2018 has not been an easy year to be a hip-hop head. It was only just recently that the much beloved Rick Ross was reportedly in the hospital on life support. While any truth surrounding the rumor remains fuzzy — Ross was hospitalized, but sources who were close to the situation claim that he was never on life support the rumor was enough to put Twitter on red alert as numerous users tweeted and mourned the seemingly critical condition of the Grammy nominee.
To the relief of his fans, Rick Ross did not pass on from his ordeal in the hospital. However, rap and hip-hop lovers must now come together today to mourn the death of a different legend in the hip-hop industry: Craig Mack. At the age of 46, Craig Mack passed away on March 13, 2018.
Similar to the situation that put Rick Ross in the hospital just eight days ago, Craig Mack passed away due to heart failure.
Who was Craig Mack?
For those not aware, Mack was a prolific old school 90's rapper. He gained fame through P. Diddy's record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, as he was signed at a time when the company was still in its infancy. Mack first broke out big into the music industry in 1994 thanks to his big hit record "Flava in Ya Ear" making huge waves of audiences.
Even more notable than Mack's initial hit single was the remix that followed. It was on the remix where Notorious B.I.G. first made his breakout appearance into mainstream media. The remix also provided audiences with the first solo appearance of Busta Rhymes, who at the time was hot off the heels of being a member of hip-hop group, Leaders of the New School.
So, incidentally, Craig Mack was indirectly responsible for the success of both hip-hop heavyweights Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, even if he did so incidentally.
In 1994, Craig Mack followed up his newfound fame with his first album, "Project: Funk da World." While the album was a critical and financial success, it remained overshadowed by the debut album of Mack's "Bad Boy" cohort; Notorious B.I.G.
Mack would not make another album until 1997's "Operation: Get Down," but it was a flop that failed to repeat the same success that his first album produced. Craig Mack would never make a third album afterwards.
The death of Craig Mack
Alvin Toney, a frequent producer for Mack, was the first to announce that Craig Mack passed away on Tuesday morning.
He last saw Mack last week while filming scenes for a documentary, but it was today that Mack's heart failure led to him passing away. Rapper Biz Markie, Funkmaster Flex, and DJ Scratch — who were all close friends of Mack — took to social media to confirm Mack's passing.
Today, Twitter mourns Mack not as a one-hit wonder, but as a bonafide legend. He was one of the first pioneers in hip-hop to help salvage Diddy's record label when it was still fresh and gave birth to some of Hip Hop's finest rappers. He paved the way to success for many hip-hop stars and will be missed.
