Mike Delorean of Bars-N-Hooks Says Prodigy Mural Was Defaced Because Late Rapper Disrespected People in Queens
The hip-hop world was very disappointed when a mural dedicated to Prodigy—the late Mobb Deep member who died unexpectedly last month at the age of 42—was repeatedly defaced before ultimately being taken down from the side of the building in the late rapper's native Queensbridge housing projects. While plenty of people were quick to condemn the defacing, Bars-N-Hooks's own Mike Delorean says P's treatment of people in the neighborhood made it an inevitability.
During a recent interview, Delorean, who was once signed to P's Infamous Records label as a member of Bars-N-Hooks, said the motivation behind the defacing of P's mural was personal and probably the result of some folks who feel the Mobb Deep rapper wronged them in the past. Delorean and P weren't on great terms because of some comments the late rapper wrote in his book, My Infamous Life.
“He scarred some people personally,” Delorean said in an interview with Jamil Lindsey, who is the CEO of Gully TV. “He talked badly about people … people in jail. People who embraced him.” Probing for a more specific answer, Lindsey asked if Prodigy had "disrespected dead and incarcerated Queensbridge natives —is that why the mural can’t exist on the Queensbridge property?” Delorean's answer? “Yes.”
While Delorean offers an explanation for the defacings, he makes it clear they were probably more of an indictment on P's relationship with the Queensbridge than with hip-hop. That much was proven when folks like 50 Cent, Remy Ma, LL Cool J and Ice-T showed up to the rap legend's memorial service. For his part, he's still showing reverence to the rapper.
“[The mural] just can’t exist in Queensbridge where the people he disrespected have kids that will see it every day," Delorean explained. “I still have pictures up, because I respect him as a legend,” Delorean states at the end of the interview. “There are things he showed me that nobody could take."
Check out Delorean's interview below. He begins speaking on the mural at around the one-minute mark.
See Fans' Reactions to Prodigy's Death