Like millions of Detroiters since the turn of the 20thcentury, rapper Gmac Cash wanted to work at Chrysler. And why not? Working in the plant is a secure job and it has great benefits. He finally landed a job at the Sterling Stamping Plant about a year ago, but it did not last long.
In October 2018, plant officials approached him about a song he recorded two years prior titled, “FMLA.” FMLA refers to the Family and Medical Leave Act, which is a federal law that guarantees certain employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave each year with no threat of job loss. The song was about him not wanting to go to work the next morning after a night of partying, using his FMLA to excuse his absence.
“The song, initially wasn’t about Chrysler,” said Gmac Cash. “I did the song in 2016 and when I started working at Chrysler, I shared the video with some co-workers and it blew up. They wanted me to do a video and some people told me whatever I was planning to do, just don’t do it on company property. I did the video on the sidewalk and from there, it blew up.”
The two-minute video went viral and reached plants all across the Detroit area, including Ford and GM. Somehow, human resources became aware of it and asked him to take it down, citing it made the company look bad. Gmac Cash took the video down after just three days of it being on YouTube. A week later, he was fired from Chrysler.
“I had never been late, I stayed overtime and none of that counted. They still fired me,” said Gmac Cash, who had not received FMLA while working at Chrysler. “That was an embarrassing moment.”
Gmac Cash placed a disclaimer in the video and never mentioned Chrysler’s name in the song. He even went to another Chrysler plant in Warren to film the video. But because he violated a “misuse of company property” law, he was fired.
Gmac Cash was ‘Tommy with no job,’ but he did not let that affect his mental or his craft. That same day, he filmed his popular, “Who Got The Bridge Card” video at the Walmart on 12 Mile and Van Dyke. It currently sits at 31,000 views. He used his firing as motivation and now he has the last laugh.
“That taught me to do what I want in life,” said Gmac Cash. “Being fired from Chrysler almost made me stop rapping. I was fired from a job I had been trying to get into for forever and I was ready to quit what I loved. If they wouldn’t have fired me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I want to thank them for that.”
Now an internet sensation, Gmac Cash is the mastermind behind songs such as “First Day at Popeyes,” which is a parody of Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley’s “First Day Out” hit, “Snow,” where he is tired of the snowy weather in Detroit, “40 Ball,” and “Gas Money,” among others. His comedy-rap videos have gotten him thousands of views on YouTube, social media, interviews with radio and news stations across Detroit, and is the official King of Comedy Rap.
“I started out wanting to rap, but I always wanted to do something that would grab people’s attention,” said Gmac Cash, who started rapping at age nine. “Other than talking about what other rappers in the city rap about, I wanted to be different and make people laugh. When my first Popeyes Chicken video made it to Worldstar, that’s when I knew I had something.”
Hailing from the east side of Detroit, Gmac Cash can relate to the culture of Detroit. Whether it is needing an EBT Card, gas money, or $40, he touches on it all through his music, which has seen his popularity grow by the day, being recognized wherever he goes.
“Sometimes, I’ll post a status on Facebook looking for topics to rap about,” said Gmac Cash, who turned 26 in March. “I’ll get a thousand comments and if I see something I like, I’ll write it down. Other than that, everyday life situations and trendy topics inspire my raps.”
“People want to listen to music they can relate to. Not everyone is in Detroit killing, selling drugs or doing what the average rappers are talking about. I have music that most Detroiters can relate to.”
Gmac Cash said his goal is to open for comedians such as Kevin Hart one day. He is not a comedian himself, but he is naturally funny and combined with his musical talent, has found his niche. April 1, he dropped his latest mixtape called, “King of Comedy.” It can be streamed through Apple Music or Tidal and is available in physical copies.
“I have different Detroit comedians on the project,” said Gmac Cash. “They are all cracking jokes on me and it’s special. It’s the first mixtape that’s just funny. The entire project is good music and laughs.”
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