McKinley Phipps, Jr. (born July 30, 1980), better known simply as Mac, is an American rapper from New Orleans' 3rd Ward. He began rapping as a child, releasing his debut album The Lyrical Midget at the age of 10 in 1990, under the stage name Lil Mac. Mac would eventually sign with Master P's No Limit Records and would grow to be one of the most critically acclaimed artists on the label, both as a solo rapper and as a member of the super group 504 Boyz. Mac released 2 solo albums and 1 album as part of the 504 Boyz on No Limit, including 1998's Shell Shocked, which peaked at #11 on the US Billboard 200.
In 2001, Mac was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 30 years in prison at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in Louisiana, and was released on parole on June 22, 2021 after serving 20 years of his sentence. Phipps maintained his innocence throughout, and his parents have campaigned to re-open the investigation into his case.
Career
Mac was born McKinley Phipps, Jr. to Sheila Phipps and McKinley Phipps, Sr. in New Orleans, Louisiana, the oldest of their six children. He began his music career in 1990, and by the time he was 13 years old, under the name "Lil Mac", he released his debut album, The Lyrical Midget. The album was one of the earliest commercial hip-hop albums to come out of New Orleans, and featured production from New Orleans producer Mannie Fresh.
Late 1990s: No Limit Records, Shell Shocked, and World War III
Lil Mac joined the Psychoward, a New Orleans-based group consisting of 28 rappers, and the group released their debut album, www.psychoward.com, in 1997. After rejecting an offer to move to New York and sign with Def Jam Records, Lil Mac changed his name to simply Mac and signed with Master P's No Limit Records. He toured with No Limit throughout the U.S. and Europe, and made guest appearances on many other artists' albums before releasing his own. He was featured on Master P's Ghetto D, Mystikal's Unpredictable, and Mia X's Unlady Like, among others. The next year in 1998, Mac released his second solo album and first with No Limit, Shell Shocked. The album is Mac's most commercially successful to date, reaching #11 on the Billboard 200. Mac again was featured on many other No Limit artist's releases that year. In 1999, he released his second album on the label, World War III. While it was still on the label, this release differed from usual No Limit releases in that it was not exclusively produced by the production team Beats by the Pound, and featured only three guest appearances from major No Limit names Master P, C-Murder, and Silkk the Shocker. The album did not fare as well commercially as his first No Limit release, peaking at #44 on the Billboard 200. Mac's musical style differed from many other Southern hip hop artists in this period, and he often displayed a level of lyrical complexity that has come to be associated with East Coast hip hop.
504 Boyz and later releases
World War III would be Mac's last album released on No Limit and his last solo album to date, as he would be sentenced to a 30-year prison term for manslaughter after 19 year old Barron C. Victor, Jr. died from a gunshot wound in a Louisiana nightclub in 2001. In 2000, he joined the group 504 Boyz, whose name was a reference to the area code 504. The group was a collective of other No Limit rappers such as Master P, Silkk the Shocker, and C-Murder. Mac was with the group for one album, 2000's Goodfellas, which went gold and reached #2 on the Billboard 200. He was featured prominently on the group's hit single "Wobble Wobble", rapping the first verse and the chorus. The song reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2007, while Mac was still serving his prison term, No Limit released the album The Lost Tapes, which consisted of unreleased material Mac recorded with the label.
On May 31, 2012, DJ 5150 released the mixtape Uptown Veterans''' which is a compilation of Mac's greatest hits. Mac Phipps has announced his first album in 23 years, Son of the City, which comes just over a year after he was released from prison following two decades behind bars. Son of the city was released October 31, 2022 with features from Fiend, D1, Curren$y,3d Na'tee, Cognac, Rayvon Neal and many more