Mr. Mack

Back in the summer of 2006, Knoxville had its first—and, to this point, only—local mainstream crossover hip-hop hit with Mr. Mack's “Where You From (Da 865).” It was the city's unofficial theme song for months, a bruising, rolling anthem with its own particular brand of street-level civic pride, and a showcase for Mack's laid-back, just-behind-the-beat drawl. As the song's hype wound down, Mack talked about his negotiations with major labels, got regional stars like Yo Gotti and Bonecrusher for the remix of “Where You From,” and appeared in Ozone magazine. Since his manager, DJ K-Swift, announced last fall that Mack had signed a deal with Universal Records, the homegrown rapper has kept a low profile. A couple of mixtapes hit the streets last year, hopefully as teasers for a full album that may someday see the light of day.