The Latin adverb sic ("thus"; in full: sic erat scriptum, "thus was it written") added immediately after a quoted word or phrase (or a longer piece of text), indicates that the quoted words have been transcribed exactly as spelled or presented in the original source, complete with any erroneous spelling or other presentation. The usual purpose is to inform the reader that any errors or apparent errors in the transcribed material do not arise from transcription errors, and the errors have been repeated intentionally, i.e., that they are reproduced exactly as set down by the original writer or printer. It may also be used as a form of ridicule or as a humorous comment, drawing attention to the original writer's spelling mistakes or emphasizing his or her erroneous logic. Sic is generally placed inside square brackets, or in parentheses (round brackets), and traditionally in italic, as is customary when printing a foreign word.

Examples[link]

"Professor Smith stated that 'in the Domesday Book of 1087 [sic]' the king held more manors than any other person." The professor had given the incorrect date for Domesday Book (recte 1086) and leaving his error uncorrected followed by [sic] emphasises that the error was his. The professor has thus been somewhat ridiculed. A more diplomatic way of quoting the professor would have been to omit the date altogether whilst retaining the substance of his argument or simply to have corrected it in the knowledge that it was a "slip of the pen". In one early instance, a letter written in July 1876 by Dr. Enoch Mellor to the editor of the Literary Churchman discussed "the cheap insinuation of ignorance which can lie in a bracketed 'sic'."^[1]

Etymology and usage history[link]

Look up sic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Though occasionally misidentified as an abbreviated word, sic is a Latin adverb incorporated into the English-language similarly as an adverb (also used by some as a noun and verb^[2]).

The adverb sic – meaning "intentionally so written", first appeared in English circa 1856.^[3] It is derived from the Latin adverb sīc, which contains a long vowel and means "so, thus, in this manner",^{[4][note 1]} "as such" or "in such a manner".^[5]

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the verb form of sic, meaning "to mark with a sic", emerged in 1889, citing E. Belfort Bax's work in The Ethics of Socialism as one of the early examples.^[2] That piece by Bax, "On Some Forms of Modern Cant," had actually appeared even earlier in Commonweal, published in 1887.^[6]

Usage of sic greatly increased in the mid-twentieth century.^[7] For example, in state-court opinions prior to 1944, the Latin loanword appeared a total of 1,239 times in the Westlaw database; in those from 1945 to 1990, it appeared 69,168 times.^[8] The "benighted use" as a form of ridicule, deserved or otherwise has been cited as a major factor for this increase.^[8]

The "immoderate" use of sic has created some controversy, leading some editors, including Simon Nowell-Smith^{[note 2]} and Leon Edel, to speak out against it.^[9]

False etymologies[link]

On occasion, sic has been misidentified as an acronym "s.i.c." for "spelled in context", "said in copy", "spelling is correct", "spelled incorrectly", and other phrases.^[10] These are all backronyms from sic.

Usage[link]

Conventional usage[link]

Sic, in its bracketed form, is most often inserted into quoted or reprinted material in order to indicate meticulous accuracy in reproducing the preceding text despite appearances to the reader of an incorrect or unusual orthography (spelling, punctuation, etc.), grammar, fact or logic.^[8][11] Several usage guides recommend that a bracketed sic be used primarily as an aid to the reader, and not as an indicator of disagreement with the source.^[8][12]

To denote archaisms[link]

A sic may show that an uncommon or archaic usage is reported faithfully,^[13] such as when quoting the U.S. Constitution: "The House of Representatives shall chuse [sic] their Speaker ..." However, various writing guidebooks discourage its use with regard to dialect such as in cases of American and British English spelling differences,^[7][12][14] unless of course used to convey ridicule. For instance, the appearance of a bracketed sic after the word analyse on a book cover led Bryan A. Garner to comment, "... all the quoter (or overzealous editor) demonstrated was ignorance of British usage."^[8] Clearly the quoter would have preferred the U.S. spelling "analyze".

To denote errors of fact or logic[link]

When no orthographic or grammatical irregularities are apparent, use of sic may serve to draw the reader's attention to a factual or logical error. This practice has been favoured by some journalists when reporting Bushisms (slips of the tongue by former U.S. President George W. Bush), even when Mr. Bush's reported remarks were grammatically correct.^[15]

Wordplay & puns[link]

Various wordplays regarding the word sic are possible, arising either from its second polysemic meaning "to attack" or from its homophone sick. The latter case is exemplified by the humorous expression "Poor grammar makes me [sic]" – which has been featured on clothing and postcards.^[16][17]

Another example of this kind of pun can be found in the website TV Tropes, which uses it as an article title^[18] as well as in a letter to the American Journal of Roentgenology criticizing their apparent overuse of sic as a kind of linguistic discrimination against those from a foreign-language background that "could lead readers to become 'sick of your sic'".^[19]

Form of ridicule[link]

The use of sic can be seen as an example of the linguistic device of appeal to ridicule, whether intentional or not, because it highlights perceived irregularities. The application of sic with intent to disparage has been called the "benighted use" because it creates a "false sense of superiority" in its users.^[8] The following example from The Times demonstrates how the interpolation of sic can subtly discredit a quoted statement, perhaps deservedly so, if the following sloppily written statement appeared as editorial in a quality journal:

Warehouse has been around for 30 years and has 263 stores, suggesting a large fan base. The chain sums up its appeal thus: "styley [sic], confident, sexy, glamorous, edgy, clean and individual, with it's [sic] finger on the fashion pulse."^[20]

In newly generated text[link]

While chiefly used in text that is not one's own, occasionally a sic is included by a writer after his or her own word(s) to note that the language has been chosen deliberately for special effect, especially where the writer's ironic meaning may otherwise be unclear.^[21] Bryan A. Garner dubbed this kind of usage of sic as the "ironic use," providing the following example from Fred Rodell's Nine Men:^[8]

[I]n 1951, it was the blessing bestowed on Judge Harold Medina's prosecution [sic] of the eleven so-called "top native Communists," which blessing meant giving the Smith Act the judicial nod of constitutionality.

Nonetheless, a writer's use of sic in his or her own words may lead readers to assume the source of the sic to be the book's editor and is often considered unconventional even when the sic "ironic use" reference is correctly understood.

Formatting[link]

When placed within quoted material, square brackets are almost invariably used in modern U.S. usage: "[sic]".^[7] Traditionally the sic appears after the quote in parentheses (round brackets): "(sic)", especially when the error is obvious.^[22] Traditionally the word sic appears italicized within the brackets:^[23] "(sic)", following the convention that usage of italic type serves to indicate foreign words. This academic usage has become rarer in recent times, perhaps because fewer academics are nowadays conversant with Latin, and cannot therefore recognise words from classical languages.^[12] While most style guidelines including The MLA Style Manual do not require italicization, others do, such as the APA Style. The APA Style insists upon the underlining of sic as an alternative when italic type is not available. ^[24]

Because sic is not an abbreviation, it is incorrect to place a period or full-stop inside the brackets after the word sic.^[25][26]

Criticism[link]

Insensitivity[link]

There have been cases of the use of sic having been interpreted as a form of ridicule which have resulted in backlash towards the publications in which they appear. Backlash can also happen as a result of a misplaced sic even when there was no intent to disparage. When the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) quoted a statement referring to an afterlife, then failed to remove a sic after correcting the minor punctuation error it contained, the network received criticism for apparently suggesting that the religious belief expressed was odd or erroneous.^[27] By convention, when no orthographic or grammatical errors are present, the use of sic often indicates the presence of a fallacy or error in logic.^[11]

Linguistic discrimination[link]

Usage of sic has been noted for its potential to effect linguistic discrimination. A letter written to the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) has been cited in the journal's French counterpart, the Journal de Radiologie, highlighting how apparent prejudices among English-language journals may be causing a higher rejection rate of scholarly papers from francophone authors^[28] – a concern because English is the lingua franca for medicine.^[19] In the letter, the AJR was criticized for its frequent insertion of sic when publishing letters written by French and Japanese authors even though its correspondence acceptance policy reserved the right of copy-editing, which could therefore have been used beneficially to correct minor English language errors made by non English-speakers. In response, Lee F. Rogers, the Editor in Chief of AJR, apologized for the possible discriminatory interpretation and offered the following explanation for its decision to insert sic on multiple occasions rather than to copy-edit:^[19]

It is true that our manuscript editors normally remedy errors in the use of the English language to ensure reader understanding and to avoid embarrassing our non–English-speaking authors. However, because of the seriousness of the allegations addressed, we believed that verbatim quotes were necessary. Under such circumstances, we did not think it correct for us to assume the meaning of misspelled words or the intent of the author of the letter in question.

Alternatives[link]

Correction[link]

Various usage guides, such as The Chicago Manual of Style, recommend "quiet copy-editing" (unless where inappropriate or uncertain) instead of inserting a bracketed sic, such as by substituting in brackets the correct word (if known) in place of the incorrect word.^[8][29]

[edit] Recte

Look up recte in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Alternatively, when both the original and the suggested correction are desired to be shown (as they often are in palaeography), one may give the actual form, followed by sic in brackets, followed by the corrected form preceded by recte in brackets. The word recte, is a Latin adverb meaning "rightly",^[30]

An Iraqi battalion has consumed [sic] [recte assumed] control of the former American military base, and our forces are now about 40 minutes outside the city.^[15]

According to the Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music Style Sheet, there should be no punctuation, for example no colon, before the corrected word when using recte.^[31] Sometimes only sic and the correction are in the bracket, becoming as in the last example "[sic assumed]" (i.e. recte is omitted).^[32]

See also[link]

• List of Latin phrases
• Sic et Non
• Sic semper tyrannis
• Sic transit gloria mundi
• Stet

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

Corey Taylor
Background information
Birth name	Corey Todd Taylor
Also known as	#8, The Great Big Mouth, Faith, The Sickness, Todd Tigger
Born	(1973-12-08) December 8, 1973 (age 38)
Origin	Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Genres	Alternative metal, heavy metal, post-grunge, hard rock, alternative rock, nu metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, author
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, piano, keyboards
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Roadrunner, Great Big Mouth
Associated acts	Slipknot, Stone Sour, Soulfly, Junk Beer Kidnap Band
Website	www.thecoreytaylor.com

Corey Todd Taylor (born December 8, 1973) sometimes known by the number 8,^[1] is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour.^[2]

Corey Taylor is a founding member of Stone Sour, and has released three studio albums with that band. Taylor joined Slipknot in 1997 to replace their original singer Anders Colsefni. He has released four studio albums with them. Taylor constantly alternates between bands, since 2001, after the release of Iowa, where he reformed Stone Sour immediately after touring. He has worked with several bands, including Junk Beer Kidnap Band, Apocalyptica, Anthrax, Aaron Lewis of Staind, and Soulfly. Taylor writes and sings in styles that vary by genre. Taylor was ranked number 86 in Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.^[3]

Personal life[link]

Corey Taylor was born in Des Moines, Iowa on December 8, 1973,^[4][5][6][7] the first of three children. He lived in Orlando briefly with his uncle, George Robson though Taylor was mostly raised by his mother in Waterloo, Iowa, a place described by Taylor as a "hole in the ground with buildings around it."^[7] He is of Belgian, Polish and Danish background from his father's side.

Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it.

In 1979, Taylor and his mother saw the science fiction series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Before the series, there was a trailer for the 1978 horror film Halloween. Taylor said this "developed some sense of Slipknot in [himself]."^[7] While Halloween introduced Taylor to masks and horror themes, Taylor's grandmother introduced him to rock music, showing him a collection of Elvis Presley records from the mid-fifties to late seventies. He especially found some songs like "Teddy Bear", "In the Ghetto", and "Suspicious Minds", to appeal to his interests the most, describing them as "good times."^[7] Taylor also began listening to Black Sabbath at a young age, beginning with their early work.^[7]

Taylor, along with his mother and sister, lived in an "old dilapidated farmhouse," which on days in late autumn would "look like Black Sabbath album covers."^[8][9] By age fifteen, Taylor had developed a drug addiction and had overdosed on cocaine twice.^[8][10] By this time, Taylor was living in Waterloo, Iowa, but later set out on his own and ended up at his grandmother's trailer in Ohio. She took legal custody of him and helped him buy musical equipment.^[9] When Taylor was eighteen, he left his grandmother's trailer and went to various places, Des Moines being a place to which he frequently returned.^[11]

Taylor and his father first met when Taylor was an adult, and now have a strong relationship.^[12] On September 17, 2002, Corey's then-fiancée, Scarlett Stone, gave birth to their son Griffin Parker.^[13] Taylor also has a daughter named Angie, born on October 29, 1992 from an earlier relationship.^[13] Taylor and Stone married on March 11, 2004, and divorced three years later.^[14] On November 13, 2009, he married Stephanie Luby.^[14]

Taylor has also had alcohol abuse problems, which his ex-wife, Scarlett, helped him through as well as keeping him from committing suicide.^[15] In 2006, Taylor told MTV that he had attempted to jump off a balcony of the eighth floor of the Hyatt on Sunset Boulevard in 2003, but "somehow [Scarlett] stopped me". This was later recanted by Taylor in an interview with Kerrang! radio and stated that it was, in fact, his friend Thom Hazaert who stopped him from jumping.^[16] Scarlett then told him that either he would have to get sober or she would annul their marriage.^[15] Before Stone Sour started recording Come What(ever) May in January 2006, Taylor was sober.^[15][17]

On August 3, 2009, he co-hosted the 2009 Kerrang! Awards alongside Scott Ian of Anthrax.^[18][19] The following year, they both once again co-hosted The Kerrang Awards, where Corey collected the K! Services to Metal award on behalf of Paul Gray who died after an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, and had also shown signs of "significant heart disease".^[20][21] In early September, 2010, Taylor announced that his book, Seven Deadly Sins: Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good would be released on July 12, 2011 through Da Capo Press.^[22]

Music career[link]

Slipknot[link]

In Des Moines, Iowa, Joey Jordison, Shawn Crahan, and Mick Thomson approached him asking him to join Slipknot.^[23] He agreed to go to one of their practices, and ended up singing in front of them. They asked him to join the band because of his melodic vocals. Taylor became lead vocalist for the band, when their previous vocalist, Anders Colsefini, left for religious reasons. Of Slipknot's nine members, Corey was the sixth to join the band.^[24]

Taylor performing with Slipknot in 2005

Feeling he could expand more in Slipknot than in Stone Sour, Taylor temporarily quit Stone Sour, even though they were recording an album with Sean McMahon.^[25] Taylor's first gig with Slipknot was on August 22, 1997, which according to band members did not go well. During his first gig, Taylor did not perform wearing a mask; however, for his second show nearly a month later, Corey wore a mask that resembles his debut album mask.^[24] Taylor's current mask was described by MTV's Chris Harris as looking "as though it were made of dried, human flesh—like Leatherface, if only he used moisturizer."^[26] One of the old dreadlocked masks is now in the possession of Dom Howard of British rock band Muse, after the two bands both played MetalFest. He was apparently subjected to Taylor's "sit the fuck down!" routine face-to-face during Slipknot's set and can be seen reliving the experience (wearing the mask) on Muse's Hullabaloo . Despite rumours that Howard had stolen the mask, he in fact received it from a fan afterwards.

Taylor has recorded with Slipknot since the release of their second demo album, a self-titled demo used to promote the band to prospective labels and producers.^[27] As permanent vocalist, he recorded with Slipknot at Indigo Ranch in Malibu, California and released Slipknot, the band's debut album that peaked number one on the Top Heatseekers chart,^[28][29] went 2× Platinum in the United States,^[30] and was included in the 2006 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[31] Taylor was accused of copyright infringement, regarding the lyrics of the song "Purity". But this turned out to be a lie.^[32] Taylor began recording for their second studio album, Iowa, in 2001 at Sound City and Sound Image in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California.^[33] It was released August 28, 2001 and peaked number one on the UK Albums Chart,^[34] as well as number three on the Billboard 200.^[35] While writing Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), Taylor decided to write lyrics that would not warrant an explicit label.^[36] It peaked number two on the Billboard 200.^[37] All Hope Is Gone was the first Slipknot album to peak number one on the Billboard 200.^[38]

Stone Sour[link]

Corey Taylor unmasked with Stone Sour

Taylor is a founding member of the American hard rock band Stone Sour. After he formed the band with drummer Joel Ekman, Shawn Economaki joined filling in the bass position, leaving the electric guitar position to be filled by Josh Rand. Stone Sour recorded a demo album in 1992, and another in 1994. In 1997, Taylor was approached by the metal band, Slipknot, resulting in him abandoning Stone Sour while they were recording a demo album with Sean McMahon at SR studios.^[23][25] Taylor did not return until five years later to record their debut album, Stone Sour in 2002. Both Taylor and guitarist Josh Rand contacted Jim Root, Slipknot's guitarist, and Shawn Economaki, Stone Sour's original bassist, to begin writing songs for their debut album.^[39] Drummer Joel Ekman came back on board as well.^[40][41] This "reformation" later resulted in Stone Sour recording at Catamount Studios in Cedar Falls, Iowa.^[40][42]

Their self-titled debut album was released August 27, 2002, and it debuted at number 46 on the Billboard 200.^[43] Their second album, Come What(ever) May debuted at number four on the Billboard 200.^[43] It was released August 1, 2006, and charted on several different charts.^[43][44][45] Live in Moscow is currently their only album specifically released only for music download.^[46] During the recording of the album, drummer Joel Ekman left the band for personal reasons. As a result, drummer Roy Mayorga was recruited, taking his place.^[47] The group released their third studio album, Audio Secrecy, on September 7, 2010. Corey Taylor announced he will do a Concept Double album with Stone Sour. It's going to be the first Stone Sour to be back to back with an album.^[48][49][50]

Other work[link]

Taylor has appeared as a guest musician on albums by Soulfly, Apocalyptica and Damageplan. At one point, he was heavily involved in the recording of thrash metal band Anthrax's album, Worship Music, but the sessions remain unreleased.^[51] He also contributed to the Roadrunner United all-star album in 2005, providing vocals for the song "Rich Man".^[52] Taylor has also made a brief appearance in Steel Panther's singles "Death to All but Metal", "Eyes of a Panther", and "Asian Hooker".^[53] In 2006, Taylor founded the record company Great Big Mouth Records.^[54] Taylor has produced two albums: Face Cage's self-titled album and Walls of Jericho's Redemption.^[55][56] Taylor provided guest narration on the track "Repentance" for Dream Theater's 2007 album Systematic Chaos. In an interview with Billboard magazine, Taylor confirmed that on January 13, 2009, he was planning on making a solo album, as well as returning to his side project Stone Sour after Slipknot's All Hope Is Gone World Tour.^[57] Taylor has stated that he is currently been writing songs that states "don't fit either of his main bands."^[57] He describes them as a cross between Foo Fighters, Johnny Cash, and Social Distortion, saying that there's "a country background that comes built-in with living in Iowa".^[57]

On the March 30, 2009, it was confirmed that Taylor and the Junk Beer Kidnap Band would be performing at Rockfest in 2009.^[58] The group performed on April 24, 2009 at People's Court in Des Moines, Iowa, marking Taylor's first official solo show.^[59] Taylor constantly performs with his band the Dum Fux, who make covers for 1970s punk rock and 1980s hair metal.^[60] Taylor also performs with Audacious P, a band that is primarily a Tenacious D covers band.^[61] Rapper Tech N9ne confirmed that Taylor was to perform on his album K.O.D., but was removed because Taylor did not submit his vocals in time.^[62][63] Taylor recently admitted that he tried out for the vacant singer spot in the band Velvet Revolver, but said that it just did not work out.^[64] However, according to a recent Billboard article, it seems likely that he may in fact become the vocalist for Velvet Revolver, though no official confirmation has been made.^[65] Duff McKagan added that they can neither "confirm or deny" Taylor's membership in the band but believes that Taylor is the "real deal".^[66] Slash has since ruled Corey out as the possible new vocalist explaining that "[it] just wasn't right" although he does love him.^[67] He however, has recorded 10 new songs with the band, drummer Matt Sorum stated it's unlikely it will ever be released.^[68] Taylor explained to Mark Hoppus on Hoppus on Music that McKagan and he were writing new music for a possible new supergroup.^[69]

In July 2011 Taylor collaborated with Aaron Lewis while promoting Lewis' solo album, Town Line for a one night only acoustic duet show covering songs such as, Pearl Jam's "Black", Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb, and Alice In Chains' Down In A Hole, videos from this show with Taylor and Lewis can be found on YouTube.

As a solo artist he recently recorded a new song, "X-M@$", for The Teenage Cancer Trust. The video itself is dedicated to those who hate Christmas. The single was made available to digital retailers on December 12, 2010.^[70] It debuted at number thirty-seven in the UK.^[71]

In 2011, Taylor collaborated with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker on Barker's solo album Give The Drummer Some on the song "On My Own".

Style and influence[link]

The first two Slipknot albums with Taylor's vocals, Slipknot and Iowa, both contain gratuitous explicit content. Many critics claimed Taylor relied on the profanity, which is why Slipknot's third album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) is profanity free and did not warrant the explicit label.^[36] Compared with the previous vocalist for Slipknot, Anders Colsefini, Taylor has a vocal style that was characterized by drummer Joey Jordison as "really good melodic singing".^[72] Taylor's vocal style, which contains at times melodic singing, growling, screaming, shouting, and rapping, led him to place at number 86 on the Hit Parader’s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.^[73]

Taylor's two major projects have contrasting temperament.^[40] Slipknot is considered to be heavy metal, nu metal and alternative metal, and express moods such as depression, hostility, anger, and rebellion.^[74] Stone Sour is classed as hard rock, alternative metal, heavy metal, and post-grunge, expressing moods of bleakness and somberness as well as anger and rebellion.^[75] Taylor cites Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Dokken, Misfits, Black Sabbath, Black Flag, Slayer, Def Leppard, Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick, Pearl Jam, The Damned, The Cramps, Journey, Mike Patton and Bob Dylan as influences.^[76]

Discography[link]

Stone Sour[link]

Slipknot[link]

Other works[link]

Solo singles[link]

Filmography[link]

Equipment[link]

References[link]

Literature

• Arnopp, Jason (2001), Slipknot: Inside the Sickness, Behind the Masks, Ebury, ISBN 0-09-187933-7 
• McIver, Joel (2001), Slipknot: Unmasked, Omnibus, ISBN 0-7119-8677-0 

Cited

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Corey Taylor

• Corey Taylor official website
• Corey Taylor fansite
• Slipknot website
• Stone Sour website
• Corey Taylor interview
• Metal Underground: interview
• NY rock: article
• IGN: article
• Duff McKagan on Corey Taylor in Seattle Weekly

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2008)

Mac Mall, (born Jamal Rocker in Vallejo, California) is a West Coast rapper who became known in the mid/late 1990s as one of the local artists putting the Bay Area on the hip hop map. Mac Mall was signed to Young Black Brotha Records.^[1]

One of Mac Mall's first singles was a song called "Ghetto Theme", of which had a music video directed by Tupac Shakur in 1994. He was also longtime friends with Mac Dre, who was his mentor early on in his career. The two repaired their friendship a couple of years before Dre's death.^{[clarification needed]} He is also cousins to E-40 and B-Legit.

Career[link]

In 1993, Mac Mall released his debut album Illegal Business? on Young Black Brotha records. Entirely produced by Khayree Shaheed, the album featured Ray Luv, Mac Dre and The Mac. Illegal Business? moved over 200,000 units independently, a major feat for an independent artist and record label. He met Tupac Shakur shortly after the albums release, who after praising Mac's music offered to direct a video for the single "Ghetto Theme". In 1995 he contributed a verse to E-40's "Dusted and Disgusted" and Eightball & MJG's "Friend or Foe". In 1996 he signed a record deal with Relativity Records, which released his second, and most commercially successful album, Untouchable.^[1][2]

In 1996, he appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip hop artists. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by The Source magazine.

In 1999, he started his own Sessed Out label, the first release being the compilation Mac Mall Presents the Mallennium, followed by his first solo album on the label and third overall, Illegal Business? 2000 a year later. Though no longer on a major label, he still managed to achieve success on Illegal Business? 2000, which spawned what is perhaps his most well known single, "Wide Open".^[1][2] Immaculate followed in 2001, which would find him once again reuniting with longtime collaborator Khayree Shaheed. After 2002's Mackin Speaks Louder Than Words, he took a 4 year hiatus from solo albums, instead focusing on collaborative efforts with JT the Bigga Figga and Mac Dre. He began work on an album with Mac Dre, which would be called Da U.S. Open. Unfortunately, Dre passed before the album was released, and it ended up being some of Dre's final recordings. ^[3]

In 2006, Mac Mall returned with his first solo album on Thizz Entertainment, Thizziana Stoned and the Temple of Shrooms. "Perfect Poison", a song off of the album, was featured in the video game SKATE. He followed up Thizziana with Mac To The Future in 2009, becoming his second solo album with Thizz.

In 2011 Mac Mall announced that he will release an album in November called The Rebellion Against All There Is.^[4] It will be a joint release with his own label Thizzlamic Records, and Young Black Brotha Records. The Rebellion Against All There Is will include 17 tracks, with features from Ray Luv, Shima, Boss Hogg, Luiyo La Musico and Latriece Love.^[5] The first single from the album is "To Live In The Bay".^[6] Moreover, Mac reunites with producer Khayree, who is said to be producing the whole effort. Seventeen years ago, Khayree produced Mac's Young Black Brotha Records debut, Illegal Business?. It has been 12 years since the Bay Area pair worked together. ^[7] Though initially planned for Novermber 2011, The Rebellion Against All There Is is now scheduled for release on February 21, 2012. A music video for his next single, "The Rebellion Against All There Is", will be released shortly before the album hits stores.

Mac Mall also collaborated with fellow west coast rapper Daniel Jordan and Detroit rapper/Producer Esham on Jordan's 2011 album The Stranger, on the song "Sad Clown".

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 1993: Illegal Business?
• 1996: Untouchable
• 1999: Illegal Business? 2000
• 1999: Mallennium
• 2000: Beware of Those (with JT the Bigga Figga)
• 2001: Immaculate
• 2002: Mackin Speaks Louder Than Words
• 2004: Illegal Game (with JT the Bigga Figga)
• 2004: The Macuscripts, Vol. 1
• 2005: The Macuscripts, Vol. 2
• 2005: The Macuscripts, Vol. 3
• 2005: The Macuscripts, Vol. 4
• 2005: Da U.S. Open (with Mac Dre)
• 2006: Thizziana Stoned and the Temple of Shrooms
• 2009: Mac to the Future
• 2011: The Rebellion Against All There Is (November)^[4][7]

Singles & EPs[link]

• 1994: Sic Wit Tis
• 1994: Ghetto Theme
• 1996: Get Right
• 1999: Wide Open (CD/Cassette Single)

External links[link]

• Mac Mall at Allmusic
• Mac Mall on Twitter

References[link]