Funkmaster Flex, Biz Markie, M.I.A. & Others Mourn Death of Original Bad Boy Rapper Craig Mack

Natalie Maher
·3 min read
Funkmaster Flex, Biz Markie, M.I.A. & Others Mourn Death of Original Bad Boy Rapper Craig Mack
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Following the death of 90’s hip-hop star Craig Mack on Monday night (March 12), fellow Bad Boy rappers and, East Coast MC’s and DJs have taken to social media to show love.

Known mainly for his lasting 1994 single “Flava In Your Ear” — which garnered a remix with an added legendary verse from a young Notorious B.I.G. — Mack was briefly a star when he was signed to P. Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment in the early 90’s. He followed up his first single with his debut album, Project: Funk da World, the same year. His second LP, Operation: Get Down, was released three years later, though it didn’t catch on in the way his early projects had. The Long Island rapper eventually left the hip-hop game entirely to devote himself to religion.

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Mack died at the age of 46 of heart failure in his home in South Carolina on Monday, according to reports, garnering love and respect from FunkMaster Flex, M.I.A., Biz Markie, DJ Scratch, and others in the hip-hop community.

 

I just got a disturbing phone call. I cannot believe this dude is gone. He just reached out a couple of weeks ago for me to speak on his documentary about his life. Because Craig was my rodie on tour. He would set up & break down my turntables every night on tour. Rest In Peace Lil Bro.

A post shared by Turntable Whisperer (@djscratch) on Mar 12, 2018 at 11:25pm PDT

 

 

Rest In Peace! Good brother… #CraigMack …. Alvin Toney love my brother…

A post shared by FunkFlex (@funkflex) on Mar 12, 2018 at 11:15pm PDT

 

 

R.I.P TO MY MAIN MAN CRAIG MACK ANOTHER GREAT ONE GONE….

A post shared by Biz Markie (@officialbizmarkie) on Mar 12, 2018 at 10:50pm PDT

 

Man. To be In hip hop culture & live past the age of 50 is a fight to the finish for real. All due respect to #CraigMack. For some reason w exception of a RARE few, like #ProtectYaNeck, #ScenarioRemix —maybe #ShutEmDown remix—-I kinda think #FlavaInYaEar was the hip hop freestylers’ 1st viral instrumental choice. I mean there was always the lunchroom desk & beatboxing. But hip hop really didn’t do straight up instrumentals til like—1988/1989 on 12 inches (lots of DUBS, kinda there to assist mc’s in concert spitting verses w vocal guides?) but I’m just saying the weekend Flava came out I NEVER heard a dj play a joint like 7 times in a row (rare times were #RebelWithoutAPause & #IKnowYouGotSoul) but this was different: 1st of all this single slowed the east coast down DRASTICALLY (1987-1993 east coast was HYPED! on 100bpm-115bpm)—-Flavor was the sound of weed. Not the previous panic crack era music. Like 93 bpms—just perfect to kick a Freestyle: sparse in arrangement & foooonky—-it’s weird that the flagship song of such a commercial radio dominated label was one of the grimiest underground joints ever. I was actually in London at the time when dj 279 premiered that joint at a party. He played that instrumental like 20 mins straight and I saw like 9 simultaneous ciphers happening in the club. Man I was jealous of that beat. I know #Juicy wound up the winner in that race but man we cannot forget one of the greatest hip hop single debuts in the culture. That song was the gym routine mc’s brushed their skills on. All due respect to brother Craig Mack w/o him & his cant lose single who knows what empire #BadBoy woulda become. Rest In Peace Boyeeeeee.

A post shared by Questlove Gomez (@questlove) on Mar 13, 2018 at 12:06am PDT

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