MOBB DEEP - RAPPER PRODIGY DENIES HOSPITALISATION

LATEST: MOBB DEEP rapper PRODIGY has slammed reports he was hospitalised in New York earlier this week (begs11Feb08), insisting he is in "very good" health. The hip-hop star was to begin his three-and-a-half year prison sentence on Wednesday (13Feb08) - stemming from a 2006 gun charge he pleaded guilty to in October 2007 - but was granted a second medical exemption by a New York judge on the same day. Prodigy - real name Albert Johnson - was previously due to be incarcerated on 8 January (08) but was given a temporary postponement by a judge after reportedly suffering complications due to his sickle-cell anaemia condition. In a blog posted on his official website on Wednesday (13Feb08), Johnson writes: "Who cares what they say, they say a lot. Spell/pronounce my name right when it's time... I did (concert dates in) Connecticut twice in a row, B.B. King's in New York, then Boston, Albany and New Hampshire. "So I don't know why they wanna say I'm sick in the hospital. I'm very good, getting that show bread (payment)." A representative for Prodigy has also confirmed he was not hospitalised.