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Mase Information
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'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 Boy". 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 an 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 TV theme song). Despite returning to secular entertainment, Ma$e still claims the status of a pastor. A few months after his returning album it was rumored Mase had defected to G-Unit records bringing back his old persona "Murda Mase". After many speculations Mase appeared at a Young Buck concert in MSG wearing a G-unit spinner and also came out with a few tracks on the G-Unit mixtapes repping G-unit.
Discography
Albums
*1997: Harlem World
*1999: Double Up
*2004: Welcome Back
*2006: Officially Back(current working title)
Singles
| 'Year' | 'Title' | 'Chart positions' | 'Album' | | US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Rap | UK | | 1997 | "Feel So Good" | #5 | #4 | #1 | ?? | Harlem World | | 2000 | "Lookin' at Me" (featuring Puff Daddy) | #8 | #8 | #1 | ?? | Harlem World | | 1997 | "What You Want" (featuring Total) | #6 | #3 | #3 | ?? | Harlem World | | 1998 | "Top of the World" (Brandy featuring Ma$e) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 10 | Never 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. | #454 | #21 | #22 | #2 | Ain't No Laws |
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