Craig Mack was Bad Boy Records’ first star and the rapper behind the 1994 hit “Flava in Ya Ear.” But according to the group’s co-founder Erick Sermon, he’s pretty much a member of the Hit Squad.
In a recent interview with AllHipHop, Sermon revealed that Mack was virtually indoctrinated, along with fellow Hit Squad members EPMD, Keith Murray, Redman, Hurricane G and K-Solo, and was about to sign with Sermon’s record label.
“Craig Mack was originally going to join Hit Squad, but then EPMD disbanded,” Sermon explains. “That’s when my friend – RIP – Alvin Toney introduced him to Puff, and Craig ended up signing with Bad Boy. Craig Mack was on our label from the beginning and he wanted to be on Hit Squad.
“That’s a real history. Craig and I were close friends – we would listen to Public Enemy together every weekend at my grandmother’s house. He would be dropped off at my grandmother’s house; we were always hearing new tracks. That’s how close we were. RIP Craig.”
In September 1994, Mack released his gold-record debut album Project: Funk da World with Bad Boy, but his initial success was quickly eclipsed by the overwhelming impact of The Notorious BIG’s debut album Ready to Die, which was released just days before Mack’s own album.
Although Diddy openly spoke about plans for Mac’s second album, which would include “Mac and Biggie,” in a 1994 MTV interview, the project did not materialize as described, leaving Mac in limbo during the debut.
Eventually, Mack released another album independently in 1997, but none of the songs gained traction, and his early success eluded him. The Notorious BIG later stated that his involvement in Mack’s “Flava in Ya Ear” remix was motivated by label politics.
Diddy even compared Mack’s innovative style to George Clinton in a New York Times interview. After reportedly making several comeback attempts in the early 2000s, Mack made a third album in 2002, appeared in the “I Need a Girl (Part One)” music video, and released “Mack Tonight” in 2006. Mack retired from the music industry until a surprising YouTube video in 2012 showed him joining a Christian ministry in South Carolina, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Mike died in 2012 at the age of 47. While his family and the media initially reported the cause of death was congestive heart failure, a Rolling Stone investigation and Mack’s death certificate later revealed that the cause was actually complications related to HIV/AIDS, for which Mack reportedly refused treatment.
Mike’s family revealed that he kept the nature of his condition secret, telling friends he had a heart condition. His health deteriorated rapidly in the final months of his life – he lost significant weight, was on crutches and eventually bedridden, with his family by his side in his final days.
Sermon is preparing to release his new album Dynamic Duos Vol. 1. November 21st.
