Papoose (rapper)

American rapper

Shamele Mackie The album was eventually released on March 26, 2013, through Honorable and Fontana. His second album, You Can't Stop Destiny, was released in 2015.

Shamele Mackie was born on March 5, 1978. He was raised in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. While an early rumor stated that his ancestry traced back to Liberia, a matrilineal DNA test through African Ancestry, Inc. revealed that he actually descends from the Tikar people living in present day Cameroon. The nickname "Papoose" was given to him by his grandmother for his resemblance as a baby to a Native American child.

In 1998, Papoose made his rap debut on Kool G Rap's Roots of Evil album. In 2004, he released his debut single, "Thug Connection", which featured the b side "Alphabetical Slaughter". Select Records offered him an eight album deal, which he rejected.

After a stint at Rikers Island, Papoose began producing and selling mixtapes independently, one of which he presented to DJ Kay Slay outside the offices of New York's Hot 97, who then invited Papoose onto his radio show. Impressed by his rendition of "Alphabetical Slaughter", Kay Slay signed him to his Streetsweepers imprint. Papoose continued to release mixtapes at a prolific rate, over a dozen between 2004 and 2006, In September 2007, Kay Slay revealed that he and Papoose had left Jive, saying that they had "almost (became) victims of A&R hell." Papoose continued to release his work independently, dropping nine mixtapes between 2007 and 2012. On the 2009 mixtape 21 Gun Salute, Papoose admitted that he was able to keep the $1.5 million from Jive, despite not releasing an album.