Mase

Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975),^[1] better known by his mononym Mase (formerly Murda Mase and stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper.^[3] Best known for his work with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, he signed with the label in 1996 and quickly found mainstream recognition as Combs' hype man. He guest appeared on Combs' 1997 single "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, while his singles as a lead artist, "Feel So Good" (featuring Kelly Price) and "What You Want" (featuring Total) both peaked within the top ten of the chart. Released in October of that year, his debut studio album, Harlem World (1997) peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart, received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned his third top ten single as a lead artist, "Lookin' at Me" (featuring Puff Daddy).^[4] Furthermore, his guest performances on labelmate the Notorious B.I.G.'s single "Mo Money Mo Problems" and Puff Daddy's "Been Around the World" peaked at numbers one and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, that same year.

Prior, Mase performed as a member of the hip hop group Children of the Corn, which he formed in 1994 with fellow New York City-based rappers including Cam'ron and Big L. Two years later, he discovered and formed the hip hop group Harlem World, who signed with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings to release their only album, The Movement (1999). Following this, Mase released his second album, Double Up (1999), which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200 and foresaw his five-year recording hiatus to focus on Christian ministry, after which he released his third album, Welcome Back (2004). It peaked at number four on the chart and was led by the top 40 singles "Welcome Back" and "Breathe, Stretch, Shake" (featuring Puff Daddy).

Despite receiving gold certifications by the RIAA, both albums were met with largely mixed critical reception and he parted ways with Bad Boy after the latter; his subsequent releases have been few and far between, and each have failed to chart. In his other ventures, Mase has founded the record label RichFish Records, through which he signed rapper Fivio Foreign in 2019. Amidst Combs' sexual misconduct allegations and ongoing criminal trials since 2024, Mase unveiled his previous falling out and dissociation with the rapper due to suspected concerns, referring to his woes as "payback".^[5][6]