Craig Mack

Craig Mack
Background information
Born	Craig Jamieson Mack (1970-05-10)May 10, 1970 The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Origin	Long Island, New York, U.S.
Died	March 12, 2018(2018-03-12) (aged 47) Walterboro, South Carolina, U.S.
Genre	East Coast hip-hop
Occupations	Rapper songwriter record producer
Years active	1988–2006 2012–2018
Labels	Mack World Bad Boy Scotti Brothers Street Life Def Squad Arista
Children	2

Craig Jamieson Mack (May 10, 1970 – March 12, 2018) was an American rapper. He is best known for his tenure with Bad Boy Records, during which he released his 1994 single "Flava in Ya Ear" (1994), which peaked within the Billboard Hot 100's top ten. The song preceded his debut studio album Project: Funk Da World (1994), which spawned his second top 40 single, "Get Down". His second album Operation: Get Down (1997) was released by Scotti Brothers Records.

Later in his life, Mack joined the Overcomer Ministry in South Carolina.^[1] Mack died in 2018 from HIV/AIDS at the age of 47.^[2]

Craig Jamieson Mack was born on May 10, 1970^[3] in The Bronx,^[4] and raised in Brentwood, Long Island.^[3]

He began rapping as a teenager under the name MC EZ. His first single, "Just Rhymin'" backed with "Get Retarded", was released in 1988 via Fresh Records and credited to MC EZ & Troup.^[5] Mack became friends with fellow Long Island hip hop act EPMD and eventually went on tour with the duo, doing jobs as a roadie. After a few years without forward movement in his recording career and EPMD's breakup, Mack took advantage of an opportunity that Alvin Toney made possible for him, to rap for Sean Combs.

Mack freestyled for Combs as a demonstration of his skills out in front of a club in Manhattan.^[6] Mack then secured a record deal with Combs's newly founded label with the help of his friends Busta Rhymes, Len Len, Scenario and Sande Kodwaney, Bad Boy Records.

Mack is best known for his 1994 hit single "Flava in Ya Ear", which was released under his real name. The single topped Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart for a then-record 14 weeks and was certified platinum within four months.^[2] The remix of the single was the breakout appearance of The Notorious B.I.G., as well as one of the first solo appearances by Busta Rhymes.^[7] While Mack was technically the first rapper to release music on Bad Boy Records,^[3][8] the success of The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album Ready to Die, which was released a week before Mack's debut album Project: Funk Da World, overshadowed Mack's early success on the label.^[7]

Although Sean Combs mentioned in a 1994 interview on MTV's Yo! MTV Raps that he was working with Mack on his second album, which was to be released sometime in January 1995, this proved to not be the case. Present at the interview, which included The Notorious B.I.G., Mack appeared puzzled by the statement. Mack clashed with Combs over creative and financial matters. In April 1996, he filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to get out of his Bad Boy contract while negotiating with Death Row Records; under a settlement he was allowed to leave the label, withdrew the bankruptcy filing and gave Bad Boy a share of his next deal. He abandoned the Death Row plans after the killing of Tupac Shakur in September 1996. Bad Boy has stated that Mack left the label of his own accord and was free to pursue other opportunities.^[2] In 1997, Mack released his second album, Operation: Get Down, without Bad Boy; it produced no hit single, and he was unable to repeat his earlier success.^[4] In an interview, The Notorious B.I.G. says he appeared on the remix of "Flava in Ya Ear" for political reasons for Combs.^[9] In 1995, Combs told The New York Times that "Craig is hip-hop's George Clinton, because his stuff is really off the wall."^[3]

In the early 2000s, Mack lived mainly on royalties from "Flava in Ya Ear" while working on a third project, The Mack World Sessions.^[2] In 2002, Mack appeared in the music video for Puffy's single "I Need a Girl (Part One)".^[10] In 2006, he released the single "Mack Tonight", which did not revive his career.^[8]

In spring 2007, Mack moved with his two children to Walterboro, South Carolina, and joined the Overcomer Ministry, a secluded Christian commune led by Ralph Gordon Stair that former members, relatives and experts have described as a doomsday cult.^[2][11] Stair had pleaded guilty in 2004 to two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery after two women accused him of rape; he was arrested again in December 2017 on charges including criminal sexual conduct with a minor and died in April 2021 while awaiting trial.^[2][12][13]

Mack's whereabouts became public in May 2012, when a video from the ministry showed him as a member. Asked by Stair what he used to do, Mack answered "wickedness"; asked what he was doing now, he answered "righteousness".^[1][14][15]

In May 2016, Mack performed a rap testimony before the congregation, drawing on his 1994 song "When God Comes", in which he affirmed his decision to remain with the ministry and contrasted it with the fate he believed would have awaited him in New York.^[2][16] His children had left the ministry around 2014; Mack stayed.^[2]

In November 2012, Beazylife Distribution released a new Craig Mack mixtape, Operation Why2K? – Hosted by B-Eazy, through DatPiff.com.^[17] In 2017, The Mack World Sessions was released, containing 18 previously unreleased tracks.^[18] Dutch record label MECSMI released the That's My Word mixtape, hosted by DJ Tape Deck King, via DatPiff and YouTube on August 20, 2018.^[19] In November 2018, 'That's My Word' posthumously won Mixtape of the Year at Bout Dat Online's Audio Dope Awards.^[20] This marked the first time Mack had won an award since "Flava In Ya Ear" won Single of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards.^[21]

Mack's first wife was Roxanne Alexis Hill-Johnson, whom he married in 1995; they separated in 1999.^[2] They had two children, a son and a daughter.^[22] Among his close friends was rapper and beatboxer Biz Markie.^[22]

Mack died at his home on March 12, 2018. The cause of death was originally reported as congestive heart failure, which Mack had claimed as a health problem in 2014.^[2] According to rapper Erick Sermon, Mack called his friends around six months before death^[22] to bid farewell as his health was declining.^[23] After his death, tributes were posted to social media by musicians LL Cool J, DJ Scratch, and others.^[6]

It was later revealed Mack died of HIV/AIDS.^[2] He had refused treatment; his brother and first wife believe he learned of the diagnosis while still living in New York.^[2] Mack's family had followed his wishes in reporting the heart failure account rather than reporting the HIV/AIDS diagnosis.^{[24][25][26][2]}