Artist: Prodigy
Interviewer: Metrognome

With the cultural, economic and artistic developments within any (sub-)culture, the likelihood that a lasting icon will be born becomes less probable. The duo known as Mobb Deep reached a heightened status not long after their inception in the music world with their sophomore opus, The Infamous, still hailed as a grimy, gangster masterpiece. Prodigy, the group's frontman, is following up the group successes with his second solo project, HNIC2. But before the public has a chance to respond to that, Prodigy and longtime friend and collaborator, the Alchemist, are offering up a teaser mixtape entitled Return of the Mac.

SoundSlam: Well, first off, I wasn't aware that you were gonna be in the building, Al, so the majority of the content is directed at Prodigy.

Alchemist: Not a problem!

SoundSlam: Okay, so let's just jump this off... so obviously Havoc is your main man, but the two of you have been working together for a good 10, 12 years. Why did you decide to go solo with Alchemist on board for this project alone?

Prodigy: I mean, this project right here, me and Alchemist collaborated on just to get people ready for HNIC2. When we started working on it, it was just some mixtape material, but it started just comin' out so ill that we were like 'f**k it, let's do it like an album!' so that's what it was.

SoundSlam: Speaking of that, the whole mixtape debacle with Drama and Cannon went down recently. With the RIAA trying to get over on everybody, is that going to impact how you release music? Are you going to have to coin s**t as an album rather than calling it a mixtape?

Prodigy: Naw, you can still put out mixtapes, know what I'm sayin'? I guess that if you're puttin' it out the wrong way though, then you might get in trouble. It's funny that you said that though because they don't be shuttin' down the bootleg movies and bootleg albums. They gotta harass the mixtape DJ's, which is some bulls**t especially if you're the FEDS. Your standards should be higher than some mixtape DJ's.

SoundSlam: Yeah, plus a lot of these companies are hiring mixtape DJ's to promote their own artists. Also, the mixtapes are helping carry into some album sales if the consumer likes what they hear.

Prodigy: And they aren't even trying to really go after all the bootleggers on the streets. C'mon man! How 'bout that s**t!

SoundSlam: So this new joint, Return of the Mac, is the lead-up to HNIC2... why did you decide to do two albums in the same year? Seems like a trend recently to put out two records in a single year, with Ghostface just doing it, Nas talking about doing another one within 12 months, and so on.

Prodigy: They didn't do the same thing I did. Like I said, Return of the Mac is a mixtape, but it just came out so good to us, that it's getting treated like an album. So, it's not really an album, but it's going to sell like an album. Still, it's really just a mixtape to us.

SoundSlam: Do you expect this to generate a lot of sales to carry over to HNIC2?

Prodigy: It's goin' to do what it's goin' to do, know what I'm sayin'? The next joint is coming out pretty much [right away], sorta like back-to-back... like a double feature with the mixtape and then the album.

SoundSlam: Okay. Now, your press release had a quote I thought was interesting. You said, 'I got a lot of s**t to do and say, and I know that Koch won't hold me back or censor my s**t.' What are you gonna say on this that might have gotten censored somewhere else?

Prodigy: I mean, you know me, it's just part of my style. I'm liable to say some s**t that will make people say 'oh s**t'. And Interscope censored some of my lyrics on the "Pearly Gates" song, and I wasn't really feelin' that. But a company like Koch doesn't give a f**k about that s**t, so they'll let me speak my mind... they recognize my freedom of speech.

SoundSlam: Yeah, I can understand that. So about the videos, Village Voice recognized "Mac 10 Handle" as the second best video of the year, so far. Are you getting a lot of click-thru's on the web and YouTube, or are you going to try to release it for actual video rotation?

Prodigy: I don't know, to me it's gonna have to take on a life of its own. It's something I'll just let grow by itself, really. I'm not tryin' to force nothin' on this one.

SoundSlam: Well we just recently posted a story on this new mixtape and posted both single's videos. After I watched them, it really took me back to what you were doing like 8 or 10 years ago, just with the visuals and way they were directed and everything.

Prodigy: Yeah, I mean we wasn't even really tryin' to take it back. We hear that a lot, but we don't really believe in that concept. We believe in tryin' to take it forward to what we're doing now, but if it gives off that feeling, that's cool.

SoundSlam: Yeah, that's all I was referencing was the general vibe. As for Alchemist, how have you grown since when you first started producing with P and Havoc. The sounds and equipment and styles have changed up a lot, in general, but has anything changed for you?

Alchemist: I don't really do anything different. I think that's why people f**k with us because we do what we do best! Musically, I'm always pushing new techniques and trying to pick up new tricks here and there, but if it ain't broke, I don't see any reason to try and fix it. We always see multi-platinum and major-selling artists out when we're at events and they come to us and tell us that they love what me and P and Hav do. So, I know that what we're doing is something that we don't have to change our formula. But with all the new equipment and stuff, that's cool, but I just stick to what I do. I focus more on the creativity then on the equipment.

SoundSlam: No doubt, no doubt. Now P, I interviewed you right before Blood Money dropped last year and you had another interesting quote about how you and Havoc hadn't had the opportunity to accomplish your goals and dreams yet. You weren't really specific about what those goals and dreams were, but I didn't know if you were any closer to those yet?

Prodigy: We are always getting closer and closer, know what I mean? We got big dreams and aspirations. We are never really satisfied... just have to keep it goin'.

SoundSlam: Do you want to speak on what you might have on deck or what you're working on accomplishing? Last time you mentioned some book deals and other info.

Prodigy: I mean, we're basically tryin' to get this bread, man, and do what makes sense and do what's profitable. We ain't just tryin' to do something because other people have done it already.

SoundSlam: Okay, so do you think that any of the singles or tracks off this project are going to have the impact that "Keep It Thoro" did like 6 years ago?

Prodigy: You know, hopefully one of them joints takes off. We put our all into the whole thing.

SoundSlam: Any guesstimation on which track that might be?

Alchemist:...The first single. We just shot the video and it's crazy. It's like where me and P were at during the time of "Keep It Thoro," that's where we're now. It's a collaboration with Bumpy Johnson and Dusty Jewels!.

SoundSlam: That's the word!