Mase
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| Mase | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mason Durrell Betha |
| Also known as | Ma$e |
| Born | August 27, 1977 Jacksonville, Florida[1] |
| Origin | Harlem, New York |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1996-present |
| Label(s) | Bad Boy Records So So Def/Columbia/SME RecordsG-Unit Records |
| Associated acts | Creflo Dollar, Sean "Puffy" Combs,The Notorious B.I.G, Bad Boy Records, Cam'ron, Lil' Cease, Jim Jones (rapper), The LOX, Big L , Junior M.A.F.I.A. |
Mason Durrell Betha (born August 27, 1977),[2] better known by stage name Mase (often typset as Ma$e), is an American rapper, songwriter, television personality and inspirational speaker. He was an artist on Sean "Diddy" Combs' hip hop label Bad Boy Records during the late 1990s.
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[edit] Early career
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Mase was introduced as Bad Boy Entertainment's next big artist during the summer of 1996 when he was featured on the remix to 112's debut single, "Only You", which peaked at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Singles Sales chart as well as its Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. With his soon-to-be-trademarked slow flow, Mase would quickly develop a crossover-fanbase as he would be featured on original tracks, as well as remixes, by popular R&B artists such as Brian McKnight, Mariah Carey, Keith Sweat, and Brandy, amongst others. Puff Daddy (Diddy) featured Mase on "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems", from The Notorious B.I.G.'s double-LP "Life After Death" in what would turn out to be the album's biggest hit single. He then featured Mase on several songs on his own debut album, No Way Out: the lead single, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", which hit number one on the Rap, R&B, and Pop charts, as well as on "Been Around the World", which would also reach number one on Billboard's Hot Rap Tracks. By the time Mase released his own debut album in late-1997, "Harlem World," the rapper had taken the claim to Bad Boy's premier artist, filling the void left by the death of Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace.
[edit] Harlem World
Mase released his first solo LP, Harlem World, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Pop and R&B LP charts selling over 270,000 copies in the U.S. its first week of release; it has since gone 4x Platinum in the United States. Joining Mase on his solo LP was a long list of rap dignitaries including Busta Rhymes, The Lox, Lil' Kim, Total, and Monifah. Mase told MTV about his first solo effort: "Well, basically what I'm trying to establish is a strong identity and foundation for Mase so a lot of people could know that Mase is his own person and Mase can do other things besides rap and music and things in that nature." Entertainment Weekly said of the album: "...creatively refreshing, well-crafted lyrics... rap's newest bad boy more than holds his own on his solo debut... his distinctive marble-mouthed drawl... creates a regular-guy persona all too rare in hip-hop."
The album spawned hits such as "Feel So Good" and "Lookin' At Me" which both reached number one status on the Rap Billboard charts, as well as "What You Want" (U.S. #6), and "Lookin' at Me," which peaked at number three on both the Rap and R&B Billboard charts.
[edit] Double Up and Retirement
Mase's sophomore effort, Double Up, was released in 1999 and distributed by Bad Boy Records and sold 107,000 copies in its first week, debuting at #11. However, though it reached Gold Certification status in the US and was well-received by critics and fans alike, the album failed to meet expectations due to the rapper's turn to religion and subsequent retirement from rap.
The album offered several notable differences from Harlem World. After having moved to Atlanta, Mase adopted a "dirty-south" style to adapt with the changing trends in hip-hop at the time, as popular rap music at the time was dominated by Master P and his No-Limit crew. Double Up also featured much more aggressive material from Mase. Perhaps this was a response to his reputation of a pop-rapper or a response to the dwelling tension between himself and his confidants Cam'ron and Jim Jones. Perhaps no other sign was as clear as the line he raps on the last song of the album, "From Scratch," when he says "If I could do it all again, I'd do it all for Christ."
On April 20, 1999,[3] during an interview with Funkmaster Flex of New York radio station Hot 97, Mase announced his retirement from music to pursue a higher calling from God.
[edit] Return to Music and Subsequent Controversy
After a five-year hiatus from the music industry, Mase made a comeback with Welcome Back during the summer of 2004. Prior to the album's release, the rapper was featured on Nelly's "In My Life," as well as the remixes to Fat Joe's "Lean Back" and Kanye West's "Jesus Walks."
Mase's third album, Welcome Back, released August 24, 2004. The album debuted at #4 on the charts, selling 188,000 copies in the first week; the album would eventually go gold, selling 559,000 copies in the United States. Released after a five-year break from the rap scene, the album was a product of Mase's newly developed "Christian" persona. Portraying a "cleaner" image during this short-lived return to the industry, Mase dubbed himself "a Bad Boy gone clean," on the lead single, also titled "Welcome Back." This new approach to rap was received with mixed reviews. However, even though the album was not a commercial success like Harlem World, the singles, "Welcome Back" and "Breathe, Stretch, Shake," received moderate radio airplay and video play on BET and MTV, with the latter reaching #28 on the Billboard Hot 100; both singles were also certified gold by the RIAA.
Mase was for a short time a member of G-Unit. He has since called his time there a mistake. He then went on to add, joining the group wasn't the mistake, but the message he was sending was. He joined G-Unit to appeal to a different audience so they could see that they could change just as he did. To quote Mason, "in order to get people where I'm at, I have to go back to where I once was[4]."
[edit] Second Comeback
On June 28, 2009, Mase remixed the single to raps newcomer Drake, "Best I Ever Had".[5] Mase stated that since the death of Michael Jackson it has lit the fire in inside him and he is ready to come back.[6] He appeared on Power 105.1 to have a phone conversation with "The Prince of New York" DJ Self to discuss his latest attempt at a comeback. During this interaction, former-friend-turned-rival, Jim Jones, called in to make peace and hinted at the possibility of the two working together in the near future.
Following the formula that worked for him 13 years ago, Mase has begun to appear on popular R&B artists' remixes. First, he was featured, along with Ron Browz, on the remix of "Uptown Boy" by The Inc. Recording artist Harry O. Most recently, Mase has been featured on the remix to Trey Songz "I Need A Girl"[1], where he shouts out Diddy before his verse.
On July 11, 2009, a track named "Get It" by Cam'Ron ft. Mase was released online. This is the first rap style song feature by Mase since his 2009 return to the music scene. This also is the first time Mase works with Dipset's Cam'Ron since the mid 90's.
Today, he is still in ministry as a pastor and is known as Dr. Mason Betha.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Harlem World (1997)
- Double Up (1999)
- Welcome Back (2004)
- TBA (2009)
[edit] References
- ^ Mase | View the Music Artists Biography Online | VH1.com
- ^ XXL Magazine September 2002, page 101
[edit] External links
- Mase at Allmusic
- Mase at the Internet Movie Database
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