Return of the Mack

The single was recorded for Mark Morrison’s debut album Return of the Mack and released in 1996, with Morrison credited as producer alongside Phil Chill; Cutfather & Joe handled the remix on the single release. The song’s original UK release came out on WEA/WEA Records, and the US single was issued on Atlantic in 1997. The track broke through as Morrison’s signature hit, reaching number 1 in the UK and later number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rhino’s 25th-anniversary notes describe it as the benchmark track that helped revitalize UK R&B, and contemporary coverage placed it among the defining British pop and R&B hits of the era. “Return of the Mack” has remained Morrison’s most durable song, resurfacing through later remixes, compilations, and high-profile references; Billboard later ranked it among the greatest pop songs of 1997. It also fed directly into later sample- and remake-driven releases, including Nevada’s 2016 hit “The Mack” with Morrison.