Celly Cel

Celly Cel, born Marcellus McCarver, is an American rapper and hip-hop producer from Vallejo, California, known for his hardcore gangsta rap lyrics. He began his career by releasing his first single, "Lifestyle of a Mack," on his independent record label, Realside Records. Signed to E-40's Sick Wid' It Records, Celly Cel gained national attention with the album "Heat 4 Yo Azz," which featured the single "Bailin' Thru My Hood." The track reached number 34 on Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart. His underground success contributed to E-40's label securing a major deal with Jive Records.

Celly Cel achieved further recognition with "Killa Kali," which entered the R&B/hip-hop chart at number four and reached the Top 30 of the Billboard 200. He continued to chart with "The G Filez" before reactivating Realside Records and releasing "Deep Conversation," his fourth charting solo album. This was followed by "Criminal Activity," a collaborative project with Spice 1 and Jayo Felony under the group name Criminalz. His fifth solo album, "It'z Real Out Here," was followed by a full-length collaboration as a member of the Vallejo group Hillside Stranglaz. He continued to release albums, including "Focused."

Celly Cel is recognized for the hit "It's Goin' Down." His albums have reached number four and number 13 on the Billboard Top 100 Hip-Hop/R&B charts, and number 26 on the Billboard Top 200. His music has appeared in the movie "Dangerous Ground" and the video game NBA 2K7. The reach of his music extends beyond hip-hop, with "It's Goin' Down" gaining additional attention when NBA All-Star LeBron James shared a video featuring the song on social media.

Celly Cel appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album "America is Dying Slowly," alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, an album created to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men and praised by The Source magazine. He also performed in a Super Bowl special on MTV with Busta Rhymes, Method Man, and NFL players to promote the NFL Jams compilation. Celly Cel was nominated for Best Rapper at the Bay Area Music Awards in the same category as 2Pac and E-40, an honor selected by radio and television panelists. He was also among the first rappers 2Pac introduced to The Outlawz when presenting them to the West Coast music scene. With a career spanning decades, Celly Cel has maintained a significant presence in West Coast hip-hop and Bay Area rap.