Introducing The Realness: The Untold story of...

Drug wars, recessions and record violence in the 1980s had US cities in crisis. Hip hop artists responded by shifting from party music to a new style called "conscious rap." Artists like Public Enemy and Digable Planets championed a sound that was political, community-minded and ...  Show more

Prodigy is supposed to fly back home right after a show in Vegas, but he never gets on the plane. As the world of hip hop mourns, there are still questions surrounding his death. We try to find answers, and go inside Prodigy’s memorial service to say goodbye to a rap icon. Explor ...  Show more

Prodigy made up half of the hugely influential hip-hop duo Mobb Deep, but spent his life in excruciating pain due to a debilitating disease called sickle cell anemia. On this episode, the hosts of WNYC's The Realness podcast chronicle Prodigy's struggle with the disease, share th ...  Show more

In 2017 rap legend Prodigy unexpectedly died in a Las Vegas hospital. The 42 year old had famously battled sickle cell anemia since birth; the pain of which helped him mold the signature hard core rap sound that propelled him to fame. But shortly after his passing, rumors emerged ...  Show more

ODB died of an accidental drug overdose two days before his 36th birthday. Over the course of his short life, Dirty took on many names – Russell Jones, Ason Unique, Old Dirty Bastard, Osirius – each of them capturing a different facet of his personality. Khalik explores how Ol’ D ...  Show more

This is the story of Old Dirty Bastard, aka Ason Unique, the magnetic secret weapon of the Wu-Tang Clan and hip hop hall of famer. Photographer Khalik Allah takes us on a journey into ODB’s world, exploring the beliefs, background and experiences that shaped his unforgettable mus ...  Show more