Jason Winfree (born March 22, 1973), professionally known by his
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Haystak is an American
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
from
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
Early life
Jason Winfree was born to teenage parents in
Trenton, Tennessee
Trenton is the county seat and fourth largest city of Gibson County, Tennessee, Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,264 at the 2010 census, down from 4,683 in 2000.
History
Trenton was established in 1824 as a county se ...
, outside of Nashville and was raised by his grandparents. At the age of 15, he was arrested and convicted for bringing
Valium
Diazepam, first marketed as Valium, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. It is commonly used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spasms, insomnia, a ...
and
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
to school. He served two years and when he was released began a music career. He rapped about his life as so-called "
white trash
White trash is a derogatory racial and class-related slur used in American English to refer to poor white people, especially in the rural southern United States. The label signifies a social class inside the white population and especially a ...
", exploring the social dimensions of being white and underprivileged in the
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
.
Career
In the late 1990s, he signed with a local rap label, Street Flavor, and began a business relationship with producers Kevin Grisham and Sonny Paradise. The partnership resulted in ''
Mak Million'', Haystak's 1998 debut album, followed two years later by ''
Car Fulla White Boys''. By this point Haystak had garnered a substantial regional following, and underground hardcore rap publication ''Murder Dog'' began promoting his work. The attention attracted the label
Koch Records
MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had b ...
, who signed Haystak and re-released ''
Car Fulla White Boys'' in late summer 2000. Two years later, Koch released Haystak's third album, ''
The Natural
''The Natural'' is a 1952 novel about baseball by Bernard Malamud, and is his debut novel. The story follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked after being shot by a woman whose motivation remains mysterious. The story mos ...
''.
Haystak released his latest solo album entitled ''
Easy 2 Hate'' on November 30, 2010 through Haystak, Inc.
Haystak is divorced and has two children. In addition to rap music, he has been featured on film ''
Hustle & Flow
''Hustle & Flow'' is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allain. It stars Terrence Howard as a Memphis hustler and pimp who faces his aspiration to become a rapper. It als ...
'' where he played the
DJ named Mickey.
Haystak collaborated with fellow Nashville native
JellyRoll
Jason DeFord (born December 4, 1984), known professionally as Jelly Roll (sometimes written as JellyRoll), is an American rapper and country singer known for his collaborations with Lil Wyte, Struggle Jennings, Yelawolf, Tech N9ne, and Ryan U ...
on the albums ''
Strictly Business'' in 2011 and its sequel ''
Business As Usual'' in 2013.
In June 2018, Statik G signed Haystak to his record label RhymeSick for a 5 year deal and immediately booked several national tours for the rest of the year into 2019.
Legal issues
In 2006, Haystak was charged and convicted of sexual assault.
He was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days of supervised probation.
[ In May 2014, he was arrested on domestic violence charges.][ In December, was arrested for intent to commit sexual abuse during a concert in Iowa and the jury found him not guilty after reviewing video footage from the concert. The accuser, who is also an independent artist, has since admitted he was innocent and performed on stage with him in 2019 in Nebraska.][
]
Discography
Studio albums
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
1973 births
Living people
Rappers from Tennessee
21st-century American rappers
People from Lebanon, Tennessee