Papoose (rapper)
Shamele Mackie (born March 5, 1978), better known by his stage name Papoose , is an American rapper. After breaking into the rap game in 2005 with DJ Kayslay with the release of his song "Alphabetical Slaughter" he signed a $1.5 million contract with Jive Records. After his debut studio album, The Nacirema Dream was shelved, he cut ties with Jive. This resulted in him releasing over a dozen free mixtapes to keep himself popular. In 2012 he secured a deal with Fontana Distribution and released his debut album independently on March 26, 2013.
Biography
Papoose became known to the public when he appeared in 1998 on Kool G Rap's Roots of Evil album. The following year, he released his first single, "Thug Connection"/"Alphabetical Slaughter".
After an early record deal failed, he decided to produce and sell his own mixtapes, one of which he presented to DJ Kay Slay outside the offices of New York's Hot 97 after the latter's radio show there. This led to Kay Slay inviting Papoose onto the air, and, impressed by his rendition of "Alphabetical Slaughter", signing him to his Streetsweepers Entertainment label. He continued to release mixtapes at a prolific rate – over a dozen between 2004 and 2006 – and won the Justo Mixtape Award for Best Underground Artist in 2005.
