PEOPLE // MacRoyals
Mac Royals – a Country Boy from Wrightsville
by Dianna Donahue - Oct.1.2021
Many may know Malcolm Allen by various stage names, but he recently reintroduced himself to the world as Mac Royals – “Mac” being a familial moniker and “Royals” representing the knowledge he acquired learning about the history of Black people. He formally debuted his new image by throwing a birthday concert entitled “Return of the Mac” this past August.
Mac grew up with his mother in Wrightsville, Arkansas, in a singing family. He spent lots of time with his grandmother, who built her grandchildren a treehouse in her backyard. He often watched The Andy Griffin show at her house and took an interest in the whistled title sequence. Eventually teaching himself how to whistle, today it is a soulful extension of his smooth vocal talents.
Although his father was incarcerated for about seven years of his adolescence, their relationship was strong and is a driving force in his life today. Mac’s father literally created a stage in his nightclub, “The Union,” to showcase his talents which introduced him to adult nightlife. He received tons of encouragement and support during that experience cultivating additional motivation to develop himself as an artist.
Mac supports the idea of being intentional about what he wants to happen in his life, which he says has opened many doors for him. One is being connected with one of his biggest artistic influences, Jamie Foxx. Mac says that he has emulated Jamie Foxx since he was younger. “I’m a huge fan! I used to watch him for hours on YouTube. HOURS! The first video that I posted on YouTube of me singing was ‘Wedding Vows.’ I wanted to meet Jamie Foxx for the longest, and now he follows me on Instagram! I wanted that…I willed it to be. Now…I’m going to be interviewed by Oprah. We don’t have any connections, but it will happen because I want it to be.”
Other musical influences of Mac’s are R&B singer Tank and gospel legends Kim Burrell, Yolanda Adams, Mali Music, Kierra “KiKi” Sheard-Kelly, and Rance Allen. “He [Rance Allen] is phenomenal! He’s the person that made me feel okay to make odd sounds as music…that’s why I started whistling and mimicking instruments!”
Mac describes his music as a “feel” because he believes it’s energy. “People would say it’s R&B music, but that’s just to attract a listener. It’s energy that I’m giving through that music – the energy…that’s why the people are there! It sounds good, but they can feel it though. You know what I mean?”
Music is symbolic of freedom and self-belief for Mac. After being told what he was and was not incapable of achieving, Mac moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to pursue his musical ambitions to find out for himself.
“I had no idea what was gonna happen – I didn’t have a plan or nothing. I just knew that it was not going to happen in Arkansas in the capacity that I needed to grow. So I had to go learn something new in a completely different place. And it worked!"
Although his father was incarcerated for about seven years of his adolescence, their relationship was strong and is a driving force in his life today. Mac’s father literally created a stage in his nightclub, “The Union,” to showcase his talents which introduced him to adult nightlife. He received tons of encouragement and support during that experience cultivating additional motivation to develop himself as an artist.
Mac supports the idea of being intentional about what he wants to happen in his life, which he says has opened many doors for him. One is being connected with one of his biggest artistic influences, Jamie Foxx. Mac says that he has emulated Jamie Foxx since he was younger. “I’m a huge fan! I used to watch him for hours on YouTube. HOURS! The first video that I posted on YouTube of me singing was ‘Wedding Vows.’ I wanted to meet Jamie Foxx for the longest, and now he follows me on Instagram! I wanted that…I willed it to be. Now…I’m going to be interviewed by Oprah. We don’t have any connections, but it will happen because I want it to be.”
Other musical influences of Mac’s are R&B singer Tank and gospel legends Kim Burrell, Yolanda Adams, Mali Music, Kierra “KiKi” Sheard-Kelly, and Rance Allen. “He [Rance Allen] is phenomenal! He’s the person that made me feel okay to make odd sounds as music…that’s why I started whistling and mimicking instruments!”
Mac describes his music as a “feel” because he believes it’s energy. “People would say it’s R&B music, but that’s just to attract a listener. It’s energy that I’m giving through that music – the energy…that’s why the people are there! It sounds good, but they can feel it though. You know what I mean?”
Music is symbolic of freedom and self-belief for Mac. After being told what he was and was not incapable of achieving, Mac moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to pursue his musical ambitions to find out for himself.
“I had no idea what was gonna happen – I didn’t have a plan or nothing. I just knew that it was not going to happen in Arkansas in the capacity that I needed to grow. So I had to go learn something new in a completely different place. And it worked!"
Mac’s transition was not easy, but he was able to grind through with the help of relatives, divinely timed resources, and his drive to expose his musical gift. Taking the last of his money, he invested in a microphone and a speaker, and he headed to the streets of Hollywood to perform. In the beginning, he performed 4-5 hours a day, making approximately $10 an hour.
“One day, a white guy walked by and stood close to the speaker, and he said, ‘Bro, your voice is phenomenal…your speaker is shit!’ He put $20 in my cup and said, ‘You get you a better-quality speaker, and you’ll be okay.’ I did that, and he was right! I went from making $40-$50 a day to making $150-$200 a day after I upgraded my speaker…just singing on the streets of Hollywood. Then, I added and upgraded some more…and I was out there…singing! I’m out there four days a week…6-8 hours…sangin’!” Additional blessings began to come in, including one from TurnPike, one of Mac’s mentors, and his Sound Engineering teacher from Arkansas Baptist College.
Mac was able to quit both of his jobs, get a permit to sing in Santa Monica, and work full-time on growing his craft. Several of his performance videos went viral, one video catching the attention of record executive and producer P. Diddy. Mac’s experiences while in Los Angeles opened his mind and exposure to several industry influencers that helped his creativity progress.
In one instance, Mac’s brother asked him to sing “Heaven” by Jamie Foxx while he sang on the Santa Monica Pier. Mac complied while his brother recorded; his brother posted it on his social media. Mac noticed that the video acquired over 1,000 views in hours, so he took the video and posted it on his own social media. The next morning, he had additional 10K followers – “It went viral.” The video got the attention of R&B singers Tyrese and Marsha Ambrosia, record producer Rodney “Dark Child” Jerkins, and The Shade Room – a celebrity and trending news outlet.
“One day, a white guy walked by and stood close to the speaker, and he said, ‘Bro, your voice is phenomenal…your speaker is shit!’ He put $20 in my cup and said, ‘You get you a better-quality speaker, and you’ll be okay.’ I did that, and he was right! I went from making $40-$50 a day to making $150-$200 a day after I upgraded my speaker…just singing on the streets of Hollywood. Then, I added and upgraded some more…and I was out there…singing! I’m out there four days a week…6-8 hours…sangin’!” Additional blessings began to come in, including one from TurnPike, one of Mac’s mentors, and his Sound Engineering teacher from Arkansas Baptist College.
Mac was able to quit both of his jobs, get a permit to sing in Santa Monica, and work full-time on growing his craft. Several of his performance videos went viral, one video catching the attention of record executive and producer P. Diddy. Mac’s experiences while in Los Angeles opened his mind and exposure to several industry influencers that helped his creativity progress.
In one instance, Mac’s brother asked him to sing “Heaven” by Jamie Foxx while he sang on the Santa Monica Pier. Mac complied while his brother recorded; his brother posted it on his social media. Mac noticed that the video acquired over 1,000 views in hours, so he took the video and posted it on his own social media. The next morning, he had additional 10K followers – “It went viral.” The video got the attention of R&B singers Tyrese and Marsha Ambrosia, record producer Rodney “Dark Child” Jerkins, and The Shade Room – a celebrity and trending news outlet.
"Music took me to a place of self-belief and freedom because I had to believe in myself enough to leave them jobs and for real go out there and do it. Because of that, I freed myself to be able to do what I wanted to do."
Mac grew up with his mother in Wrightsville, Arkansas, in a singing family. He spent lots of time with his grandmother, who built her grandchildren a treehouse in her backyard. He often watched The Andy Griffin show at her house and took an interest in the whistled title sequence. Eventually teaching himself how to whistle, today it is a soulful extension of his smooth vocal talents.
Although his father was incarcerated for about seven years of his adolescence, their relationship was strong and is a driving force in his life today. Mac’s father literally created a stage in his nightclub, “The Union,” to showcase his talents which introduced him to adult nightlife. He received tons of encouragement and support during that experience cultivating additional motivation to develop himself as an artist.
Mac supports the idea of being intentional about what he wants to happen in his life, which he says has opened many doors for him. One is being connected with one of his biggest artistic influences, Jamie Foxx. Mac says that he has emulated Jamie Foxx since he was younger. “I’m a huge fan! I used to watch him for hours on YouTube. HOURS! The first video that I posted on YouTube of me singing was ‘Wedding Vows.’ I wanted to meet Jamie Foxx for the longest, and now he follows me on Instagram! I wanted that…I willed it to be. Now…I’m going to be interviewed by Oprah. We don’t have any connections, but it will happen because I want it to be.”
Other musical influences of Mac’s are R&B singer Tank and gospel legends Kim Burrell, Yolanda Adams, Mali Music, Kierra “KiKi” Sheard-Kelly, and Rance Allen. “He [Rance Allen] is phenomenal! He’s the person that made me feel okay to make odd sounds as music…that’s why I started whistling and mimicking instruments!”
Mac describes his music as a “feel” because he believes it’s energy. “People would say it’s R&B music, but that’s just to attract a listener. It’s energy that I’m giving through that music – the energy…that’s why the people are there! It sounds good, but they can feel it though. You know what I mean?”
Music is symbolic of freedom and self-belief for Mac. After being told what he was and was not incapable of achieving, Mac moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to pursue his musical ambitions to find out for himself.
“I had no idea what was gonna happen – I didn’t have a plan or nothing. I just knew that it was not going to happen in Arkansas in the capacity that I needed to grow. So I had to go learn something new in a completely different place. And it worked!"
Although his father was incarcerated for about seven years of his adolescence, their relationship was strong and is a driving force in his life today. Mac’s father literally created a stage in his nightclub, “The Union,” to showcase his talents which introduced him to adult nightlife. He received tons of encouragement and support during that experience cultivating additional motivation to develop himself as an artist.
Mac supports the idea of being intentional about what he wants to happen in his life, which he says has opened many doors for him. One is being connected with one of his biggest artistic influences, Jamie Foxx. Mac says that he has emulated Jamie Foxx since he was younger. “I’m a huge fan! I used to watch him for hours on YouTube. HOURS! The first video that I posted on YouTube of me singing was ‘Wedding Vows.’ I wanted to meet Jamie Foxx for the longest, and now he follows me on Instagram! I wanted that…I willed it to be. Now…I’m going to be interviewed by Oprah. We don’t have any connections, but it will happen because I want it to be.”
Other musical influences of Mac’s are R&B singer Tank and gospel legends Kim Burrell, Yolanda Adams, Mali Music, Kierra “KiKi” Sheard-Kelly, and Rance Allen. “He [Rance Allen] is phenomenal! He’s the person that made me feel okay to make odd sounds as music…that’s why I started whistling and mimicking instruments!”
Mac describes his music as a “feel” because he believes it’s energy. “People would say it’s R&B music, but that’s just to attract a listener. It’s energy that I’m giving through that music – the energy…that’s why the people are there! It sounds good, but they can feel it though. You know what I mean?”
Music is symbolic of freedom and self-belief for Mac. After being told what he was and was not incapable of achieving, Mac moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to pursue his musical ambitions to find out for himself.
“I had no idea what was gonna happen – I didn’t have a plan or nothing. I just knew that it was not going to happen in Arkansas in the capacity that I needed to grow. So I had to go learn something new in a completely different place. And it worked!"
"There is no box. Who made the box? How did you get in it? Who put you there? Who monitors if you are in it or not? Who keeps you there? You. It’s been you the whole time. There is no box."
One of Mac’s biggest accomplishments has been overcoming himself. After the transitioning of his maternal grandmother and his father, Mac had to re-examine many ideologies instilled and toxic traits taught to him throughout his young life that no longer serve relevance.
“As a Black man…from Arkansas…having to step outside of all of these things that I was given and taught to promote my growth…that was hard. It’s still hard – I’m doing it daily! I had to reprogram myself, and that’s difficult, but it’s the best thing I could do for myself. I am very proud of myself.”
URBANE asked Mac to give one point of encouragement to Arkansas artists. His response is, “Stop allowing people that have never been in the spaces that you want to be in tell you what will happen when you get there. A lot of people will project on you out of their fear – which can be their way of protecting you because they don’t want you to get hurt. But that’s what they think! But you have to stay clear of that.”
Malcolm “MacRoyals” Allen is a chef, singer, self-taught piano player, and the owner of his own production company, which produces graphic artistry, music, photography, and videography. He is also an entrepreneur of a self-care line that includes all-natural body butter, sugar scrubs, bath bombs, and candles – all handmade luxury products in Arkansas by a Black woman. All of his ventures, services, booking opportunities, and additional information can be found on www.MacRoyals.com.
“As a Black man…from Arkansas…having to step outside of all of these things that I was given and taught to promote my growth…that was hard. It’s still hard – I’m doing it daily! I had to reprogram myself, and that’s difficult, but it’s the best thing I could do for myself. I am very proud of myself.”
URBANE asked Mac to give one point of encouragement to Arkansas artists. His response is, “Stop allowing people that have never been in the spaces that you want to be in tell you what will happen when you get there. A lot of people will project on you out of their fear – which can be their way of protecting you because they don’t want you to get hurt. But that’s what they think! But you have to stay clear of that.”
Malcolm “MacRoyals” Allen is a chef, singer, self-taught piano player, and the owner of his own production company, which produces graphic artistry, music, photography, and videography. He is also an entrepreneur of a self-care line that includes all-natural body butter, sugar scrubs, bath bombs, and candles – all handmade luxury products in Arkansas by a Black woman. All of his ventures, services, booking opportunities, and additional information can be found on www.MacRoyals.com.
Unless otherwise stated, photos are courtesy of MacRoyals and/or his staff.
