Biggie was going at them n***as, Mobb Deep was going at them n***as, and they was going at Nas, they was going at Jay, they was going at Biggie and them n****as was quiet than a church mouse son. Them n***as was quiet than a motherf**ker son.

I took it personal when he came out and said that. So I’m chillin’ with my man E Moneybeags, rest in peace. I know Bags from my man Shameek. Me and Shameek grew up together in Hempstead, Long Island and we bumped into each other going down the block. He like I just moved out here, I’m like I just moved out here! So down the line, Shameek started bringing E Moneybags out to Queens Bridge. So that’s how I meet Bags. They started hanging out with Nas and all that, we got real close through Shameek and through Nas.

Down the line when I’m dissing Jay-Z, Bags told me, “I went to high school with Jay-Z. Me and Jay-Z went to high school. Sauce Money is married to my sister. F**k Jay-Z, that n***a is a bitch son. I know that n***a man. I’m like, “Word that n***a said some bulls**t, I had to speak up on it.” He’s like, “Nah, you right son. You ain’t wrong for speaking up on it.”

So me and Bags chillin in the studio one day in Long Island at this place called the Music Palace. It was a Friday night, I had came from the store and on the radio it was Funk Master Flex it was Jay-Z , Freeway , Beanie Sigel and the Young Gunnaz. They was all on there freestyling on Flex show and I was listening to it ‘cause they was going on. Before I get out the car, I’m like let me listen to the radio and all of a sudden I hear Beanie say “I creep on ‘em like a quiet storm” I’m like hold up? This n***a tried to go at us just now. So I’m listening closer now.

He had some n***a named H Money Bags rappin. So I go in the studio I’m like, “Yo E, come outside real quick.” He like, “H Money Bags, who that? I’m like, “Yo son n***as biting your name, son. He like, “I told you I knew that n***a from high school son. That n***a know me. My name was E Moneybags back then son. Them n***as biting my name son!”

I’m like, “You know them n***as just tried to diss Mobb Deep just now. Come on let’s go call Hot 97.” We call Hot 97, somebody picked up I’m like, “Yo this Prodigy, let me speak to Jay-Z.” Yo P they just left, man they just got on the elevator. They went outside to go get him. Jay-Z came up back and got on the phone. I said “Yo man, somebody wants to talk to you.” Gave the phone to E , E like, “What up n***a.” He[Jay] like who this? “This E Moneybags. Who the f**k is this H Money Bags, son? That’s my name, son. That’s my s**t! You got somebody with my name n***a?” So him [Jay] and Bags start arguing. Jay said, “Whatever n***a.” Bags was like,”Whatever? Then when you see me you know what it is!” And they hang up. “I’m like f**k that n***a son.”

Anyway a couple weeks later, Bags had beef with ‘Preme ‘cause bags was going to buy a car and ‘Preme was selling it. So he put a down payment on it and I was doing music with Bags and I paid him for it. So Bags is like, “Oh shit, I got this money now. Let me get that money back from him.” Bags like let me get that back, ‘Preme like nah, you cant get that back. Bags like what? Bags seen him behind The Coliseum, one day. Seen him chillin in the car, walked up to his car,and shot his car up. Nothing hit ‘Preme, the shit hit Black Just. Black Just was still alive, he got shot in the thigh and probably somewhere else, I don’t know, but the thigh was the bad one.

Mary Immaculate [Hospital] is right around the corner. Preme takes Black Just to the hood and tells somebody else to take him to the hospital. Black Just dies from bleeding to death, so now n***as is after Bags for that. So Bags telling me like, “Yo man, I didn’t mean to kill Just, I was trying to kill ‘Preme.Them n***as after me. I don’t give a f**k though, I’mma kill ‘Preme when I see him.” A couple weeks later, Bags got murdered and I was just with him the day before. I got up early in the morning, called him, and the police picked up the phone. I’m like oh shit and that shit was like wow man bunnies took my bunny.

Right around that time Bags got killed, Nas made a record called “Build and Destroy.” He dissed me, talking about I told you Prodigy used to be my man. He said I was jealous of him in the song. I was like damn where is this coming from, I never did nothing against this n***a. I was just mad cool with this n***a. Why is he trying to diss me now? I thought about it I was like, “Oh shit it was because I started going at Jay and it started getting out there to the fans like, ‘Oh P and Jay are going at it and Jay put up the Summer Jam s**t.’”

Then it really exploded. Jay just dissed Prodigy. Prodigy dissing Jay and Nas dropped that song “Build and Destroy.” What he did was like a chess move. Same thing he did with the soundtrack. Like nah I can’t let P do this. So he got me out the way by dissing me, so when people see Nas diss Prodigy n***as is like Nas is the real n***a and that he’s going at Jay and that’s when he dropped “Ether.” THEN it became a Nas/ Jay-Z thing. When he dropped “Ether” I was like I’mma fall back anyway. I could have never made a song like that song wow! Tell you the truth, I couldn’t do that song. Only Nas could come with some s**t like that, so I wasn’t even mad! F**k it I’ll fall back, like f**k it now its f**k Jay-Z and f**k Nas fuck all you n***as now! Basically that’s how the Nas shit started and that’s how the jay-z shit started and that’s how all the other shit started. We ain’t never start nothing son, we was just defending our position.

A lot of shit that n***as go through as far as rap and beefing with n***as and s**t. A lot of s**t, number one, because like you said before, we real aggressive with our music and the music is real aggressive. So we’re going to attract aggressive listeners and fans. A lot of times, it’s because of the music. It’s just like that’s how people are going to come to us ‘cause that’s what we’re putting out there. That’s just how the world works. But at the same time, for that reason, we try not to be reckless with our lyrics and the things that we say. We always on… if u really listen to Mobb Deep, then you will know that Mobb Deep is always on some self defense shit. When we talk, we say if u do something to me I’m going to do something back to you; I’mma protect myself. And we always on some shit like that.

We’re never out there really on some reckless s**t; it’s always on some revenge s**t or something I’m not trying to say revenge is good, but I’m just saying that’s what it is and we do that for a reason. ‘Cause we don’t want to put nothing reckless in the universe. You’re not supposed to do that, know what I’m saying? It’s going to come back to you.

Planet Ill: Big Beef, tho.

Prodigy: Yea I mean, but nah nah nah that’s what I’m tryna tell you. If you pay attention to the music, we’re not doing that. Like we probably did that like on Juvenile Hell album wasn’t thinking but like u know when we got to Infamous and all that shit that was on our minds all the time. When we write our lyrics, me and Hav that’s how we are. Our personality comes out on our lyrics and our personalities is like that. We don’t want no trouble we don’t start no trouble but we will defend our self and our personality reflects in our music so that’s what it is. Because the music is so aggressive though its definitely gonna come back so it comes back but it doesn’t come back crazy cuz were not crazy it just comes back a little bit know what im saying and that’s what it is.

Planet Ill: Them same n***as be the same n***as that be listening to the joint, too.

Prodigy: Who knows what be on people mind? But the people that we had beef with know what I’m saying. Explain from the first to the last, like look what kinda people they are look at what they doing and I explain to you. You see that we didn’t do nothing really; they started with us know what I’m saying? These people starting with us. We not starting trouble with nobody, we protecting ourselves, know what I’m saying. And that goes all the way down the line with every single little drama we had in rap music. We’re protecting ourself basically.


http://planetill.com/2010/01/prodigy-an-infamous-walk-down-memory-lane-pt-1/