When the world learned that Prodigy the rapper had passed away at 42, long-time fans immediately thought of his lifelong battle with sickle-cell anemia.
His publicist’s statement confirmed that sickle-cell anemia was a factor, combined with the intense heat of his last venue.
But it turns out that there’s more to this story.
TMZ reports that, while in the hospital on Tuesday morning, while being treated for sickle-cell anemia, Prodigy choked on an egg.
They report that their sources include both those close to Prodigy and those investigating his death.
It’s still unclear if that caused or contributed to his death.
But we can all imagine the horror of receiving treatment for a devastating illness … only to choke to death.
And it’s easy to imagine happening.
Prodigy would have been weakened and dehydrated by his condition.
Hospital beds are also not really designed for comfortable eating.
Laying on your back, as he may have been at the time, can make it much easier to choke.
Prodigy has been a respected hip-hop artist.
He’s been credited with essentially being one of the artists who defined the genre.
He’s best known for being half of the duo known as Mobb Deep since 1992.
The other member of the duo was Havoc.
Those are both names of X-Men but we think that it’s a coincidence — rappers and superheroes have a lot of name overlap.
But he’s performed with other artists, even in the days leading up to his hospitalization.
Sometimes our curiosity has limits.
Sometimes we find out things that nobody needed to know about celebrities when they die.
We’ve already learned more than we want to about Carrie Fisher’s toxicology report.
And yes, Carrie would want us to know, but not every celebrity wants their private life splayed open.
We could absolutely understand if Prodigy’s loved ones are less happy with this news being shared.
His fans certainly want to know the details of his passing.
But those closest to him want to balance giving fans closure …
… With preserving his dignity.
We all remember the sensational and sad report about David Carradine’s death.
That’s not how he would have wanted to be remembered.
Realistically, even if he asphyxiated on an egg, it was the sickle-cell anemia that’s plagued him since birth that sealed his fate.
It wasn’t even the devastating Las Vegas heat, where temperatures had reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Though that certainly exacerbated the situation.
His sickle-cell anemia would have left his immune system compromised.
And, more relevant to the scorching desert climate of Nevada, it would have made it easier for him to become dehydrated.
So, while the investigation is ongoing, we don’t expect whatever the final determination is to change our view of the situation, egg or no egg.
Just as it won’t change our view of the talented man Prodigy was in life.
