  Mase (aka Mason Durrell Betha)
was born August 27, 1977, in Florida and
raised in New York. By the time he was 20,
Mase made it to the top of the rap world with
his own work and collaborations with other
rappers. Mase first began rapping when he was
at SUNY college on a basketball scholarship.
Mase was originally known as Mase Murder when
he was in a rap group called Children Of The
Corn. The group split up after a member was
killed in a car accident. Mase was then left
pursuing a solo rap career and left SUNY
after 2 years.
Mase met up with Puff
Daddy at a music conference in
Atlanta: "I rapped for him and when I
got back to New York he put me on the 112 remix ("Only
You")... it was all love after
that."
 # 45
Singles Artist of the Year
 Mase hit the Top 40 helping out Puff
Daddy with "Can't Nobody Hold Me
Down."
"Can't Nobody Hold Me
Down"
topped the Billboard R&B Singles Sales
chart for 12 weeks.
"Can't Nobody Hold Me
Down"
topped the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart
for 6 weeks, the Billboard Hot 100 Singles
Sales chart for 7 weeks, the Billboard
R&B Singles chart for 6 weeks, the
Billboard Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales
chart for 6 weeks, and the Billboard Rap
Singles chart for 12 weeks.
 Mase hit the Top 40 helping out The
Notorious B.I.G. and Puff
Daddy with "Mo Money Mo Problems."
Mase hit the Top 10 helping out The
Notorious B.I.G. and Puff
Daddy with "Mo Money Mo Problems."
"Mo Money Mo Problems" topped the
Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart for 2 weeks,
the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales chart for
4 weeks, the Billboard R&B Singles
Airplay chart for 2 weeks, the Billboard
Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales chart for 2
weeks, and the Billboard Rap Singles chart
for 4 weeks.
Mase hit #1 for a week helping out
The
Notorious B.I.G. and Puff
Daddy with "Mo Money Mo Problems."
 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. Joining Mase on his solo LP was a
long list of rap dignitaries including Busta Rhymes, The Lox,
Lil' Kim, Total,
Monifah, and of course Puff
Daddy. The LP was released on Puff
Daddy's Bad Boys Record label. 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 LP: "...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."
Mase hit the Top 40 helping out Brian McKnight with "You Should Be Mine
(Don't Waste Your Time)."
"Feels So Good" topped the
Billboard Rap Singles chart for 6 weeks.
Mase hit the
Top 40 with "Feels So Good."
Harlem
World topped the Billboard Albums
chart for 2 weeks and the Billboard R&B
Albums chart for a week.
Harlem
World was certified 2x platinum.
Mase topped the Billboard
Year-End Charts as the Top Hot Rap
Artist.
 # 31
Singles Artist of the Year
Mase hit the Top 40 with "What
You Want."
The singles "What
You Want" and "Feels So Good" were certified
platinum.
Mase was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap
Performance by a Duo or Group ("Can't Nobody Hold Me
Down"
with Puff
Daddy and "Mo Money Mo Problems" with The
Notorious B.I.G. and Puff
Daddy).
Police in New York are saying
that rapper Mase was arrested for soliciting
a prostitute, but later released on lesser
charges. According to SonicNet, Mase (or Mason Betha)
denies the charges and pleaded guilty to a
disorderly conduct charge for which he paid a
fine and was released. Mase's lawyers stated
that the rapper has no previous legal
problems and "...he absolutely denied
the solicitation charges." Mase told Sister
2 Sister: "I don't pursue women
they pursue me... and I really ain't going to
pursue something I got to pay for."
 Harlem
World was certified 3x platinum.
Mase hit the Top 40 with Puff
Daddy with "Lookin' At Me."
Mase hit the Top 40 featured on Brandy's hit "Top
Of The World."
The single "Lookin' At Me" was certified
gold.
Mase topped the Billboard Rap
Singles chart with "Lookin' At Me" for 10 weeks.
Mase hit the Top 40 helping out Cam'ron with "Horse
And Carriage."
At the MTV
Video Music Awards, Mase was nominated
for Best New Artist for "Feel So
Good" and Best Rap Video for "Mo Money Mo Problems" (along with The
Notorious B.I.G. and Puff
Daddy).
Mase was nominated for a
Billboard Video Music Award: Best New Artist
Clip (Rap) for "Feel So Good."
Mase hit the Top 40 with 112 on the track "Love
Me."
Mase hit the Top 40 by helping
out Blackstreet and Mya with "Take
Me There."
 # 139
Singles Artist of the Year
Mase was nominated for an American
Music Award Favorite Soul/R&B Male
Artist.
Mase was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album (Harlem
World).
Mase hit the Top
10 by
helping out Blackstreet and Mya with "Take
Me There."
Mase released a statement that
he will no longer rap so he can instead
follow God. The change in career focus would
be "effective immediately" and
promotion for his next LP will not include
singing appearances. In a statement, Mase
said "I'm grateful for all the blessings
bestowed on me that were a result of my
career. Now it's time for me to serve God in
His way. The Lord sends you messages when
He's ready and not necessarily when we
are."
 Mase released his next LP, Double
Up
with the first single "Get Ready."
Double
Up
was certified gold.
Harlem
World was certified 4x platinum.
MTV: 100
Greatest Videos Ever Made includes
"Mo Money, Mo Problems" at # 23.
VH1: 100 Best
Songs of the Past 25 Years includes "Mo Money Mo Problems" at # 58.
 # 154
Singles Artist of the Year
 Mase was back on the radio with
"Welcome Back."
August 24: Mase came out of
retirement with his LP Welcome
Back.
Mase topped the Billboard
R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart with
"Welcome Back."
Welcome
Back was certified gold.
# 368 on the Top Pop Artists
of the Past 25 Years chart.
The single "Welcome
Back" was certified gold.
The single "Breathe,
Stretch, Shake" was certified gold.
VH1: 100
Greatest Songs of the 90's included "Mo Money Mo Problems" at # 63.
|
Harlem World
Released: October, 1997
US: 4x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 1 (for 2 weeks)
Tracks: "Puff's
Intro" - "Do You Wanna Get
$" - "Take What's Yours" -
"Mad Rapper" (Interlude) -
"Will They Die 4 You?" - "Lookin' At Me" -
"White Girl" (Interlude) -
"Love U So" - "Player
Way" - "Hater" (Interlude)
- "N**** Wanna Act" - "Feels So Good" - "What You Want"
- "Phone Conversation"
(Interlude) - "Cheat On You" -
"24 Hours To Live" - "I
Need To Be" - "Watch Your
Back" (Interlude) - "Wanna Hurt
Mase?" - "Jealous Guy" |
|
Double Up
Released: June, 1999
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 11
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "Intro"
- "Stay Out Of My Way" -
"Get Ready" - "Make Me
Cry" - "Awards Show"
(Interlude) - "Same N*****" -
"If You Want To Party" -
"Jail Visit" (Interlude) -
"F*** Me, F*** You" - "Do
It Again" - "Another Story To
Tell" - "Blood Is Thicker"
- "You Ain't Smart" - "All
I Ever Wanted" - "Mad
Rapper" (Interlude) - "From
Scratch" - "Gettin' It" |
|
Welcome Back
Released: August 24, 2004
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 4
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "Welcome
Back" - "Breathe, Stretch,
Shake" (with P. Diddy) - "Keep
It On" - "My Harlem
Lullaby" - "I Owe" -
"Wasting My Time" - "Gotta
Survive" - "The Love You
Need" (with Rashad) - "Money
Comes & Goes" (with Nelly) -
"I Wanna Go" - "Into What
You Say" - "Do You
Remember" (with Cardan) |
| Note: Song title and
position links lead you to the song's Top
40 chart run (from the ARC Weekly Top
40)
and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often
including track listings and sound
samples). |
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