Mase Mase Mark Wahlberg Category="1978 births"Category="African American musicians"Category="People from New York"Category="United States rappers"[image] Ma$e (born Mason Durrell Betha on August 27, 1978 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American rapper, best known as a successful artist on Sean Combs' (Diddy) hip hop label Bad Boy Records during the late 1990s. He is currently signed to G-Unit Records which is headed by 50 Cent .

Biography

Raised in Harlem, New York, Mason Betha began his music career as a hardcore gangsta rapper named Murder Mase, a member of Big L's hip-hop group "Children of the Corn". Murder Mase was signed to P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records in 1996, and P. Diddy set about developing a marketable pop rapper out of an artist formerly known for violent imagery in his lyrics.

In 1997, the newly pop-friendly rapper, now known as "Ma$e" recorded and released his first album, Harlem World, which became a multiplatinum success, and featured the hit single "Feel So Good", which included a prominet sample of Kool & the Gang's "Hollywood Swinging" and the chorus from Miami Sound Machine's "Bad Boys". Other successful Harlem World singles included "What You Want" (featuring Total), "Lookin' At Me" (featuring Puff Daddy, produced by The Neptunes), and "24 Hours To Live" (featuring The Lox, Black Rob, & DMX). Notably popular among mainstream audiences, Mase became one of Bad Boy's premiere acts.

Retirement

During the promotional period for his second album, Double Up, and its single "Get Ready" (featuring Blackstreet), Ma$e announced that he had become a born-again Christian and was retiring from music. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia and studied at Clark Atlanta University, eventually earning an honorary Ph.D. in Theology in 2002 from St. Paul's Bible Institute in New York City and becoming Reverend Mason Betha. Rev. Betha was the pastor and founder of both the S.A.N.E. Church International and the Mason Betha Ministries in Atlanta. Betha also became a member of World Changers Church International in the Atlanta suburb of College Park. It is rumoured that Ma$e retired due to the murder of two of his friends over a extortion deal involving Ma$e in Harlem.

Return

After a five-year absence from the industry, Ma$e returned to music and Bad Boy Records with the Welcome Back album, and the single of the same name (sampled from the Welcome Back, Kotter theme song). Despite returning to secular entertainment, Ma$e still claims the status of a pastor.

Leaving Bad Boy

Ma$e made a suprise appearance at the Anger Management Tour at Madison Square Garden with Young Buck of G-Unit. Ma$e, or "Murda Mase", has left Bad Boy Entertainment and joined G-Unit Records and has returned to his former hardcore "Murda Mase" persona and style. , on his new mixtape singles such as "Return of The Murda", "300 Shots" dissin former G-Unit member The Game, and "Check Cleared" all on DJ Whoo Kids mixtapes "G-Unit Radio Part 13: Return Of The Mixtape Millionaire" and "G-Unit Radio Part 14: Back To Business" all of his songs with profanity filled content.

It is important to note that Ma$e has seemingly completely abandoned everything he supposedly stood for after his religious conversion. There is absolutely no way to square Ma$e's new lyrics and G-Unit alliance with anything written in his book "Revelations: There's Light After the Lime" or anything contained on his website of Mason Betha Ministries. Where exactly Mase currently stands on spiritual issues and whether or not he is still a "pastor" is unclear.

Discography

Albums

Singles

YearTitleChart positionsAlbum
US Hot 100US R&B/Hip-HopUS RapUK
1997"Feel So Good"#5#4#1??Harlem World
2000"Lookin' at Me" (featuring Puff Daddy)#8#8#1??Harlem World
1997"What You Want" (featuring Total)#6#3#3??Harlem World
1998"Top of the World" (Brandy featuring Ma$e)n/an/an/a10Never Say Never
1999"Get Ready" (featuring Blackstreet)??#50????Double Up
2004"Welcome Back"#32#17#8??Welcome Back
2004"Breathe, Stretch, Shake"#28#12#7??Welcome Back
2005"Detroit v.s. Harlem" f/ Killa-KC, Paul Wall, J-Murda, & E.J.####Unknown

External links