April 29, 2012

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Mase went from Harlem World to on top of the world to his own world, and now he wants it all back.

It was 13 years ago when the charismatic rap star with the boyish smile unexpectedly pulled the plug on his flourishing career so he could dedicate his life to God.

On April 20, 1999, Mase called New York radio DJ Funkmaster Flex to announce his retirement from rap months before his sophomore LP, Double Up, was scheduled to drop. "I gotta do what makes me happy. A lot of people gonna say I'm crazy, I'm leaving money behind and a lot of things, but it's just how I feel in my heart," he said on the radio 13 years ago. "Once God puts something in your heart, you know, God talks to everybody different."

He tried his hand at a comeback with his gold-selling Welcome Back album in 2004 and then again as a member of 50 Cent's G-Unit crew, but it was all short-lived.

Well, M-A-dollar sign-E is back at it. On Tuesday night, Wale dropped his "Slight Work" remix featuring French Montana, Diddy and Mase. Right after that, the former Bad Boy rapper called Flex on Hot 97 to catch up. "Nobody gets as many chances as I got," Mase said over the phone with a chuckle. "I think I'm meant to do it. That's the conclusion I came to."

Last week, after a picture of Rick Ross, Montana, Omarion, producer Rico Love and Mase in the studio was posted online, rumors began to swirl of a Maybach Music signing.

Montana suggested to XXL magazine that a deal may be in the works, but Mase wouldn't confirm whether he was planning to sign with Rozay.

"[Rico Love] just called and asked me to take a ride with him — I didn't know who was gonna be in the studio," Mase explained. "I got there and everybody was there, and they just said, 'Take a flick.' The next thing I know I got a Maybach chain, I got 20 beats from Kanye. The stories just keep getting crazier."

If he does return to music full-time, Mase wants to do things on his terms.

He feels that his strong religious association has restricted his musical output. "I can only do music if I can do it the way I can do it," he said. "That's what be making me stop. I don't want to do music in a box, like everybody say what I can't do, 'he can't say this.' "

While the slow-flowed MC says that he will always put God first, he is ready to take the gloves off while in the studio. "I'm taking all my limitations off," he promised. "They gonna have to pray for me."

If Mase released rap music authentically, that is, acknowledging that he isn't really a

gangster-drug dealing-fucking chicks every day-driving 100G whips-pimp but portraying

one as an emcee, he would be okay.

The problem with this is that young kids, for some strange reason, suspend reason

and sound judgment when listening to music and actually think that these emcees

are what they say they are.

Another problem with being an emcee who is Black and Christian hinges on the

hypocrisy in Black American churches but that is a discussion for another day.

It's crazy how Ma$e came up with Big L and Cam'Ron.

Sorry, but his time has come and gone. This kids today ain't trying to hear Mase.

He would probably do better on a 90's r&b/hip hop revival tour with Lil' Kim, Queen Bee and Next.

Good luck most rappers can never seem to make a comeback.Fans of that music are extremely fickle,they quickly move on to the next thing.

SPYZFAN1 said:

Sorry, but his time has come and gone. This kids today ain't trying to hear Mase.

He would probably do better on a 90's r&b/hip hop revival tour with Lil' Kim, Queen Bee and Next.

Exactly.

Why

Hmm... must be time to collect for the Building Fund.

I need for Pastor Mason Betha to go and lay hands on Sis. Jones with that Pompeii oil and get the choir to give me an A&B selection! What the world needs now is not another comeback from "Murder Ma$e!" He didn't learn anything from that last fiasco from a few years ago? And who will his audience be? Rap music has changed so much since this cat last picked up a mic and it's not like he's some living legend who can come back to the stage and do his thing like a true old school rapper. I always thought he was a poser and now he wants to put the church to the side and I guess kick some rhymes about a way of life that he obviously has nothing to do with.

Umm... Pastor Betha... you're needed in the Fellowship Hall. Sister O'Dell just cussed out Brother Thomas over a cupcake!

Dude can't serve two masters and he was always just "alright" as a rapper anyway... Puffy just signed him to get his money and take him away from Cam and N.O.R.E.

From Murda Mase to Shiny Suit Mase, to Gospel Mase, to Welcome Back Mase to 2012 Mase....

Just hang it up, 90s rappers and those before them are starving artist unless they have a spot as a regular on a nationally televised cop drama....

gdiminished said:

From Murda Mase to Shiny Suit Mase, to Gospel Mase, to Welcome Back Mase to 2012 Mase....

Just hang it up, 90s rappers and those before them are starving artist unless they have a spot as a regular on a nationally televised cop drama....

SAY WORD, SON! SAY WORD!

Nobody cares.

NEXT.

Timmy84 said:

Dude can't serve two masters and he was always just "alright" as a rapper anyway... Puffy just signed him to get his money and take him away from Cam and N.O.R.E.

This is so true.