“Frat rap” — it’s a thing.
It’s a genre characterized by lyrics about alcohol, girls and college, and while it might be arguably superficial and two-dimensional, frat rap is fun — but defense of the genre can be saved for another column.
For now, praise is in order for the baby-faced golden boy of frat rap: Huey Mack.
Born as Joseph Dalton Michael , but better known by his stage name, Huey Mack, he started rapping as a joke, but decided to make it a career in his late teens. Mack has collaborated with big names in frat rap from the beginning, including Mike Stud and Sammy Adams, and has gained serious traction in the scene with his independently released album ,“Pretending Perfection,” in 2013.
Still, the guy is far from big time with fewer than 40,000 Facebook followers and just over 117,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Mack’s transformation from his first mix tape to now makes him worth noticing. The guy has grown, and with him his lyrics and his fans have, too.
This becomes incredibly obvious after listening to his latest full-length release, “The Longest Year of My Life.”
Sure, the staples of frat rap are still present. Plenty of alcohol, references to “bitches” and “the crib,” and partying all night.
Tracks with dance floor potential include “Hangover” and “Maybe I Do,” and both are well-mixed tunes.
But at the core of Mack’s new album is a lot of heart. And it’s not just references to his passion for the rap game or sappy lyrics about finding a good girl or anything, but actual heart and soul. Mack gets real.
The album’s title is referring to the longest year of the rapper’s life — 2015, a year riddled with depression and suicidal thoughts. On one deep track, “Cruisin,” Mack addresses his experience in the industry, rapping, “You know you’re only cool as all the albums you sold / They told me drop 20 you’ll be a star, watch how your (stuff) will sell / trying so hard to be someone else that I forgot about myself.” Mack talks about anxiety and depression in an especially poignant line later in the song, saying “It’s so hard to be happy when your mind don’t … let you.”
But the crown jewel of Mack’s emotional release is undoubtedly “December 32nd, 2015.” Here, the frat rapper lays out exactly what he means when he says, “this the longest year of my life.” He contemplates retiring.
“Huey,” his rap alter-ego, drowns himself in drinks and drugs, but also mentions how he feels that as “Huey” he is a beacon of hope for the people who have written to him saying his music has saved their lives.
The track is a magnificent piece of soul searching.
Soul searching in frat rap? Yes, it’s real. Check it out.
Mack transcended stereotypes and produced a real piece of art in “The Longest Year of My Life.”
Lyndsie Kiebert
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