Jason Winfree (born March 22, 1973), professionally known by his

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Haystak is an American

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

from

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

Early life

Jason Winfree was born to teenage parents in

Trenton, Tennessee Trenton is the county seat and fourth largest city of Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 4,240. History Trenton was established in 1824 as a county seat for the newly cre ...

, outside of Nashville and was raised by his grandparents. At the age of 15, he was arrested and convicted for bringing

Valium Diazepam, sold under the brand name Valium among others, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. It is used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spas ...

and

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

to school. He served two years and, when he was released, began a music career. He rapped about his life as so-called "

white trash White trash is a derogatory term in American English for poor white people, especially in the rural areas of the southern United States. The label signifies a social class within the white population, especially those perceived to have a ...

", exploring the social dimensions of being white and underprivileged in the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

Career

In the late 1990s, he signed with a local rap label, Street Flavor, and began a business relationship with producers Kevin Grisham and Sonny Paradise. The partnership resulted in '' Mak Million'', Haystak's 1998 debut album, followed two years later by '' Car Fulla White Boys''. By this point, Haystak had garnered a substantial regional following, and underground hardcore rap publication ''Murder Dog'' began promoting his work. The attention attracted the label

Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch"), formerly known as Koch Records and Entertainment One (eOne) Music/Records, is an American independent record label and music management company based in New York City. It was formed in 1987 as a music div ...

who signed Haystak and re-released '' Car Fulla White Boys'' in late summer 2000. Two years later, Koch released Haystak's third album, ''

The Natural ''The Natural'' is a 1952 novel about baseball by Bernard Malamud, and is his debut novel. The story follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked after being shot by a woman whose motivation remains mysterious. The story most ...

''. Haystak released his latest solo album entitled '' Easy 2 Hate'' on November 30, 2010 through Haystak, Inc. Haystak is divorced and has two children. In addition to rap music, he has been featured on film ''

Hustle & Flow ''Hustle & Flow'' is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer. The film stars Terrence Howard as a Memphis hustler and pimp who dreams of becoming a rapper. The ensemble cast includes Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Ta ...

'' where he played the DJ named Mickey. Haystak collaborated with fellow Nashville native

JellyRoll Jason Bradley DeFord (born December 4, 1984), known professionally as Jelly Roll (originally stylized as JellyRoll), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Beginning his music career in 2003, he rose to mainstream prominence following ...

on the albums '' Strictly Business'' in 2011 and its sequel '' Business As Usual'' in 2013. Since March 2017, Haystak has been partnered with Daphne McCool and Russell Duke who have rebuilt his brand and have contributed to his continued success. In June 2018, Statik G signed Haystak to his record label RhymeSick for a 5 year deal and immediately booked several national tours for the rest of the year into 2019. Haystak joined Jon Conner's War Horse Entertainment in 2021, and has since gone on to release Haywire and Long Overdue (11/10/2023).

Legal issues

In 2004, Haystack was charged with statutory rape. In 2006, Haystak was charged and convicted of sexual assault. He was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days of supervised probation. In May 2014, he was arrested on domestic violence charges. In December 2014, he was arrested for intent to commit sexual abuse during a concert in Iowa.

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Extended plays

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1973 births Living people Rappers from Tennessee 21st-century American rappers People from Lebanon, Tennessee