Jason Winfree was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to teenaged parents.  He was raised by his grandparents.  As a teen, he took the stage name, Haystak, and chose to pursue a career in rap. This was a difficult choice, because he was a very large white man, and therefore was not easily accepted.

Haystak

There's nothing to take away from it.  Its value lies in entertainment and that's that. Other hip hop acts take their game deeper/beyond that.

A Rough Start

Jason Winfree was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to teenaged parents.  He was raised by his grandparents.  As a teen, he took the stage name, Haystak, and chose to pursue a career in rap. This was a difficult choice, because he was a very large white man, and therefore was not easily accepted.  However, he did not give up easily.  He lived in an impoverished area of Nashville with very few resources, and he credits rap music for saving his life.  

In the late 1990's, he signed a contract with Street Flava recording company; this was a courageous act given that the rap culture had not been accepting of him.  He tenaciously continued to perform and take part in battles, leading to a local following.  The underdog rap magazine, Murder Dog unofficially endorsed him,and in 1998, he released his first album, Mak Money.  While the commercial success of the album was only moderate, the underground rap response of huge.  Haystak had established himself in the rap culture.

Proving Himself

Haystak's method of dealing with the racial diversity issues is to address it in his rap.  He refers to himself as white trash and resurrected the term, “cracker.”  His next two albums, Car Fulla White Boys and  The Natural were met with mixed  reviews, but his popularity grew with each album.  After two more albums, he released From Start to Finish  in 2005.  This was his first album with Koch Records, and included a DVD.

Haystak released ten more albums since 2005.  While he has developed a solid fan base and his releases have enjoyed at least moderate commercial success, his only album to appear on the Billboard Top 200 was Crackavelli in 2007. However, six albums made the R&B/rap charts, including his two most recent albums.

Here and Now

With his releases becoming increasingly more popular, and a successful 2008 national tour under his belt, Haystak has established himself as a serious rapper, and no one can change that regardless of his weight or his race.  His singles and albums are enjoying digital sales of mp3 downloads at music and rap sites. His raps are also popular downloads for cell phone ringtones.

In addition to his rap career, Haystak has dabbled in acting as well.  He played the part of Mickey in the 2005 film, Hustle and Flow.  He was also featured in the 2004 documentary, White Boyz Can't Rap.  Haystak's MySpace page indicates that he is again on the road, touring areas of the Unitd States.  His videos are tracks are available for streaming at his site as well.  

Did you know . . .

1. When Haystak was fifteen years old, he was arrested for possession of Valium and cocaine in school.  He spent two years in prison.

2. Haystak weighs over 325 pounds

3. Haystak is married and has one daughter named Michaela.

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