China Mac

Last updated
China Mac
Born
Raymond Yu

(1982-02-05) February 5, 1982 (age 42)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • activist
Years active2013–present

Raymond Yu (born February 5, 1982), [1] [2] known professionally as China Mac, is an American rapper, entertainer, activist, and former gang member. [3] [4]

Contents

Early years

Yu was born and raised in Brooklyn to Chinese immigrants, from Hong Kong. [3] [5] He moved into a group home at the age of 8. [6] Yu joined the Ghost Shadows gang when he was 12. [3] In his teenage years, he would partake in freestyle rap battles with other kids at the juvenile detention center. [3]

Career

2000–2013: Incarceration

At the age of 18, Mac was sentenced to three years in prison for gang related crimes in 2000. [3]

On November 9, 2003, Mac was involved in an altercation with MC Jin at a bar in Chinatown, Manhattan, where he shot Jin's acquaintance, rapper Christopher "LS" Louie, in the back. [7] [8] Mac later went on the run for over a year and was apprehended in Seattle, Washington when he tried to leave the country with a fake passport. [3] In prison, he was nicknamed "China Mac" by the Mac Ballers gang. He was released on parole in November 2013 and founded the Red Money Records record label and pet store with the money he saved up while in prison. [3] [7] [6]

2014–present: Music production and activism

Mac returned to prison for an accused parole violation and was later released in 2017. [7] Since then, he has uploaded video content, including the food show Mac Eats, onto his YouTube channel, China Mac TV. [4]

Mac released his album MITM in 2017. [9] [10]

In 2018, Mac was a prominent critic of Lil Pump's single "Butterfly Doors", which used the pejorative ching chong slur. [4] [11]

In 2019, he released the dual EP, Yin and Yang. [12] That same year, Mac released a Chinese/Spanish record with Tali Goya. [4]

In July 2020, amidst the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, an 89-year-old Chinese grandmother was assaulted and set on fire in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. [13] [14] Mac and actor Will Lex Ham organized a march in that neighborhood on August 1, 2020 as a response to raise awareness about anti-Asian hate crimes. [14] The "They Can't Burn Us All" rallying cry transformed into a national protest for "unity amongst all people against hate crimes and racism." [15] The duo later held rallies in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. [16] The events had hundreds of attendees. [14] [15] China Mac's activism led him to release the single "They Can't Burn Us All" on October 30, 2020. [17] [ better source needed ]

Personal life

His father was a part of the Chinese-American gang, Flying Dragons, that was active in the 1980s. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of hip-hop that conveys the culture and values typical of urban gangs and street hustlers. Emerging in the late 1980s, gangsta rap's pioneers include Schoolly D of Philadelphia and Ice-T of Los Angeles, later expanding in California with artists such as N.W.A and Tupac Shakur. In 1992, via record producer and rapper Dr. Dre, rapper Snoop Dogg, and their G-funk sound, gangster rap broadened to mainstream popularity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juelz Santana</span> American rapper

LaRon Louis James, better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of East Coast hip hop group the Diplomats. He is best known for his appearances on Cam'ron's 2002 singles "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma," which peaked at numbers four and three on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. His guest appearance on Chris Brown's 2005 single, "Run It!" peaked atop the chart for five weeks and received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As a lead artist, he is also known for his 2005 single "There It Go ," which peaked at number six on the chart and received platinum certification by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MC Jin</span> American rapper (born 1982)

Jin Au-Yeung, known professionally as MC Jin, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and comedian of Chinese descent. Jin is notable for being the first Asian American solo rapper to be signed to a major record label in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Vox</span> South Korean girl group

Baby V.O.X was a South Korean K-pop group formed in 1997, whose final and best-known line-up consisted of Kim E-Z, Lee Hee-jin, Kan Mi-youn, Shim Eun-jin, and Yoon Eun-hye. It is considered one of the most prominent "first generation" K-pop girl groups of the late 1990s and early 2000s, along with S.E.S. and Fin.K.L, and is recognized as one of the groups at the forefront of the Korean Wave, having broken into the Chinese market. The group released seven studio albums and disbanded in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese hip hop</span> Chinese music genre

Chinese hip hop, also known as C-Rap, is a subgenre of Chinese music. Some of the earliest influences of hip-hop in came from films such as Beat Street (1984) which entered China on video tape via embassy workers or foreign businessmen and their families.

Hot Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. Streaming data and digital downloads were added to the methodology of determining chart rankings in 2012. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single sold in that given week. The song with the most weeks at number one is "Old Town Road", with a total of 20 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papoose (rapper)</span> American rapper

Shamele Mackie, known professionally as Papoose, is an American rapper. Well known for his freestyles and prolific mixtape output, Papoose has released four studio albums and 29 mixtapes since 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soulja Boy</span> American rapper and record producer (born 1990)

DeAndre Cortez Way, known professionally as Soulja Boy, is an American rapper and record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. He rose to prominence after his self-released 2007 debut single, "Crank That " peaked the Billboard Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks. After its commercial re-release by Collipark Music, an imprint of Interscope Records, the song and its follow-up, "Soulja Girl" led to the release of his debut studio album, Souljaboytellem.com (2007). Despite unfavorable critical reception, it peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Yahhh!."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief Keef discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Chief Keef consists of five studio albums, four extended plays, forty mixtapes, and twenty-eight singles. Chief Keef released his first studio album Finally Rich in 2012, which contained several successful singles, including "I Don't Like", "Hate Bein' Sober", and "Love Sosa". The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Billboard Rap chart. In 2013 he was featured on several hit songs by other rappers. In 2014 he released his mixtape Back from the Dead 2, which was critically acclaimed. In 2015 he was featured on Travis Scott's debut album Rodeo on the song "Nightcrawler". He later released the album Bang 3 in two parts. Following this Chief Keef decided go on a one-year hiatus. In 2017, he released three mixtapes and then released the album Dedication. He then released more mixtapes in 2018. In 2019, he released his collaborative album with Zaytoven called GloToven which has a sole feature from Lil Pump. He then went on a hiatus for around 2 years, to return with his fourth album 4NEM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mozzy</span> American rapper (born 1987)

Timothy Cornell Patterson, known professionally as Mozzy, is an American rapper from Sacramento, California. He signed with Yo Gotti's record label Collective Music Group (CMG), an imprint of Interscope Records in 2022, having previously signed with local independent label, Blackmarket Records. He is best known for his 2021 single "Last One Standing" from the film Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Terrell Davis, better known by the stage name Ralo, is an American rapper. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, he first gained recognition following the release of his 2015 single, "Can't Lie". He signed with Birdman's Cash Money Records and Young Scooter's Black Migo Gang in 2016, which entered a joint venture with Gucci Mane's short-lived Interscope Records imprint, 1017 Eskimo Records the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casanova (rapper)</span> American rapper

Caswell Senior, known professionally as Casanova, is an American rapper. In 2016, he made his first original song "Don't Run". He is signed to Roc Nation. In 2020, he was indicted on RICO charges alongside 17 others due to various criminal activities which his Bloods gang "Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation," allegedly participated in.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6ix9ine</span> American rapper (born 1996)

Daniel Hernandez, known professionally as 6ix9ine and also as Tekashi69, is an American rapper. His music has been marked by an aggressive style of rapping, while his controversial public persona is characterized by his distinctive rainbow-colored hair, many tattoos, extensive history of legal issues, and publicized celebrity feuds.

<i>Lookism</i> (manhwa) South Korean webtoon

Lookism is a South Korean webtoon written and illustrated by Taejun Pak. The webtoon was first published weekly on Naver Webtoon in November 2014. Its story revolves around a high-school student who can switch between two bodies: one fat and ugly, and the other fit and handsome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil Pump</span> American rapper (born 2000)

Gazzy Garcia, known professionally as Lil Pump, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as part of the SoundCloud rap scene in the late 2010s, gaining distinction for his minimalist music and rambunctious public persona. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he gained mainstream attention following the release of his 2017 single "Gucci Gang", which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded his self-titled debut studio album in October of that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calboy</span> American rapper from Illinois

Calvin Lashon Woods, professionally known as Calboy, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. In 2017, Calvin had a break through locally with his mixtapes released through Paper Gang Inc., Anxiety and Calboy, the Wild Boy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polo G</span> American rapper

Taurus Tremani Bartlett, known professionally as Polo G, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence with his singles "Finer Things" and "Pop Out". His debut album Die a Legend (2019) peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Von</span> American rapper (1994–2020)

Dayvon Daquan Bennett, known professionally as King Von, was an American rapper and gangster from Chicago, Illinois. He is largely considered one of the most preeminent figures of the drill genre.

Harlem Spartans, often abbreviated to HS, also known as Harlem O or simply Harlem, is a British hip hop collective based in Kennington, London. Members of Harlem Spartans have acquired over 100 million streams through their music. The name, "Harlem", is a nickname for their local area of Kennington. The police allege that Harlem Spartans is a gang, however this is denied by the group.

<span title="Chinese-language text"><i lang="zh">Boluan Fanzheng</i></span> Post-Mao transition period in China

Boluan Fanzheng refers to a period of significant sociopolitical reforms starting with the accession of Deng Xiaoping to the paramount leadership in China, replacing Hua Guofeng, who had been appointed as Mao Zedong's successor before Mao's death in 1976. During this period, a far-reaching program of reforms was undertaken by Deng and his allies to "correct the mistakes of the Cultural Revolution", and restore order in the country. The start of the Boluan Fanzheng period is regarded as an inflection point in Chinese history, with its cultural adjustments later proven to be the bedrock upon which the parallel economic reform and opening up could take place. As such, aspects of market capitalism were successfully introduced to the Chinese economy, giving rise to a period of growth often characterized as one of the most impressive economic achievements in human history.

References

  1. ↑ Vyas, Karishma. "Ex-prisoner-turned-rapper fights for justice for Asian Americans". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  2. ↑ Mac, China (February 5, 2020). "Blessed to see another year Birthday cakeFolded hands. Gift me by Pre Saving THE ARRIVAL". Twitter. Archived from the original on 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Editorial Staff, Editorial Staff (2018-04-15). "Meet an Ex-Member of One of the Most Violent Chinese-American Gangs in the U.S." NextShark. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Leutz, Ryan (June 10, 2019). "China Mac talks to Plugged Soundz about his Lil Pump Beef, career after prison, and his skincare regimen. | Plugged Soundz". Plugged Soundz. Archived from the original on 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  5. ↑ China Mac Explains How to Smuggle Sneakers Into Prison (Video). Full Size Run. Sole Collector. June 27, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Vicino, Stephen (2014-11-17). "Exclusive Interview with China Mac". Music Existence. Archived from the original on 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  7. 1 2 3 Druzkowski, Piotr (2019-06-25). "China Mac sits down for a talk with MC Jin 15 years after NYC shooting". SR-MAG.COM. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  8. ↑ Riley, Wallace (2019-06-22). "Jin & China Mac Reconcile 15 Years After China Mac Shot Jin's Friend". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 2019-06-23. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  9. ↑ "M.I.T.M, by CHINA MAC". CHINA MAC. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  10. ↑ Santi, Christina (November 21, 2017). "EXCLUSIVE: China Mac on Chinese Mafia, Shooting Jin's Friend, Prison Time (Full Interview)". www.vladtv.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-21. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  11. ↑ Casino, Khier (2018-12-18). "China Mac Puts Lil Pump on Instagram Blast for Mocking Asians in New Video". NextShark. Archived from the original on 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  12. ↑ Todd, Jessica (August 28, 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: China Mac: I was in a Maximum Security Prison for 10 Years, I Suppressed a Lot". www.vladtv.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  13. ↑ Kim, CeFaan (July 24, 2020). "Exclusive: 89-year-old woman who was attacked, set on fire in Brooklyn speaks out". WABC New York. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  14. 1 2 3 "Rapper China Mac: 'Who Will Stand with Us If We Don't Stand Up for Ourselves?'". PEOPLE.com. August 31, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  15. 1 2 Chen, Maina (September 10, 2020). "#TheyCantBurnUsAll Movement Makes Its Way to Los Angeles and San Francisco". NextShark. Archived from the original on 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  16. ↑ Yu, Betty (September 26, 2020). "'They Can't Burn Us All' Anti-Racism Movement Heads To San Francisco". sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com. CBS. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  17. ↑ Bit, Lillian (October 31, 2020). "Bad Ass Asians: China Mac releases first single: They Can't Burn Us All". AsAmNews. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.