On his controversial blog HNIC2.com, Prodigy has expressed frustration at not being able to witness the release of his third solo album (including last year's Return of the Mac), H.N.I.C. 2, from the frontlines. But at a press event for the album supported by Havoc, Alchemist, Cormega, Big Noyd, Un Pacino, Nyce, and a few other Mobb Deep affiliates, it is clear he has not been forgotten in his absence.

Together, they discuss Prodigy’s latest solo effort with insight that only his closest collaborators could provide. Although Queensbridge rappers are known for internal strife, on this occasion they put all past tensions behind them. Cormega and Noyd speak candidly about their views on some of P’s recent comments critiquing other artists. Proteges Un Pacino and Nyce defend P’s position with reverence, and Havoc and Alchemist reflect on Mobb Deep’s legacy. When speaking about his new project, featuring both a characteristic gloominess and a more pronounced focus on dropping jewels, the praise is unanimous.

What was it like recording with Prodigy before he went in to do this bid?
Un Pacino: Oh, it was crazy. It was good because he wasn’t really that stressed. I would tell him not to let it worry him, you been through a lot you can get through this. And when you get through this, it’s the ultimate, because you’ve been tested in all walks of life. People expected P to fail at a lot of things that he did, but that’s why I liked him, because he always overcame everything- sickle cell, people that was trying to get at him- so it was like he was on top and he always made you look stupid.
Alchemist: It was funny that the last few months before he went in, he didn’t do too much recording. He was more in video mode; he was just shooting videos everyday. I think with music in general, we’re so ahead of the time. Whatever beats are on P’s album, we probably were working on at least two years ago, we’re used to having this delay. But it was more like, “Let me get this video shot,” he shot a video for every song, so that was dope. Until the last day, that was dope.

Mega, given that you have done some hard time, did you have any advice for P as he was preparing to go in for these 3 ½ years?
Cormega: I just told him to hold his head, ‘cause our situations are different. A lot of rappers go to jail. I didn’t become a rapper to go to jail, I went to jail before I was a rapper. The average artist that’s going to jail, they going to get preferential treatment, or they going to keep you away from population. I was with the killers and dealers, I was in population. I don’t think they gonna put Prodigy in population. I told him to hold his head, hit the books and don’t focus on that shit. Just focus on what he gotta do.

Do you think the bid had a significant impact on him creatively?
Alchemist: I don’t think so, I just think he’s taking some time to reflect. I don’t think he’s going to come out like a different P. P’s too stubborn for that, he’s going to stick to his guns. To be honest, he might be in there writing scripts and rhymes. I think he’s just chilling, reading. I don’t think he wants to waste that good energy. That’s like someone who’s young who goes to jail for six years, and they can’t wait to come home, they have 1,000 rhymes. He doesn’t have to do that, he’s got endless records. I think he’s just getting his mind right, he’s just getting a little older and wiser, but we all will be when he comes home.

It seems that since his case, Prodigy has really been focusing a lot more on Illuminati, secret society themes, expressing his views on the world order and dropping jewels in his music. What do you think about that direction?
Cormega: Prodigy been talking about Illuminati. If you listen to “I Shot Ya,” the remix with Fat Joe and all them, he said, “Illuminati got my mind soul and body,” that was over 10 years ago. It’s good that he’s taking it somewhere else, because maybe from there he could alter rap a little bit. A lot of times, conscious rappers expand the minds of other people. He might expand the mind of some younger rappers, the same way KRS-ONE made people want to get knowledge and talk about it, and Chuck D did it. So hopefully, some of the stuff he’s saying will cause other people to get creative with it, instead of everybody talking about, “I sell drugs” and “I shoot people.” At least he’s talking something different, so I respect that.
Alchemist: He was going through different periods in life, things were happening. And I don’t know if it was directly related to the jail bid, but he been doing a lot of studying lately, even before the whole situation. From YouTube, being able to access shit that he had already read before, he was studying a lot of stuff. And I think he had been feeling like, “Yo I gotta put this out,” because that’s something that he had done from day one. And maybe during the course he strayed off, and he always felt like he had a responsibility to do that. I see it a lot more now which is cool, ‘cause it seems like people like that side of him that’s like, “Fuck it, my chain hang to the street.” Because he got both of those sides, just like all people. I can vouch for that, we all go through different changes in life; we lean to one side or the other. P’s extreme, so he leans from one extreme to another.
Nyce: I mean you know it’s a good thing for him because his mind is on another time zone, his mind is in the future. He already lived the fast life, had jewelry, had tons of cars, he done did it all. So now he’s getting educated, he’s sharpening his brain. So yeah, that’s definitely a good step for him, ‘cause we need more idols like that, more people to look up to like that.

On H.N.I.C. 1, he put that quote from Menace II Society about kicking knowledge…
Alchemist: Even on this album, if you notice, it comes out: “Fuck jewelry, fuck rims,” the next song is “Heavy on the wrist, heavy on the chain.” And I noted that to P, “You sure you wanna do this?" And he said, "Yeah I do, I’m conscious of that, because that’s how a human being is. I don’t wanna drop a whole album that’s a paranoia album, ‘cause this record is still about entertainment." So he knew what he was doing. He knew there were subtle contradictions, he understood that. And I understand what he’s saying.

What do you think this situation has done for QB as a whole, has it brought more unity?
Big Noyd: I think it’s the same issues going on, I don’t think it will really change anything as far as us. As far as the fans, they might enjoy it more to see Mobb Deep and Noyd together. As far as personal stuff, people grown now, it’s not a situation where you young, you fight, you break up. By the same token, hopefully the fans show us, “Y'all better together than divided,” so hopefully that happens.
Cormega: The way I see it, I’m trying to be cool with everybody, man. It’s a different day, man. You grow older or you grow wiser, or you grow to either appreciate people or get away from people. But at the end of the day, I always respected P, so when he holla’d at me to get on the album, it was nothing, because I always respected him and Havoc as artists. Whatever differences niggas have, at the end of the day we are musicians. Me and Mobb Deep, the songs that we’ve done previously speak for themselves. So at the end of the day, if you an artist of a certain caliber and you got a grudge with another artist, if people used to hearing y’all together you’re not hurting anybody but yourself, ‘cause you’re doing your fans a disservice.

It sounds like P feels like he has a lot to prove these days. What do you think about him defending his legacy so much?
Havoc: I mean that’s just how he feel and it’s all good. Me, personally, I don’t give a fuck. My legacy is with me, as long as I do good by me and I make some people appreciate it, then it’s all fine with me. I don’t give a fuck either way.
Big Noyd: You know I love him to death, so if I say this I don’t think he would take it out of context. I think that he’s focusing more on trying to prove to the people what he’s worth, more than just making songs and doing him. Because I think that shines a little bit more, that’s just my opinion. He been through so much controversy, he’s a controversy dude, with the Jay-Z shit and the Nas shit. He trying to show these niggas hands down he’s one of the fucking best. I think it’d shine more if he just forgot about that and just make some great songs

Prodigy has also been breaking down how he feels about a lot of rappers, what do you think about him airing out his opinions on people like Jay Z and Fat Joe?
Big Noyd: I think that’s what separates the H.N.I.C. album from regular Mobb Deep albums. He probably wouldn’t say certain things that he feels personally, ‘cause he don’t wanna cause Havoc no conflicts. But with his solo album he able to do that, he can let the world know how he feel. Even though he know we got his back regardless, he taking more responsibility on himself to do that on his solo project. P always gonna speak his mind. Whenever he say something it’s genuine, it’s not just to make sales or boost credibility. If he say it, he means it, that’s the type of dude he is.
Cormega: I respect his honesty, but sometimes I be thinking P is crazy, ‘cause at the end of the day, certain things are better kept to yourself. But I can’t tell another grown man what to do. At the end of the day, what good is it going to do? I know some people’s feelings were hurt, like Fat Joe, his feelings was hurt. He said, “I thought we were cooler than that,” but it is what it is, he speaking his mind

To what extent is the affiliation with G-Unit furthering the Mobb’s career?
Havoc: It is what it is. I’ma always do music. I been doing music, and I’ma continue to do music. Music is my life, among other things.
Nyce: I mean as far as G-Unit go, it’s always a family. G-Unit don’t just represent three artists: Banks, Tony Yayo and 50 Cent, you know? It also represents everybody.

No Buck?
Nyce: Yeah, Buck tried to buck, but he’s no longer there. It’s a whole family, and it’s always going to be like that. G-Unit has been built on being a family, so we keep it that way. But everybody branch off and do their own thing after a while.

What do you think of the album and how Prodigy is coming lyrically? Does he bring the old P back?
Un Pacino: Yeah, that old P. During the whole album, he would hear it from everybody like, “You gotta bring that old P back!” And I guess that’s why he was talking about so many people doubting him, like he couldn’t do it. He did it. He got a lot of strong songs on the album that mean something.
Nyce: Yeah, he definitely did, because he realized it was time. Now is time to do it, ‘cause a lot of music that’s coming out right now, it don’t cater to Hip Hop. Now, it’s a lot of crossover music and expanding, and it’s not a bad thing. He felt like it was time to leave his mark as one of those dudes, one of the streets type of dudes, infamous. It’s always been like that, and he keeps it moving like that.
Cormega: One thing about me, I be honest about everything. I didn’t hear the whole album, so I’m not gonna front, I heard half of it. One day we were in the studio fucking around, and he said, “I want you to hear the album,” so he plays the intro- that shit blew me away. The atmosphere of it is just different from what’s going on right now. So I was taken by that, and a few of the other songs right after that, I was blown away. After I left the studio I was hype, it made me want to write. So I knew it was a good album, ‘cause it inspired me. And I been listening to a lot of people lately, and there are lot of albums I didn’t buy, that I didn’t even listen to because I wasn’t interested. But P’s album- there’s something about it. It’s real edgy and gritty, and that’s what rap’s been missing.
Alchemist: He did it, I mean look, if you don’t like P right now, you probably never liked him. Some people might say Alchemist beats were better in 2000, I like some of my beats that were better in 2000 too. Sometimes I listen to some of P’s old songs and they’re great, but if you love somebody as an artist, you move with him and you respect where he’s at now. It ain’t the '80s, it ain’t the '90s no more, it ain’t like the good old days ever. Some people get stuck in the past. I don’t think he has shit to prove. You could pop in any Mobb Deep album ever, that motherfucka was having his way with it. If you don’t like him you don’t like him, it is what it is
Havoc: I love it. I like everything that P do. I’m excited about it, can’t wait for it to drop, I’m behind him all the way.