OG Maco

Benedict Chiajulam Ihesiba Jr. (April 23, 1992 – December 26, 2024), better known by the stage name OG Maco, was an American rapper from College Park, Georgia.

He was best known for his 2014 debut single "U Guessed It", which spawned a remix featuring 2 Chainz that entered the Billboard Hot 100. He signed to Quality Control Music that same year, which became an imprint of Motown and Capitol Records the following year. He was chosen as part of XXL magazine's 2015 annual Freshman Class. He was also the founder of the hip hop collective OGG, through which he discovered then-unknown producer OG Parker. In 2016, he released an extended play titled For Scott… as a tribute to his biggest influence, American rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi.

Early life

Benedict Chiajulam Ihesiba Jr. was born on April 23, 1992, in College Park, Georgia. He grew up with friends in a band named Dr. Doctor, in which he was a guitarist and singer.

Career

Maco cited Black Sabbath, Kid Cudi, and Currensy as major influences.

Health issues and death

On July 28, 2016, Ihesiba was in a near-fatal car crash and suffered multiple skull fractures, cracked vertebrae, a broken orbital, heart palpitations, and almost lost his right eye.

In 2019, he was diagnosed with a flesh-eating disease known as necrotizing fasciitis, caused by an inadequately treated minor skin rash that left much of his facial skin disfigured. Ihesiba struggled with depression from his battle with the illness, and on December 12, 2024, he was hospitalized after a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He spent the next two weeks in a coma before dying from his injuries on December 26, 2024.

Discography