Born to Mac

Mac Lethal is a hip-hop hunk. Just ask Jenni, the seventeen-year-old Webmaster who handpicked the Kansas City, Kansas-based MC for a spot on her gushing site, hiphophunks.com, which has been featured in the pages of XXL and Rolling Stone. "The Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync and O-Town are cute and all, but there are SO many girls who like them," squeals Jenni's introduction. "And there are way less girls who like these underground hip-hop guys. Plus, they are way cooler. But enough blabbing ... on to the HUNKS!!"

"I don't think it gets much better than that," a jubilant Mac says enthusiastically, having just returned from a round of Chicago dates with underground heroes Atmosphere. "When I was growing up, I set long-term goals. I could honestly die satisfied knowing that I'm a hip-hop hunk."

Before he was Mac Lethal, he was David McCleary Sheldon, an opinionated loner whose only audience was his own reflection. "I was this hermit in my basement who just rapped in the mirror for years," he recalls.

Mac finally found his calling at an Xzibit show several years ago, where he joined a cipher that included Seven Fold Symphony conductors Negro Sco and Brother of Moses and sonic soulmate-to-be Approach. Mac's abrasive, colorful lyrics sharply contrasted with Approach's thoughtful soulfulness, but the pairing proved a perfect yin-yang match that's kept them working together since. And though the two are now prominent citizens of the area hip-hop community, they also have goals that extend beyond the city limits.

"Our plans are not to be underground legends or something," Mac insists. "I want the world to hear my stuff. I would love to be able to make commercially viable music and radio music. I wouldn't necessarily sacrifice my content, but my favorite stuff is the stuff that is on the radio and has a little more mass appeal."

Mac's bid for mass appeal got a serious boost last August when he created tidal waves at Scribble Jam. Hosted by DJ tome Scribble Magazine, the event showcases every element of hip-hop culture, bringing together graffiti artists, rappers, b-boys and record spinners for a three-day, multivenue festival. Mac was invited to participate in the MC battle, where 32 of the world's top rhymeslayers duked it out for the crown. Eminem took second place in 1997, and the battle has long been considered a breeding ground for up-and-coming mic sensations. Mac was just happy to be there. Sort of.

"It's 11 at night, I have to take a shit, I'm tired, I'm hot, I'm bored, I'm homesick, I'm missing whatever girl I was dating at the time," he remembers. "I'm nervous, I'm shaking and, of course, I'm the first one they called to battle. But I'll tell you one thing -- and I'll never say this about any other thing I've ever done -- I ripped this dude into fucking pieces."

Mac triumphed through four additional rounds before dueling Adeem in the finale. Mac lost, but taking second place proved to be its own victory. He was invited back as a performer in 2002 and caught the eye of HHI, a minor-league label that offered to release Mac's debut. The result -- the recently issued Men Are From Mars, Porn Stars Are From Earth -- has already rankled some purists, but it certainly can't be called generic.

"Everybody does these albums with titles like The Invincible LP or something just so fucking uncreative," Mac gripes. "I didn't think it was a great album title or really gonna move people. I just did it just to stand out."

Recorded, according to Mac, "in the depths and in the rage of two different females," Porn Stars is a genre-hopping bouillabaisse of verbal firepower, dissonant beats and the joys of getting one's prostate milked.

"I had gotten broken up with by a girl, and that pressed a button," Mac explains. "That's where a lot of the stuff on that album comes from, honestly. There's two females in particular -- and they know who they are -- that really pulled a lot of stuff out."

That might be the understatement of the year: Porn Stars is nothing less than pure catharsis set to music. On "My Favorite Screams" Mac spits raging absurdities with coin-flipped wit: My words fuck your girl to death on the couch/And wrap her body in the plastic part/My dick is sharp/My morning wood pierced the mattress and stabbed the Boogie Man in the heart.

Ironically, while local rap outfits such as DVS Mindz and the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians are heavily criticized for misogyny and alleged posturing, Mac is warmly embraced by the conscious-rap elite.

"I get away with a lot more than I should," Mac agrees with a laugh. "But I'm not a misogynistic person. The thing that probably makes my world go around the most is my mother, my sister and whatever female is in my life at that time. When I talk shit, it's not really directed at females in general; it's kind of a way to have fun and be a rapper and act like I'm ignorant or something. I've been criticized for misogyny the whole time I've been doing this, but I'm not gonna stop."