True or false. Prodigy was GOAT levels before the voice and energy change, pre HNIC.

Funcrusher

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I’m imagining the sickle cell. It seemed like he just didn’t have the physical energy to push himself as hard as he did from 95-99…

He still showed signs in 2000 but by the time he recorded “Queens Finest” for CNN - The Reunion, it seemed the sickle cell had stricken him of the fire in his voice

Does his book cover this?

I think it does, from what I remember he had a particularly bad (series of) sickle cell episode(s) around that time, as well as people close to him dying. Also affected his motivation, plus they had been making music non stop basically since 93, no surprise that the original fire dims a little at some point.
 

Art Barr

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Before the sonic landscape change of 2001.
prodigy had to figure out how to adjust to the bpm change.

Prodigy was super nasty.

Then he figured out the sonic landscape change and made another entirely different run of dope shyt after that tho.



Art Barr
 

ucanthandlethetruth

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And don't get me wrong, HNIC was dope ASF and P had some fire on there, but his whole style was different by then. Lyrically, P at that time was only challenged by the GOAT's, abd he actually brought more energy to tracks than my personal GOAT, Nas. P's voice on Hell on Earth was fukkin amazing (pause in my opinion). He brought so much energy lyrically. Then a few years later, dude started rapping like a drunk. At least his voice sounded like it. I know he had health problems, but I doubt that can affect lyrical energy. So my question is

Do you think P was that good in his prime?

What happened to his style around HNIC?
Prodigy got quotables for days. This just few..

Illuminati want my mind, soul and my body /
Secret society, trying keep they eye on me:wow:

Rock you in ya face stab ya brain wit ya nose bone:damn:

Take these words home and think it through Or the next rhyme I write might be about you:scust:

I break bread, ribs, 100 dollar bills /
Peel on incogneez and other 4 wheelz/:whew:

Definitely top 5 at one point
 

OrdaineD

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Prodigy got quotables for days. This just few..

Illuminati want my mind, soul and my body /
Secret society, trying keep they eye on me:wow:

Rock you in ya face stab ya brain wit ya nose bone:damn:

Take these words home and think it through Or the next rhyme I write might be about you:scust:

I break bread, ribs, 100 dollar bills /
Peel on incogneez and other 4 wheelz/:whew:

Definitely top 5 at one point

DUCATI'S. What is incogneez ?
 

manyfaces

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Prodigy got quotables for days. This just few..

Illuminati want my mind, soul and my body /
Secret society, trying keep they eye on me:wow:

Rock you in ya face stab ya brain wit ya nose bone:damn:

Take these words home and think it through Or the next rhyme I write might be about you:scust:

I break bread, ribs, 100 dollar bills /
Peel on incogneez and other 4 wheelz/:whew:

Definitely top 5 at one point
Ducati's, but yeah, the nikka had absolutely classic lines.
 

Digital Omen

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Definitely had one of the GOAT rants:

full


TRENDS PRODIGY HAS SET SINCE 1992 AND STILL IS SETTING IN 2008 AND BEYOND:

#1 TATTOO’S ON MY CHEST, ARMS AND HAND SINCE I WAS 12 YEARS OLD

#2 RAPPING WORDS THAT DONT ALWAYS RHYME

#3 PUTTING WORDS TOGETHER THAT DONT RHYME AND MAKING THEM RHYME "big guns down in santa barbray, my crew do it the mobb way every day, crime pay who wanna gun play thrill me. nikkas kill me grillin me you wanna look peep the 9 milly now undress you know the drilly. nikkas suspect weak links pose threat, i have yet to met challenger who go against my set"

#4 CUSTOM MADE JEWELERY INSTEAD OF THE POPULAR MOLDS.

#5 HOW I FOLD MY BANDANA

#6 CUSTOM MADE FOOTBALL JERSEYS WIT HENNESSY and E&J ON EM’

#7 CREATING AND MAKING SLANG POPULAR LIKE ,,,,,, KIKO, CUZZO, VULTURES, BOGIES, HENNY ROCK, NOTTY HEAD, HEAD SPIN (head), BACK SPIN (p*ssy)

#8 MADE DRINKIN HENNESSY, E&J, LIME BACARDI, 151 POPULAR (nothin to be proud of)

#9 SAMPLING MUSIC FROM THE MOVIE SCARFACE,,,,,NOBODY DID IT BEFORE ME..NOT THE MUSIC

#10 SAMPLING MAFIA MUSIC -"crime connections" MOBB DEEP feat. CORMEGA,,,,L.E.S. BIT MY shyt WHEN HAV LEFT MY MAFIA CD’S IN A NAS SESSION. THEN YOU HEAR shyt LIKE "affermitive action"

#11 FIRST RAPPER WIT TATS ON MY FINGERS AND MY WHOLE NECK DONE

#12 PROTOOLS,,,,STARTED USING IT IN 98

#13 MURDA MUSIK,,EVERYBODY USES MY BLOOD SPLASH NOW

#14 WE MADE DOING SONGS FOR CHICKS COOL FOR STREET nikkaS

#15 EVERYBODY WANNA USE THE WORD INFAMOUS NOW……THERES ONLY ONE INFAMOUS ON THE PLANET AND THATS THE INFAMOUS MOBB DEEP. WHOEVER ELL’S IS TRULY PLAYING THEYSELF. COME BETTER. I DONT SEE YOU CALLIN YA SELF NOTORIOUS,,,SO DONT USE OUR shyt…YOU LOOK AND SOUND STUPID.

#16 ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE CALLIN THEY SELF A MOBB WIT 2 B’S,,,,,YOU ARE A EXTRA dikk RIDER. I CREATED THE 2 B shyt JUST SO WE COULD STAND OUT,,,PLEASE STOP IT.

#17 THIS BELONGS AT THE TOP,,,,,,,,,PRODIGY AND HAVOC. AFTER ME AND HAV NAMES WERE IN THE SOURCE UN-SIGNED HYPE COLUM, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME OUR NAMES WERE EVER PRINTED AND OUTTA NOWHERE POP’S UP A prodijee and havik from the west coast????????? THEM nikka BIT OUR NAMES…THERES NO WAY IN THE UNIVERSE THAT SOMEBODY ELL’S COULD PUT THOSE 2 NAMES TOGETHER BY COINCEDENCE. TOTALY IMPOSSIBLE. WE BUMPED INTO THEM nikkaS AT JACK THE RAPPER IN ATLANTA BACK IN 93 AND WE STEPPED TO THEM. ASK D.J. PREMIER, GURU, LIL DAP, 40GLOCC AND A GANG OF OTHER WITNESSES THAT SAW THE CONFRONTATION. THEM nikkaS WAS SHOOK.

#18 TIMBERLAND BOOTS…THESE RACIST FUCC’S OWE US MILLIONS. THEY NEVER DO AD’S USING BLACK PEOPLE OR RAPPERS AS MUCH AS WE PROMOTED THEY shyt.

#19 WEB SITES, I HAD INFAMOUSSTORES.COM AND WAS WRITING BLOGS BACK IN 99 LONG BEFORE IT BECAME POPULAR IN HIP HOP TO HAVE A WEB SITE.

#20 PUTTIN THE VIDEO ON THE NET BEFORE PEOPLE EVEN HEAR THE SONG ON MIX-CD’S OR RADIO. MAC 10 HANDLE WAS THE FIRST VIDEO TO HIT THE NET FIRST, AND THE FIRST TIME SOMEBODY SHOT A BIG VIDEO FOR A MIX-CD PERIOD.

#21 NO MORE JEWELERY, RIMS, OR LIFESTYLE OF THE BEAST. HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY TREND SETTING, LOOK AT WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.

#22 NO MORE FLASHY, DANCY, RADIO FREINDLY , CLUB SONGS..HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY TREND SETTING, LOOK AT WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.

#23 MAKING EXPOSING THE ILLUMINATI, SECRET GOVERNMENT AND HIDDEN TRUTHS THAT NEW HOT shyt… PEOPLE DO IT, BUT NOT LIKE P. I BEEN DOIN IT SINCE 96… JUST LISTEN TO MY BEATS AND HOW I MAKE THIS shyt SO THAT THE REAL HOOD nikkaS CAN GET INTO IT…. THESE fakkit CONCIOUS RAPPERS WILL NEVER REACH THE CROWED OF KILLERS THAT I REACH….HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY TREND SETTING, LOOK AT WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.

#24 I MAKE OLD WASHED UP RAPPERS WANNA GO BACK IN THE STUDIO AND DO IT ONE MORE TIME!! THESE DUSTY, RUSTY, RETIRED RAP nikkaS GET THAT OLD FEELING BACK WHEN THEY HEAR MY MUSIC AND SEE HOW I DONT STOP… ITS HILLARIOUS TO HEAR AND SEE THEM TRY TO KEEP IT COMING LIKE ME. WE NOT THE SAME HOMEBOY!!,,,,WHATS EVEN MORE FUNNY IS THE CONCIOUS RAPPERS THAT GET HYPE CAUSE THEY HEAR MY LYRICS AND THEY BE LIKE "yes our time is here" BUT NO YA TIME IS NOT! WE NOT THE SAME HOMEBOY!! YOU NOT A REBEL SOLDIER….YOU NOT A INSURGENT.. PLEASE….GO HOME

#25 DEMEROL, MORPHINE, HEROINE RAP’S,,,,,I STARTED SAYIN ALL THIS CAUSE I WRITE RHYME WHILE IM SICK IN THE HOSPITAL ACTUALLY GETTIN THESE DRUGS… SAYIN YA shyt IS LIKE CRACK, COKE ANS WHAT HAVE YOU I STARTED DOING THAT BACK ON D.J. CLUE MIX TAPES FIRST TIME WAS ON THE MOTHERLESS CHILD BEAT…ME AND TY-NITTY

#26 I COULD JUST KEEP GOING BUT NOW I’M TIRED… HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY TREND SETTING, LOOK AT WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.
 

Piff Perkins

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P's voice and delivery definitely changed but I don't think that started with HNIC.


That's classic P voice and flows.
:manny:

I'd argue the noticeable shift was way later starting on Return Of The Mac. Which is an amazing album but by that point a lot of his flows/delivery were slower. And then on the albums after that he sounded behind the beat a lot, but his voice was so dope it didn't matter too much on many tracks.
 
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