MA$E
Feels So Good
By: Author Unknown
Bad Boy Records latest sensation has taken the rap industry, and the entire nation by storm. Mason Betha, born in Jackson, Florida nineteen years ago, is one of only three rappers ever to debut on Billboard's top 200 records list at number one. West Coast superstar Snoop Doggy Dogg and MA$E's producer, label mate, and mentor Sean "Puffy" Combs are the only others to accomplish such a feat. The debut album by MA$E, Harlem World, spent two weeks at number one and is currently number nine on the Billboard charts. His first single "Feels so Good" also debuted at number one on the R&B as well as the Hot 100 Singles charts. After four weeks on the charts, "Feels so Good" is now number five on the R&B singles and number nine on the Hot 100.MA$E spent the first five years of his life in Florida before moving to Harlem in 1982. His mother shipped him back to Florida for two years at age thirteen to keep him away from trouble. It was on his return trip to Harlem that he struck an interest in rapping. MA$E was always into music and basketball but at this time he was spending a lot of time "standing on the corner selling dope for dough", so he took to rapping. In 1996 while in Atlanta meeting with Jermaine Dupri, head of So So Def Records, MA$E ran into Bad Boy CEO Sean "Puffy" Combs. After laying down a few rhymes for him, Combs invited MA$E to join him and Notorious B.I.G. on the remix of 112's "Only You". It was the success of this remix that impressed Combs enough to give MA$E a record deal.
MA$E spent the latter part of 1996 and early 1997 in the studios with Puff Daddy and Notorious B.I.G. teaming up with them as well as other rap acts for their studio albums, as well as laying down tracks for his own. Notorious B.I.G.'s album Life after Death went platinum and Puff Daddy's Puff Daddy and the Family has gone double platinum. Harlem World is sure to follow in the steps of the albums of his label mates. With guest appearances by Puff Daddy, 112, Black Rob, The Lox, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, and more MA$E is looking to outsell Puff Daddy in no time at all.
Harlem World covers all of bases as far as a rap album is concerned. The smooth voice of the nineteen year old works well with his wide range of lyrics, beats and guests. MA$E's stories depict everything from fighting in the streets, and doing live shows, to dating, "playa hating", and club hopping. Some of the lyrics leave you thinking that MA$E has the utmost confidence in the future of his career as well as the Future of Bad Boy Records. MA$E guarantees, "money back on anything that got my vocals" and boasts that, "Bad Boy get more money than you can count."
MA$E raps smoothly enough that all ages, races, and locales will be able to enjoy his music. Most rappers today only care about appealing to the young, black males that live on their coast. But not MA$E. His beats and stories are appealing to all ages, races and both sexes. He is also on of the most vocal East Coast rappers in wanting to end the feud between East and West. In the first verse of his first song, "Do you Wanna get $?" MA$E proclaims, "East, West, every state come on bury the hate. Millions the only thing we're in a hurry to make."
