McKinley Phipps, Jr. (born July 30, 1977), better known simply as Mac, is an American rapper and songwriter from New Orleans' 3rd Ward. Mac began rapping as a child, releasing his debut album The Lyrical Midget at the age of 13 in 1990, under the stage name Lil Mac. Mac would eventually sign with Master P's No Limit Records and would grow to be one of the most critically acclaimed artists on the label, both as a solo rapper and as a member of the super group 504 Boyz. Mac released 2 solo albums and 1 album as part of the 504 Boyz on No Limit, including 1998's Shell Shocked, which peaked at #11 on the US Billboard 200. In 2001, Mac was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 30 years in prison at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in Louisiana, and was released on parole on June 22, 2021 after serving 20 years of his sentence. Phipps maintained his innocence throughout, and his parents have campaigned to re-open the investigation into his case. Career Mac was born McKinley Phipps, Jr. to Sheila Phipps and McKinley Phipps, Sr. in New Orleans, Louisiana, the oldest of their six children. He began his music career in 1990, and by the time he was 13 years old, under the name "Lil Mac", he released his debut album, The Lyrical Midget. The album was one of the earliest commercial hip-hop albums to come out of New Orleans, and featured production from New Orleans producer Mannie Fresh. Late 1990s: No Limit Records, Shell Shocked, and World War III Lil Mac joined the Psychoward, a New Orleans-based group consisting of 28 rappers, and the group released their debut album, www.psychoward.com, in 1997. After rejecting an offer to move to New York and sign with Def Jam Records, Lil Mac changed his name to simply Mac and signed with Master P's No Limit Records. He toured with No Limit throughout the U.S. and Europe, and made guest appearances on many other artists' albums before releasing his own. He was featured on Master P's Ghetto D, Mystikal's Unpredictable, and Mia X's Unlady Like, among others. The next year in 1998, Mac released his second solo album and first with No Limit, Shell Shocked. The album is Mac's most commercially successful to date, reaching #11 on the Billboard 200. Mac again was featured on many other No Limit artist's