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

Albert "Prodigy" Johnson (Author), Laura Checkoway (Contributor)

Book Description

Release date: April 19, 2011

From one of the greatest rappers of all time, a memoir about a life almost lost and a revealing look at the dark side of hip-hop's golden era. This unabridged audiobook edition is read by the author: Albert ''Prodigy'' Johnson

Includes five never-before-released singles, exclusive with this audiobook!

In this often violent but always introspective memoir, Mobb Deep's Prodigy tells his much-anticipated story of struggle, survival, and hope on the mean streets of New York City. For the first time, he gives an intimate look at his family background, his battles with drugs, his life of crime, his relentless suffering with sickle-cell anemia, and much more. Recently released after serving three and a half years in state prison due to what many consider an unlawful arrest by a rumored secret NYPD hip-hop task force, Prodigy is ready to talk about his life as one of rap s greatest legends.

My Infamous Life is an unblinking account of Prodigy's wild times with Mobb Deep, who alongside rappers like Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Jay-Z, and the Wu-Tang Clan, changed the musical landscape with their vivid portrayals of early '90s street life. It is a firsthand chronicle of legendary rap feuds like the East Coast-West Coast rivalry; Prodigy's beefs with Jay-Z, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Ja Rule, and Capone-N-Noreaga; and run-ins with prodigal hit makers and managers like Puff Daddy, Russell Simmons, Chris Lighty, Irv Gotti, and Lyor Cohen.

Taking listeners behind the smoke-and-mirrors glamour of the hip-hop world, Prodigy lays down the truth about the intoxicating power of money, the meaning of true friendship, and the ultimately redemptive power of self. This is the heartbreaking journey of a child born in privilege, his youth spent among music royalty like Diana Ross and Dizzie Gillespie, and educated in private schools, until a family tragedy changed everything. Raised in the mayhem of the Queensbridge projects, Prodigy rose to dizzying heights of fame and eventually fell into the darkness of a prison cell.

A truly candid memoir, part fearless confessional and part ode to the concrete jungles of New York City, My Infamous Life is written by a man who was on the front line of the last great moment in hip-hop history and who is still fighting to achieve his very own American Dream.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

''Prodigy at one time was one of the best rappers in the game . . . he was close to being the best rapper in the game.'' --Jay-Z

''Albert 'Prodigy' Johnson and his partner, Kejuan 'Havoc' Mujita, used their hardcore street stories to forever change the rap game alongside fellow NYC titans Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Wu-Tang Clan.'' --Village Voice

''We had our differences, which was really just hyped-up bull****. I wish everything for Prodigy . . . I just wish the best for him . . . And I would love to see them come back again. I would be the first person in the record store buying a Mobb album.'' --Nas

''Most of the groups that were around when New York's Mobb Deep debuted in 1993 have fallen to the wayside either because they could not stick together or fans no longer cared about their music. But the duo - Havoc and Prodigy - have not only remained allegiant to one another, they've maintained their status as one of the premier groups in hip-hop.'' --MTV News --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

As one half of the hip-hop phenomenon Mobb Deep, ALBERT ''PRODIGY'' JOHNSON has sold millions of albums, performed throughout the world, and recorded with the elite of hip-hop, R&B, and rock with his signature style of hard-core, reality-based music. Born with the hereditary disease sickle-cell anemia, Prodigy has battled pain his entire life and is now promoting the importance of a healthy diet, spiritual enrichment, and a positive, productive lifestyle. He lives in Queens, New York, with his wife and three children.

Hip-hop has taken writer LAURA CHECKOWAY around the world. The former senior editor of Vibe magazine, she has penned revealing celebrity profiles and investigative features for numerous publications and is a regular contributor to RollingStone.com. As a documentary filmmaker, she continues to share stories that impact, haunt, and last. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; First Edition edition (April 19, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439103186
• ISBN-13: 978-1439103180
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.3 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Musical Genres > Rap

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thugs, Guns, Drugs, Industry and a quest for Knowledge April 23, 2011

By Chieck Kongo

Format:Hardcover

For those unaware of Mobb Deep, this is a group that rose in the mid-90's or "second golden era" of hip-hop. At the time, they brought to the table a mix of aggression, introspection, and street logic to their craft that set them apart from their peers. The combination of Havoc's beats and Prodigy's high level of street rhyming had them ranked as high-echelon rappers among fans and peers. Though their theme of crime-life was common at the time, their particular style set them apart as it was much more detailed, felt more "real", and gave a deeper look into the mind of the street thug waiting to rob you. Most of this was credited to Prodigy's unique voice and serious way of rhyming, and is confirmed by sound bytes of Prodigy's various quotes being sampled and sprinkled in the songs of countless rappers to date.

--

I usually stay away from autobiographies written by rap figures, because in the macho world of rap, there's a high chance of making themselves look like Superman and/or constantly altering supposedly true events. In this book, Prodigy is brutally honest -- I would say SHOCKINGLY honest at times about himself and others and it is a wonder how some of his friends that he mentions even agreed to let him include some of things written about them. THAT is the charm of this book.

My Infamous Life is a highly detailed account of Prodigy's life who wrote it while serving three years in prison on a gun charge. Starting from birth and health complications that began shortly thereafter, P introduces us to many of his family members and childhood friends and his exploits with them. His father and especially his grandmother led very interesting and eye-opening lives, for better or worse, and his experiences and learnings from them have largely shaped his mindset and way of life.

He goes on to explain his experiences as a youth that couldn't be involved in physical activities as a kid like his peers, bouncing between rural Long Island and inner-city Queens, his early love for hip-hop and how he had to survive as a teen. Prodigy goes into interesting detail explaining meeting Havoc, how he ended up in Queensbridge Projects and how he lived while there, and introduces to his friends from QB, many of which you've heard or heard of if you're fan of Mobb Deep or 90's Queensbridge rap.

We go into how he and Havoc became "Poetical Prophets" and later Mobb Deep, how they got equipment, their work ethic, street life, the influences of their people, and notable events that occured around the makings of all their albums. This is all interweaved with tales of in depth tales of family life, beatdowns, slicings, parties, tours, groupies, heavy drug use, run-ins with notable street thugs & gangsters, numerous altercations with other rappers (who are mentioned by name), incidents with movie stars and r&b chicks, personal tragedies, spurts of englightenment, and even visions of spirits and an encounter with a UFO. On top of all that, he interjects occasionally with briefs commentaries on his life in prison.

For those wondering.. yes, Prodigy gives his thoughts about the conflicts with Jay-Z and Nas, and mentions incidents between them that were previously unknown. The book also exposes certain levels of strife that were present within the Mobb Deep circle, and answers questions numerous fans had about certain decisions made by the group.

Fans of Mobb Deep or those interested in urban street stories should definately give this one a check out. 5-star rating for honesty.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars insightful autobiography April 21, 2011

By Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME

Format:Hardcover

This is an insightful autobiography that hooks the audience from the Introduction as Prodigy in a prison four hours from the city realizes he is just another inmate though a celebrity. From there Prodigy explains his family roots changed from musical affluence to the Queensborough projects where violent crime is the norm. For instance, Prodigy, who suffers from Sickle Cell Anemia, admits he committed a robbery to insure he met the code of high school which reminded me of the 1950s Blackboard Jungle by Evan Hunter. His family also knew crime first hand when his aunt a bartender was shot in Queens. When he became a famous rapper, blood money and drugs eventually led to prison. There he found out who his true friends are.

This is a timely fabulous memoir as Albert Johnson pulls no punches with his insightful look at his "infamous life" and at the civil war era of Hip Hop. Profound throughout Mr. Johnson lays bare his guts of thriving and dying in the concrete jungle of New York. Although too frequent use of the first person "I" pronoun at the start of sentences (even for an autobiography) feels a bit disjointing, readers will appreciate the honesty that Mr. Johnson provides in this deep gripping introspective memoir.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to stop reading this one!! May 14, 2012

By MGeorge

Format:Hardcover

This book follows the misadventures and life and times of Mobb Deep's Prodigy in a story filled with gangster mayhem, rap influenced chaos and true crime exploits. Prodigy has never been the biggest selling artist but he has always maintained his street cred as the most realest. It is what he prides himself on and his story is highlighted in this book which completely comes across from his point of view. The tale starts as Prodigy first starts out on the mic and on the streets and gradually progresses to his successes in the rap world and failure in the streets which eventually leads to several terms in jail. This book is a testament to how in today's world of hip-hop going to jail is a badge of honor and Prodigy wears this badge proudly, showing in his book how he is the most street and ghetto of today's hip-hop artists. He even challenges real criminals like Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff from the Supreme Team and he dishes the dirt of how it was Supreme who had 50 Cent shot and Mobb Deep affiliate E-Money Bags killed. Not very gangsta of Prodigy giving up the dirt like that but I guess he is trying to sell books. The story is good and Prodigy establishes his rep and his standing in the criminal underworld by dropping the names of Supreme Team members like Nathan "Green Eyed Born" Mays, who he slyly calls Green Eyes in the book, that he runs with. The book is a good story but for a fuller version of Queens underworld that Prodigy talks about check out The Supreme Team: The Birth of Crack and Hip-Hop, Prince's Reign of Terror and the Supreme/50 Cent Beef Exposed. This book gives up more on the criminal element of the New York rap world while also showing the influence the real gangsters had on the gangsta rappers.