In his 25 years, Seattle rapper MAC MINATI has, as it is said, "seen some things." Raised in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seatown's notorious Southend, in a household full of addiction and abuse—it's little shock that he, like many of the young men around him, fell into the extended family presented by gang life. Known on the streets as Mac Gamer, he came up under the wing of Twin-G (AKA Twin Gamer), who is also a member of the gangsta rap supergroup Lac of Respect. By the time Mac was old enough to order a shot at the bar, he'd been shot—not to mention stabbed, and completed a term in prison. None of this is anything to be glorified, merely understood; when you hear his tales, see life as he's seen it, you can know that it's not a front or an act, just a reality that he, like anybody born into the life, wants to elevate past.
As such, though Seattle area lovers of hardcore Hip-Hop might know the name Mac Gamer—fans everywhere are about to know the name MAC MINATI. Be clear, this is no played-out mafioso-inspired name change—rather an effort to leave a chapter of his life behind, and inspired by the recently deceased, award winning poet Ivan Minatti, who himself wrote about the ceaseless brutality of war and the horrors of humanity. It's only right—Mac Minati finds the poetry, the comedy, and the rugged heart of a life learned and fought for on the streets.
An unexpected development in Mac's growth occurred early in 2012, while in Los Angeles working on music. A spur-of-the-moment decision found him onstage at the legendary L.A. Improv for a standup comedy competition, which resulted in the amateur comedian securing a surprise victory. Sitting in the crowd was a FOX TV casting director, who approached the imposing, tattooed young rapper about casting for a new FOX sitcom called "The Carter Family." Mac auditioned and ended up landing a part in the pilot episode, opposite Nickelodeon teen star Ariana Grande, as her misfit boyfriend "Carl." In the meantime, Mac has found himself invited to appear on various other TV shows, comedy stages and in feature films.
Multifaceted, multifarious Mac Minati—a true hustler, getting it by any means. His music is no get-over, though, it's simply reality, and sometimes realer than that—representing a side of Seattle the world hasn't heard yet. So listen up and listen well.
TWITTER: @MacMinati
