Papoose (rapper)
Papoose | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Shamele Mackie |
| Born | December 31, 1978 |
| Origin | Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | East Coast hip hop |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Streetsweepers, Desert Storm |
Shamele "Willie" Mackie (born December 31, 1978), better known by his stage name Papoose (/[invalid input: 'icon']pæˈpuːs/), is an American rapper.[1]
Biography
Born December 31, 1978 in Brooklyn, New York City by Sierra Leonean parents, Papoose made his first attempts at rapping at the age of 7. He was given his name by his grandma Viviann because of his childhood resemblance to a Native American child. Inspired by Kool G Rap, Rakim and Big Daddy Kane he made his first appearance & became known to the public when he appeared in 1998 on Kool G Rap's Roots of Evil album.[1] The following year, he released his first single, "Thugication"/"Alphabetical Slaughter".[2]
After an early record deal failed, he decided to produce and sell his own mixtapes,[1] one of which he presented to DJ Kay Slay outside the offices of New York's Hot 97 after the latter's radio show there.[3] This led to Kay Slay inviting Papoose onto the air, and, impressed by his rendition of "Alphabetical Slaughter", signing him to his Streetsweepers Entertainment label. He continued to release mixtapes at a prolific rate – over a dozen between 2004 and 2006[1] – and won the Justo Mixtape Award for Best Underground Artist in 2005.[2]
August 24, 2006, his official website announced that he had signed with Jive Records in a deal worth $1.5 million.[1] An album to be called The Nacirema Dream ("American" spelled backwards) was planned.[4] However, in September 2007, Kay Slay revealed that he and Papoose had left Jive, commenting that they had "almost [become] victims of A&R hell."[5] On 21 Gun Salute, Papoose said that he was able to keep the $1.5 million despite not releasing an album.
He first came to prominence after featuring on the "Touch It" remix by Busta Rhymes.
Personal life
In 2008, Papoose and his cousin James Phelps (stage name Young Purp) issued a statement saying that he and fellow rapper Remy Ma were to be married, but due to Ma's impending jail sentence of potentially up to 15–25 years, that the couple had changed their plans and intend to marry in prison instead.[6] Papoose planned to wed his fiancee while in prison, but the wedding was called off for one day after he attempted to smuggle a handcuffs key into prison on their wedding day in May 2008. After the incident, Papoose married Remy Ma the next day inside the courtroom right before sentencing and was barred from visiting her for six months. He has a daughter named Dejanae Mackie
Mixtapes
Singles
Music VideosThis list is incomplete.
Guest appearances
Filmography
References
External links |
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