American rapper and member of the Mobb Deep crew Albert Johnson, better known by his stage name Prodigy, is dead.
The rapper, who made up one-half of the hip-hop duo group Mobb Deep with Havoc, has died at the age of 42.
It was reported that the artist had already suffered from health issues throughout his life, with the underlying cause being sickle cell anaemia.
Prodigy first broke out onto the music scene with his partner, Havoc, forming Mobb Deep in their hometown New York City in the 1990s.
The duo participated in high profile feuds during their early years, and once had “beef” during the media-fueled East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry with Tupac and Biggie Smalls.
“It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep”, his publicist said in a statement.
“Prodigy was hospitalised a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anaemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined.”