Who’s Tha Mac?
Bay Area born, Central Valley raised, Mac Kemet has one of the most unique styles in all of hip hop. Mac Kemet, then Nicki Chandler, moved to Fresno, California as a small boy. “I met Nicki way back in 7th grade, Ahwahnee M.S., and we have been friends ever since, all through high school until now. Even back then Mac Kemet has always been a real, unique, character of sorts.” say’s CEO of Belk Atiya Media Group and Founder of HiDEF Magazine, James Belk, II. Mac Kemet attended Hoover High School along with James, Aesop of the Livin’ Legends, and label mate, Kubiq, where he was most known for his wild hair colors (long before Dennis Rodman), wildin’ out, and doing 360 kick flips off a set of stairs. Yes, Mac Kemet is the original and probably the only genuine skater rapper to date, with footage to prove it. Mac Kemet is no stranger to trouble, more mischief than violence, Mac Kemet is not a trouble maker but more of a trouble finder and he speaks about it often in his raps.
While doing time at Hoover H.S., Mac Kemet would become one of the founding fathers of the local phenom rap group, Skhoolyard Posse. The group would consist of Fresno’s hardest hitting rappers; Planet Asia, Mac Kemet, Kubiq, and Shake Da’ Mayor. “The first time I saw the group perform they were opening for Cypress Hill and Spice 1 at the Wilson Theater. It was the shit, “Are you a nubian, yes I’m a nubian…”“, James quotes and explains further, “Shortly after high school, Aesop (Livin’ Legends) and I became roommates. The Skhoolyard, would come to the apartment and have serious smoke sessions and ciphers. I remember one time Kemet and Asia came over with a grocery bag full of bud and rolled that shit…with the bag.” Did you smoke it? “Hell yeah, but I don’t advise it. Shit hits hard.” From then on Mac Kemet would find himself in and out of mischief and the L.A. & Fresno County jails almost as often as he was in the booth, all the while developing his craft and honing his distinct style.
After being shot and having to undergo vascular surgery, Mac Kemet realized his purpose and began to settle down, slightly, and really dug into his music career. Despite having articles written about the Skhoolyard in issues of the Source Magazine and a following of Bay Area friendlies, Mac Kemet repeatedly ran into the juggernaut of obstacles, promotion. It is rumored that Mac Kemet was actually signed to Death Row Records just prior to it’s ultimate downfall and never released his album. It’s hard to confirm because Kemet doesn’t like to talk about it, but he never really denies it. It wouldn’t be until 2005 when James would return to California and reunite with his long lost friend after a chance meeting at the local city college. “We met up at the college by chance and again later that night when I went over to my business partner house. Mac Kemet put his then current album, Time In Cali, in the player and I was once again an instant fan after hearing the first track, County Abuse and the classic, Hoe Cakes, featuring Kubiq and Planet Asia.”, James explains.
Currently, Mac Kemet resides in a California Correctional Facility serving an 18 month bid. Prior to going in he asked his long time childhood friend, James Belk, to manage him and released all his music into his hands. James would take it a step further by building a new kind of music label around his own talents and the talents of Mac Kemet, birthing the Belk Atiya Media Group Music Division. B.A.M.G. is now preparing to release a Mac Kemet Mixtape, entitled, “F’You”, and gearing up for the Mac Kemet’s EP release in anticipation of Mac Kemet’s actual release from state custody in November.
~Jason Wes
