Rapper Craig Mack passed away earlier this week due to heart failure. He was 46.
Mack, who was one of the first artists that signed with Bad Boy Records, gained popularity in 1994 after he released "Flava in Ya Ear" off Sean "Diddy" Combs label.
Friends Remember Craig Mack
The Four: Battle for Stardom judge released a statement following Mack's passing and said that the rapper will be terribly missed.
"Craig Mack, you were the first artist to release music on Bad Boy and gave us our first hit. You always followed your heart and you had an energy that was out of this world. You believed in me and you believed in Bad Boy. I will never forget what you did for hip-hop. You inspired me, and I will continue to try to keep inspiring others. We will always love you," said Combs.
Following the song's release, Kirk Burrowes, the former president of Bad Boy, said that "Flava in Ya Ear" was one of the greatest debut singles in hip hop history.
"If Berry Gordy had Smokey Robinson and 'Shop Around' to launch Motown we had Craig Mack with that single 'Flava in Ya Ear,'" said Burrowes.
LaJoyce Brookshire, the director of Artista, who worked closely with Mack, only had wonderful things to say about him.
"The one word that I would use to define Craig is 'cooperative.' All he knew was music, he didn't know the ins and outs of the [music] business, but he was completely willing to learn," said Brookshire.
Who Is Craig Mack?
A year after the hit song was released, Mack sat down for an interview and said that he had always wanted to be like LL Cool J and Run DMC. After finishing high school, Mack no longer wanted to go to college so he could pursue music.
Mack is an American rapper from Brentwood, New York, and whose real name is Craig Jamieson Mack. After releasing his debut album, which featured "Flava in Ya Ear," Mack went on to release a second compilation in 1997. However, his songs did not make it to the music charts.
Some of Mack's other songs are "Get Down," "Jockin' My Style," "Making Moves With Puff," "When God Comes," "Funk With da Style," "Real Raw," "Wooden Horse," "That Y'All," "Rap Hangover," and more.
This year, rapper Erick Sermon said that he will be releasing Mack's new album.
