Mac Mall facts for kids

Jamal Rocker (born June 14, 1975), who is known by his stage name Mac Mall, is an American rapper from the San Francisco Bay Area. He became a popular artist in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Mac Mall first signed with the record label Young Black Brotha Records. He later became the owner of the label, which allowed him to produce his own albums and help other artists.

He was good friends with the famous rapper Tupac Shakur, who directed the music video for one of Mac Mall's first songs, "Ghetto Theme," in 1993. He was also close friends with rapper Mac Dre, who was a mentor to him when he started his career. Mac Mall is also related to other famous musicians like E-40, B-Legit, and Sway Calloway.

Music Career

Early Success

In 1993, Mac Mall released his first album, Illegal Business?, on the Young Black Brotha Records label. The entire album was produced by Khayree Shaheed and featured artists like Ray Luv and Mac Dre. The album was a huge success for an independent artist, selling over 200,000 copies.

After his album came out, he met Tupac Shakur, who liked his music so much that he offered to direct the music video for "Ghetto Theme." In 1995, Mac Mall was featured on songs with other famous rappers, including E-40 and Eightball & MJG. The next year, he signed a deal with a major record label, Relativity Records. This label released his second album, Untouchable, which became his most successful album.

Working for a Cause

In 1996, Mac Mall was part of a special project with the Red Hot Organization. He appeared on a compilation album called America Is Dying Slowly. The album also featured many other famous hip-hop artists like Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe. The goal of the album was to raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic among African American men. The Source magazine called the album "a masterpiece."

Starting His Own Label

In 1999, Mac Mall started his own record label called Sesed Out Records. The first album released on his label was a compilation album called Mac Mall Presents the Mallennium. A year later, he released his third solo album, Illegal Business? 2000. This album featured one of his most famous songs, "Wide Open."

He continued to release music, including the album Immaculate in 2001, where he worked with producer Khayree Shaheed again. After his 2002 album, Mackin Speaks Louder Than Words, he took a break from making solo albums. During this time, he worked on projects with other artists like JT the Bigga Figga and Mac Dre. He and Mac Dre started working on an album together called Da U.S. Open, but sadly, Mac Dre passed away before it was finished. The album was later released and included some of Mac Dre's final recordings.

Later Work and Writing

In 2006, Mac Mall returned with a new solo album on the Thizz Entertainment label, titled Thizziana ... and the Temple of Shrooms. A song from this album, "Perfect Poison," was even featured in the video game Skate. He released another album with Thizz, Mac To The Future, in 2009.

In 2011, he announced a new album, The Rebellion Against All There Is, which reunited him with producer Khayree. This was special because they hadn't worked together in 12 years.

In 2015, Mac Mall wrote a book about his life called "My Opinion," named after a popular song from his first album. In the book, he shares stories about growing up in Vallejo, California, and how he built his career as a rapper.

Discography

Studio albums

• Illegal Business? (1993)
• Untouchable (1996)
• Illegal Business? 2000 (1999)
• Immaculate (2001)
• Mackin Speaks Louder Than Words (2002)
• Thizziana ... and the Temple of Shrooms (2006)
• Mac to the Future (2009)
• The Rebellion Against All There Is (2011)
• Macnifacence & Malliciousness (2014)
• Legal Business? (2015)
• 1990's (2017)

Collaboration albums

• Beware of Those with JT the Bigga Figga (2000)
• Illegal Game with JT the Bigga Figga (2004)
• Da U.S. Open with Mac Dre (2005)