A lot has changed in your life and career over the past years. Who is Prodigy nowadays?
I’m just making more moves now. Getting into movies, know what I’m saying, getting into new stuff. I’m doing stuff that I wasn’t doing before, but basically I’m the same dude. As an artist time passes you just get more experience and stuff.
In general, what inspires you/pushes you now?
I hear good music and get inspired by that.
“The Return of the Mac” seems to have been welcomed more by your fans than Blood Money. Why do you think that is?
I don’t know ‘cause I was trying to be the same. I just do what I like and hopefully people like it too.
How was your experience of working with Alchemist on the last album, as opposed to Havoc?
I mean Alchemist is cool, he’s family. So it was normal, know I’m saying? I did same as I always do, just Alchemist did his bit. There was nothing different. It was just Alchemist beat. Hav was in the studio with us thou.
You are working on a film now. What should we expect from it?
It’s a sticker’s move about a stick up kid. Really try to show life when he gets send back into the world. It’s a good story. Its definitely exciting ‘cause its something I’m trying to do with myself.
On Hell on Earth you rap “Fuck rap, I’m tryin to make CREAM and that’s that”. In your current state, how much focus do you put on the art of music and how much on the more commercial elements?
I don’t care about commercial and all that shit, I just do what I like. I like how it sounds and if I like the ides itself Imma do it. If its commercial or hard core, whatever you wanna call it. I’m just trying to do good music, know I’m saying? I don’t get caught up in all that shit, trying to be commercial and all that, I don’t care about all that.
What is good music to you?
Good music is anything that make you feel good, that make you like it. It can be reggae, could be reggaeton, could be R&B, it could be opera, it sound good and you’re enjoying it, make you wanna hear more, that’s good music.
How integrated into G-Unit are you nowadays as opposed to just being an artist signed to the label?
I mean Mobb Deep is on G-Unit and we’re real cool with 50. It’s a tight family, knaw I mean? We got some stuff with Hav on the new 50 album. It’s popping right now.
You’ve always represented the hood in your raps. How important are the more social issues to you, like poverty, lack of education, rate of incarcerations and so on?
That’s what its all about. If you listen to my lyrics, that’s what it is. Talking about what’s going on now in your community… Mobb Deep we talk about everything. We don’t let nothing go by.
Are you working on a new album right now?
We constantly working on new music. I’m working on H.N.I.C. 2, Alchemist working on his album, Havoc working on his album. We’re always working on something, work is non-stop. As soon as you stop you fall off. And if you look at our career we been working non-stop.
Do you have any new shows coming up in New York?
Probably late summer. A lot of times they wanna book us but they scared of it. Hard to get spots a lot of times. People are scared of shit but I don’t know why. They just scared of music.
What is your favorite type of a fan?
Shit. Fan that like Mobb Deep. Know I’m saying? Unconditionally. I don’t like a fan that like “Mobb Deep they sold out.” That type of fan to me is idiot. They don’t know what they talking about. They just talking ‘cause they wanna hear themselves. And they wish they could so they gotta talk about other people. I do any music that I wanna do. I’m always the same person. I’ll never change up my style, it’s always the same. I don’t care if I sing with 112 or Mariah Carey or anybody, you listen to my lyrics and you see that [I give everything that I got]. They say Mobb Deep is going commercial, they with G-Unit, they got too much money. It makes no sense to me. If you listen to our music it’s the same approach. We always got R&B hooks like Temperature’s Rising. We do music. We can’t do the exact same thing all the time. If you do the same thing its boring. You gotta make a variety. As long as you do what you like to do. Got to go outside of your area, know I’m saying?
Is there anything you’d like to add?
Oh shit. Just look out for that H.N.I.C. 2, album I’m doing solo.