Mobb Deep star Prodigy has died at the age of 42.
Prodigy in 2012
The rapper - whose real name was Albert Johnson - passed away in Las Vegas after being hospitalised "a few days ago" when he suffered complications with sickle cell anaemia.
Prodigy had suffered with the hereditary disease - in which red blood cells are distorted due to low oxygen levels in the blood - since birth, and although he was hospitalised for the condition, the exact cause of the star's death is not yet known.
The publicist for the 'Survival of the Fittest' hitmaker said in a statement: "It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep. Prodigy was hospitalised a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anaemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined. We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family's privacy at this time."
The hip hop star - who was joined in Mobb Deep with his friend Havoc - was on tour in Las Vegas at the time of his death, following a performance on Saturday (17.06.17) as part of the 'Art of Rap' tour alongside the likes of Ghostface Killah, Onyx, KRS-One, and Ice-T.
Mobb Deep first broke out onto the music scene in the early 1990s, and has been hailed as "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast Hip-Hop groups."
Alongside his work with Mobb Deep, Prodigy also had a solo career which he launched in 2000, and his latest album 'Hegelian Dialectic', was released in January.