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Mark Morrison (born 3 May 1972, in Hanover, Germany) is a British musician raised in Leicester, most famous for his hit "Return of the Mack". He is also known for his string of criminal convictions, notably a one year sentence for getting someone else to do his community service for another offence and protesting his innocence.
Career
Morrison first recorded professionally in 1995 in jail, following a three month stint during which he decided to become a vocalist. His first release was "Crazy", in spring 1995; the single reached the Top 20 in the UK, with the minor hit "Let's Get Down" following in the autumn. "Return of the Mack" followed in spring 1996, and was the first single by a solo British black male artist to reach the number 1 slot in the UK Singles Chart in the 1990s. A reissue of "Crazy" hit the Top 10 in summer 1996, with further single releases "Trippin'", "Horny" and "Moan and Groan" also making the Top 10. Morrison's first album, also titled Return of the Mack, reached number 4 in the UK Album Chart. As a result of these works, Morrison was nominated for four BRIT Awards, though he won none, but when he performed, like many of his TV appearances, he protested his innocence on stage by whipping out a gun with the "Not Guilty" message at an awards show.
Despite his career success, Morrison continued to be accused of various crimes, and in 1997 he was convicted of attempting to bring a stun gun onto an aircraft.. He was jailed for three months for this offence in early 1997, at about the same time that the single "Return of the Mack" began its climb to the #13 slot in the US charts and later was banned from driving when he was caught driving unsupervised in his Mercedes whilst in his provisional license to not drive. In 1998, Morrison was sentenced to a year's imprisonment for violating a community service order imposed in 1995. He had paid a double to complete the community work while he fled to Barbados.
In 2000, Morrison signed a deal with the Ron Winters headed Death Row UK (UK branch of Suge Knight's Death Row Records). The label eventually folded without releasing the then-in-production album. Entitled Innocent Man, it languished for several years but was finally released in 2006 by a smaller independent label. Though it didn't match the chart success of his earlier attempts, it has been generally well-received, both critically and by his fanbase. Guest artists on the album include Daz Dillinger and DMX.
Discography
Albums
- May 1996: Return of the Mack - #4 UK
- September 1997: Only God Can Judge Me - #50 UK
- May 2006: Innocent Man
- August 2007: 'The Show Must Go' On
Singles
From Return Of the Mack
- April 1995: "Crazy" - #19 UK
- September 1995: "Let's Get Down" - #39 UK
- March 1996: "Return of the Mack" - #1 UK
- July 1996: "Crazy" (re-mix) - #6 UK
- October 1996: "Trippin'" - #8 UK
- December 1996: "Horny" - #5 UK
- March 1997: "Moan & Groan" - #7 UK
From Only God Can Judge Me
- September 1997: "Who's the Mack!" - #13 UK
From Innocent Man
- August 1999: "Best Friend" (Original) (Mark Morrison & Conner Reeves) - #23 UK
- August 2004: "Just A Man" / "Backstabber" - #48 UK
- April 2006: "Innocent Man" (Mark Morrison featuring DMX) - #46 UK
- February 2007: "Dance 4 Me" (Mark Morrison featuring Tanya Stephens) (Digital Only) UK
From The Show Must Go On
- To Be Announced