David Sheldon, AKA Mac Lethal, is performing at Mojo’s tomorrow night. For those who are not familiar with Mac, he is the YouTube sensation who made pancakes while rapping to Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” as well as the creator of the “Texts from Bennett” blog.
Mac has been making music since his first album, “Men are from Mars, Porn Stars are from Earth,” released in 2002, but he didn’t hit mainstream until his breakfast-rapping video went viral in December. The video has more than 20 million views.
“I definitely brought some of my existing fan base to my YouTube channel,” he said in an email. “But aside from that, my YouTube channel has created a lot of new fans as well. It’s a pretty fantastic experience.”
A Kansas City native, Mac got his start in high school on the freestyling and battle-rhyming circuit in 1998, according to his iTunes biography. In 2006, he co-founded Black Clover Records, based in Kansas City, where he has produced most of his albums.
“Blowing up double-viral is a true blessing,” he said. “It’s amazing, and it opened up so many opportunities. However, it’s definitely got me pretty busy.”
Mac said he recently wrapped up a filming of an “artist spotlight” on Last Call with Carson Daly, which was his first TV appearance, and performed in Amsterdam prior to that. He is quickly adjusting to the stresses that accompany fame.
“I used to think I was stressed out just having a few emails to respond to and a few songs to record,” he said. “I had no idea how busy I wasn’t.”
But, he added, “All of this stress and chaos will end up transforming into an incredible album.”
His widely popular blog “Texts From Bennett” is a Tumblr account in which Mac posts screenshots of text message conversations with his 17-year-old cousin, Bennett. The heading of the blog describes Mac’s ridiculous kin: “He is a white boy that thinks he’s a Crip, is currently unemployed, has a girlfriend named Mercedes and is one of the most unintentionally funny and brilliant souls on the planet.”
There has been some controversy over the existence of Bennett. Many news sites and fans have commented on the likelihood that Bennett is not a real person, and the text conversations are completely made up. Mac denies all of these rumors and claims Bennett is a real person, though under a pseudonym.
Texts From Bennett is also a mobile app available for 99 cents on iTunes. There is even a website that sells Bennett-themed merchandise including shirts, shot glasses and a “refrigerator poetry kit” that feature some of Bennett’s most ludicrous remarks.
“I am enjoying the Bennett side of things right now, getting to work on various projects with cool companies,” he said. “I can’t disclose much now, but let’s just say it’s all been very exciting.”
Blogging notoriety aside, Mac is in the music business for the long haul.
“I think when it comes down to it, I am a rapper at heart,” he said.
