Shamele Mackie, who goes by the stage name Papoose, is an American Rapper. He made his rap debut in the Roots of Evil album by Kool G back in 1998. He’s also known for self-producing his own mixtapes before being signed to a label. With a considerably long career, we wonder, how much is Papoose worth?
According to public data, the American rapper has $500,000 under his name. Other estimates state that his wealth is just around $200,000. Overall, Papoose falls in the middle-class group in terms of net worth.
Who is Papoose?
Papoose, Shamele Mackie in real life, is an America Rapper who landed his first big break in Kool G’s 1998 album. He’s born on March 5, 1978, in Bedford-Stuyvesant New, York. His mother is Irene Mackie but not much is known about his father. However, some reports say that Papoose’s father’s name is Gregory Hudgens, though this still needs to be confirmed.
As a baby, Shamele’s grandmother gave him the nickname ‘Papoose’, which means a Native American child due to his appearance. Despite being of Liberian descent, he went on to use the nickname as his rapper stage name.
While not much is known about Papoose’s relatives, it’s known that he’s the cousin of acclaimed producer Pi’erre Bourne.
Papoose’s personal life
Papoose has four children from different women. His eldest is Dejanae Mackie, who was born in 1997 with her then-girlfriend Yvetta Lashley. The two also had a son named Shamele Mackie Jr. who was born in 1999.
In 2000, Papoose welcomed another daughter, Destiny, though not much is known about the child’s mother.
After that, Papoose met Remy Ma (Remy Smith in real life), another rapper, through a common friend. It’s not clear when the two started dating, but it’s established that they are already a couple before Remy Ma’s conviction.
In 2007, Remy Ma was found guilty of two charges of assault after a 2007 shooting incident. The rapper was sentenced to eight years in prison. Despite that, she and Papoose maintained their relationship and even planned a jailhouse wedding, which was eventually canceled.
Roughly a month after Remy Ma’s sentencing, the couple tied the knot on an unofficial ceremony through a phone call.
After Remy got released, the two officially wed in December 2015. The celebration was lavish, with guests like Fat Joe, Cardi B, and Ice-T among others.
However, a year later, Remy suffered from a miscarriage. Nevertheless, the two welcomed a daughter in December 2018 whom they named Reminisce Mackenzie.
Papoose’s career
Papoose has a prolific music and TV career. He got his start in 1998 after debuting in Kool G’s Roots of Evil album. After that, Papoose released his own single in 2004 entitled ‘Thug Connection’.
The single saw success, which led Select Records to offer Papoose an eight-album contract. However, the rapper refused the deal.
From 2005 to 2012, Papoose produced and sold his mixtapes independently. He also presented one of the mixtapes to DJ Kay Slay. Eventually, Kay Slay signed Papoose into the Streetsweepers recording label.
Due to Papoose’s prolific career, he was awarded the Justo Mixtape Award for Best Underground Artist back in 2005.
A year later in 2006, Papoose signed with Jive Records for a $1.5 million recording deal. Papoose was planning his first album entitled The Nacirema Dream in 2007 when he and Kay Slay announced their departure from Jive Records.
Without a recording deal, Papoose went on to self-produce nine mixtapes from 2007 to 2012. Papoose also revealed in 2009 that he managed to keep the $1.5 million from Jive despite not going through with the contract.
Due to the roadblocks in his recording contracts, it took Papoose seven years to release his first album. Eventually, he signed with Fontana Distribution to market his debut album The Nacirema Dream in 2013.
In the same year, Papoose released another mixtape entitled Hoodie Season. This is followed by Hoodie Season 2 and Cigar Society. After that, Papoose released a second album entitled You Can’t Stop Destiny in July 2015.
Aside from making music, Papoose also found a break on television. This happened after the release of his wife Remy Ma from prison. The couple joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: New York, a docuseries about women working in a male-dominated industry of hip hop.
Papoose also starred in specials like Remy & Papoose: A Merry Mackie Holiday as well as The Love Edition. He and his wife also appeared in a show called Remy & Papoose: Meet the Mackies.
While appearing on the TV show, Papoose also released a third album in 2019 entitled Underrated. This is followed by Endangered Species in 2020. In 2021, Papoose released 10 albums named from the months of the year, except August and December.
How much is Papoose worth?
Considering Papoose’s productivity as a rapper, many assume that he would be raking in millions. Despite having four studio albums, dozens of mixtapes, and countless singles, Papoose has a meager net worth of $500,000.
This is because Papoose chose to release most of his music independently. It’s the reason why he’s not earning top dollar like other rappers of his caliber.
Moreover, Papoose wants to maintain the quality and authenticity of his music. He doesn’t want to be bound by the rules of commercial recording labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How did Papoose make his money?
A: Papoose makes most of his money from creating music. He has released countless mixtapes, singles, and several albums. The rapper also appeared in various TV shows, which adds up to this humble wealth.
Q: How much is Remy Ma the rapper worth?
A: Remy Ma, the wife of Papoose, is estimated to be worth $4 million. She’s way richer than her husband since Remy has a larger fan base and more number of listeners in Spotify alone. Overall, Remy Ma is considered one of the most popular American rappers to date.
Q: Is Papoose a millionaire?
A: Unlike his wife, Papoose isn’t a millionaire. The rapper is said to have $500,000 under his name, though this is expected to grow considering the pace of his music releases.
Q: Is Papoose a Native American?
A: While his stage name may lead you to think so, Papoose the rapper isn’t a Native American. It was just a nickname his grandmother gave him for resembling a Native American child during Papoose’s younger years.
Final words
How much is Papoose worth? The American rapper is said to be worth $500,000. This may look dismal for such a prolific artist, but experts foresee a continuous on Papoose’s wealth after recent album releases. Also, Papoose has a growing fan base that will surely reflect on his income as a rapper.
(Featured image by Getty Images)
