Bryan Ross, also known as CJ Mac is an American rapper and actor.

Early life

CJ Mac was born and raised in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He was a member of the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips.

Music career

He released his independent debut EP, ''Color Me Funky'', in 1991, under the name "CJ Mack." The disc is out of print. He returned in 1995 and released his second album, '' True Game'' on Rap-A-Lot Records, in 1995 with producer Mad, the duo billed as Mad CJ Mac. He appeared in the movie '' Thicker than Water'' with

Mack 10 Dedrick D'Mon Rolison (born August 9, 1971), better known by his stage name Mack 10, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He was a member of hip hop supergroup Westside Connection along with WC and Ice C ...

and

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...

, playing a drug lord called Gator. His third album, '' Platinum Game'' (1999), was released through Mack 10's

Hoo-Bangin' Records Hoo-Bangin' Records is a record label founded by Dedrick "Mack 10" Rolison in 1996. Its name is derived from the namesake song by his group Westside Connection, which was released that same year. The label operated as an imprint of Priority a ...

. It featured various rappers and peaked at number 77 on the R&B/Hip-hop album chart. CJ Mac also directed a documentary called ''On the C-Walk'' (2003). He is also known for working with

Death Row Records Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. D ...

in late 2000 with his song "I Ain't Fuccin Wit' Cha" (from '' Too Gangsta for Radio''), in which he insulted

Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...

for leaving the label and declaring

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general th ...

dead.

Discography

Studio albums *'' True Game'' (1995) *'' Platinum Game'' (1999) Extended plays *''Color Me Funky'' (1991)

References

Living people 21st-century American rappers African-American male actors African-American rappers American male film actors Crips Death Row Records artists Male actors from Los Angeles Rap-A-Lot Records artists Rappers from Los Angeles Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-hiphop-bio-stub