My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy

360 Pages·2012·10.76 MB·English

by  Laura Checkoway

THE FIRST MEMOIR OF THE
GOLDEN ERA OF HIP HOP
FROM ONE OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE RAP GAME
Recently released from prison, Prodigy—half of Mobb Deep, one of
the most influential hip hop groups of all time—reveals his story of
fighting to survive on the mean streets of New York City and
ultimately making it big, in his intimate autobiography, My Infamous
Life.
Catapulted from the Queensbridge Projects to the heights of fame
at age sixteen, Prodigy toured the world while struggling with drugs,
violent crime, and a disease he would spend a lifetime fighting. My
Infamous Life is an unblinking account of Prodigy’s beefs, brawls, and
wild times with Mobb Deep—a duo that changed the musical
landscape, leading hip hop into its golden era with their unapologetic
portrayals of street life.
Taking readers behind the smoke-and-mirrors glamour of the hip
hop world, Prodigy lays down the unsparing truth about the
intoxicating power of fame and fortune, his brutal climb to the top,
and his unexpected detour to prison in this raw and utterly—
sometimes unnervingly—frank memoir.
“Albert ‘Prodigy’ Johnson and his partner, Kejuan ‘Havoc’ Mujita,
used their hard-core street stories to forever change the rap game
alongside fellow NYC titans Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Wu-
Tang Clan.”
—THE VILLAGE VOICE
“A surprising triumph, both as an archive of 1990s New York hip
hop folk tales and for its stirring sketches of a man who, on many
occasions, could have made his life a lot easier on himself…. This is
the kind of vulnerability that is fearless, especially within hip hop.”
—SLATE.COM
ALBERT “PRODIGY” JOHNSON
is one half of the platinum-selling hip
hop duo Mobb Deep. He is widely considered one of the most skilled
lyricists in the history of hard-core East Coast rap.
www.myinfamouslife.com
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COVER DESIGN BY MATT BOULOUTIAN • COVER PHOTOGRAPH © JASON CAMPBELL/VISTALUX
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Copyright © 2011 by Albert “Prodigy” Johnson All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce
this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Touchstone
Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
First Touchstone trade paperback edition February 2012
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Designed by Ruth Lee-Mui The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Prodigy (Musician)
My infamous life : the autobiography of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy / Albert “Prodigy” Johnson with
Laura Checkoway.
p. cm.
1. Prodigy (Musician) 2. Rap musicians—United States—Biography. 3. Mobb Deep (Musical group)
I. Checkoway, Laura. II. Title.
ML420.P97527A3 2011
782.421649092—dc22
[B]
2010044439
ISBN 978-1-4391-0318-0
ISBN 978-1-4391-0319-7 (pbk) ISBN 978-1-4391-4933-1 (ebook)
I dedicate this book
to my entire family tree.
KiKi, Kiejzonna,
T’Shaka, and Fahtasia,
I love you.