Craig Jamieson Mack (May 10, 1970[1] – March 12, 2018) was an American rapper and record producer. He was most famous during his tenure under Bad Boy Records where his single "Flava In Ya Ear" (1994) was a crossover hit in both rap and pop charts. The remix of that song was the first time Notorious B.I.G. was featured in a song.[2] Mack's second album Operation: Get Down was released by Street Life Records.
Later in his life, Mack joined the Overcomer Ministry in South Carolina.[3] Mack died in 2018 from HIV/AIDS at the age of 46.[4]
He began rapping as a teenager under the name MC EZ. His first single, "Get Retarded", was released in 1988 via Fresh Records. The single was backed with and credited as MC EZ & Troup. 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.[2] Mack then secured a record deal with Combs's newly founded label with the help of his friends Busta Rhymes, 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 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.[6] While Mack was technically the first rapper to release music on Bad Boy Records,[1][7] 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.[6]
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. In 1997, Mack released a second album without Bad Boy. None of the singles charted and Mack was unable to repeat his success. In an interview, The Notorious B.I.G. says he appeared on the remix of "Flava in Ya Ear" for political reasons for Combs.[8] In 1995, Combs told The New York Times that "Craig is hip-hop's George Clinton, because his stuff is really off the wall."[1]
After a few attempts to return to success in the early-2000s, it was said that Mack was working on his third studio album in 2002, which was set to be released in 2007.[citation needed] In 2002, Mack appeared in the music video for Puffy's single "I Need a Girl (Part One)".[9] The single "Mack Tonight" was released for the album in 2006.
Mack was absent from the hip hop industry until in 2012, when a video was leaked on YouTube saying he had joined a Christian ministry, surprising family members and fans.[10][11] From 2012 until his death, Mack resided in the Overcomer Ministry located in Walterboro, South Carolina.[3] The Overcomer Ministry is a secluded Christian commune that has been described as a cult,[12][10] and whose leader Brother Stair has been charged with various crimes, including assault and sexual conduct with a minor.[12]
The Overcomer Ministry's YouTube channel released a video, "Craig Mack Testimony", on May 22, 2016,[13] in which Mack appears in the middle of the church to rap about Christianity through a remix of "When God Comes".[14] The last part of the video entails a full version of the song with better production quality and a beat. The song expresses his personal beliefs. Mack planned to stay in the ministry and said that he had no intentions to come back to mainstream rap.[citation needed] The song mentions that he "moved [his] family to South Carolina", which did not align with other reports expressing the family's concerns for his choices.[15] According to the video, Mack felt he was doing "wickedness" in New York, and "righteousness" in South Carolina.[16]
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]
Personal life and death
Mack was married and 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.[4] 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.[2]
It was later revealed Mack died of HIV/AIDS.[4] He had known of the diagnosis but had refused treatment.[4] Mack's family had followed his wishes in reporting the heart failure account rather than reporting the HIV/AIDS diagnosis.[24][25][26][4]
