PRODIGY FROM MOBB DEAD AT 42

Prodigy, one half of Mobb Deep, has died in Las Vegas … TMZ has learned.

His publicist says he was hospitalized “a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth.”

The publicist added … “the exact cause of death has not been determined.”

Prodigy was in Vegas over the weekend performing with the Art of Rap tour … with Ghostface Killah, Onyx, KRS-One, Ice-T to name a few. Mobb Deep performed Saturday night.

Prodigy and his partner, Havoc, formed Mobb Deep in NYC in the early ’90s. Their biggest hits include “Quiet Storm” and “Shook Ones.”

He was 42.

Prodigy even broke into the cooking biz last year when he published, “Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook.” He talked to us about it on TMZ Live.