When we last spoke with Mista Mac towards the end of 2008, things seemed to be moving along well for the young Miami artist. Still relatively fresh into his deal with Poe Boy Records, Mac was entertaining rumors of  signing with major record labels and eyeing other possibilities in the New Year. 
           
Motivated and focused, Mac spoke of working harder than anyone else towards his goals in the music industry. His mindset was open towards new collaborations that came along with his role as an artist and he simply seemed ready for the challenges and new endeavors that were set to come his way.
          
One of those new ventures has come in the form of Puma Clothing, as Mac recently revealed that he joined forces with the multi-million dollar sportswear company and will be playing a key role in their future ad campaigns. While his affiliation with Puma is something that is new to him, it is also an opportunity that Mac is fully embracing.
            
“It’s a blessing,” Mac says when reevaluating his teaming up with Puma. “It’s just an opportunity for me to do something different. You really don’t see too many rappers with an endorsement like this. I feel it’s like a new door opening for me.”
            
One of Mac’s first steps in his partnership with Puma was an exclusive photo shoot that took place within the past week. While having experienced several aspects of photo ops in the past, Mac concedes it was something totally new in several regards.
            
“It was a lot of fun,” Mac admits. “I like to have fun with whatever I am doing so I felt right at home. It was definitely different for me. I have never done anything like that so it was definitely a learning experience for me. I’ve done photo shoots but I have never done anything that was for an actual product. It wasn’t just about me; the focus was on the shoes and the clothes and the whole package. I guess it was just a new experience for me.”

                

           
Upon signing with Puma, Mac has had the opportunity to try on their exclusive gear, from their clothing to the exclusive Puma shoes that are world renown. Having sampled the product he is going to be aligned with, Mac has high praise.
          
“It’s very comfortable,” says Mac. “They might use a special type of cotton because I felt completely comfortable. I didn’t have to worry about anything else because I felt real comfortable. There clothes were just cool and comfortable.”
           
As an artist, Mac understands that his music represents a major part of who he is. At the same time, he also understands that your image goes a long way to portraying how you are recognized and that is something Mac doesn’t take lightly.
          
“Image is everything, really,” Mac says bluntly. “Especially an artist, image is all you have and you only have one chance to make a first impression. As far as I am concerned, for myself, I always like to look good. If I don’t look good then I don’t feel comfortable. If I’m not comfortable I can’t really do certain things that I want to do. Like if I am in the studio and I don’t like how I look I might be thinking about it too much and not be focused. Or even if I am doing a show I will be thinking about what I am wearing too much if I don’t feel right. If you look good then that it one less thing for you to worry about.”
           
Mac’s love for fashion is something that he has carried with him for as long as he can remember. Looking back to his school days, Mac remembers key moments when his fashion sense set a part.
          
“When I was in high school I remember my newspaper always doing articles on fashion and I was always featured in their stories,” a reflective Mac states. “I always tried to wear something different and something that stood out. I was always trying to go left when people were going right. I never wanted to dress like anybody else. Even now I really wear what I want to wear. I don’t care what other people think as much just as long as I am comfortable.”
          
When turning the subject to his music, Mac smiles when thinking of his current situation. Lately Mac can be found on a daily basis at Poe Boy Records, creating new music and pushing hard towards his aspirations.
          
“For me it’s been blessings after blessings,” Mac says appreciatively. “I’ve just been going hard with everybody here at Poe Boy. I’ve been experimenting with new beats and just going after it. I’ve definitely been grinding and I think you can say that my own flowers are starting to bloom.”
          
In talking to Mac you will find someone who is both well spoken and career oriented. There are many facets to Mac’s persona and his signing with Puma is just another layer to add his repertoire as an artist. 
          
“I definitely am trying to incorporate fashion into my career because really it helps define who I am. I am pretty versatile and you can’t really classify me as having one specific genre. I am just really trying to talk about stuff that people can relate to. Fashion is definitely important. Teaming up with Puma is just one of the first things that people are going to see with me. That is just the early introduction of what I am going to be coming with.”


 
For more on Mista Mac, please visit www.Myspace.com/MistaMacMusic
 
For more information on Puma products, please visit www.Puma.com
 
If you liked the article please visit Chris at www.Myspace.com/BoxingHarmony