The State Vs. Albert "Prodigy" Johnson

by Albert Johnson, Kathy Iandoli

In 2011, famed rapper Albert "Prodigy" Johnson released his memoir My Infamous Life: his journey from his time as a member of legendary rap duo Mobb Deep to his three and a half year prison sentence. However, the real story began once he was released. As discussed in his previous memoir, the NYPD hip-hop task force played a major role in Prodigy's arrest. Their presence remained, even following his time served. Prodigy didn't help the cause, finding himself in a series of situations that were partly avoidable, partly inevitable. They say hindsight is 20/20 and The State Vs. Albert "Prodigy" Johnson is full of retrospective tales. Fans of Prodigy's rap legacy will enjoy the stories his follow-up memoir details, but true crime fans unfamiliar with his music will also be intrigued by what Prodigy has in store in his nonstop ride through life in the fast lane.

Albert "Prodigy" Johnson is a multi-platinum recording artist and member of the legendary hip-hop duo Mobb Deep. In 2006, Prodigy was arrested for gun possession and served a three-year prison term. In 2011, he released his first memoir, the critically-acclaimed My Infamous Life. Since then, Prodigy has continued to release both solo projects and albums through Mobb Deep, touring worldwide. When he isn't touring, Prodigy is traveling the United States, lecturing at venues like MIT about the prison system and offering insight on changing the quality of inmates' lives.

Kathy Iandoli is a critically-acclaimed journalist and author. Her work has appeared in publications such as Pitchfork, VICE, Maxim, Cosmopolitan, the Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and many others. She is also a professor of Music Business at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, New Jersey.

320 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2017

About the author

Albert Johnson, better known by his stage name Prodigy, was an American rapper and entrepreneur who, with Havoc, was one half of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep.