The passing of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy this week took the Hip-Hop culture by surprise and the outpouring that followed the news has been heartfelt and touching to say the least.
Today (June 23), DJ Premier decided to take fans through a trip down memory lane and shared an uncut version of the teenage Mobb Deep record “Cop Hell” off their debut album Juvenile Hell. We bet a lot of y’all thought The Infamous was their first album). The record was slated to be included on the duo’s debut LP but was pulled by the label due to its violent rhetoric towards law enforcement and the controversy it would’ve incited.
Premo included a statement with the release of this record.
THIS SONG WAS PULLED FROM THE “JUVENILE HELL” LP AFTER THE WHOLE ICE-T “COP KILLER” SONG WAS SHOCKING THE WORLD; SO MOBB DEEP’s LABEL 4TH & B’WAY REMOVED IT AS WELL…
SOME COPIES LEAKED, BUT MOST DJ’s DON’T HAVE IT.
ME, PRODIGY AND HAVOC GOT PULLED OVER BY THE COPS IN 1993 AND THEY WERE ON SOME FOUL SHIT, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITHOUT THEM FINDING OUT HOW DIRTY THE CAR WAS BACK THEN…
SO WE WROTE THIS SONG ABOUT IT…
HERE IT IS UNCUT…
WE ARE GONNA MISS YOU PRODIGY…(R.I.P.)
CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY…”
Just listening to the record you could tell that the duo hadn’t hit the stride they found when they put it down on The Infamous and beyond, but also evident is the rebellious attitude that drove them to such Olympian heights.
We’ll miss you, P.
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Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage
