Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975),^[1] known professionally asMase (often stylized asMa$e), is an American rapper.^[3] Best known for his work withSean "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 onthe Notorious B.I.G.'s 1997 single "Mo Money Mo Problems", which peaked atop theBillboard Hot 100, while his first two singles as a lead artist, "Feel So Good" (featuringKelly Price) and "What You Want" (featuringTotal), both peaked within the chart's top ten. Released in October of that year, his debut studio album,Harlem World (1997), peaked atop theBillboard 200 chart, receivedquadruple platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned his third top ten single as a lead artist, "Lookin' at Me" (featuring Combs).^[4] Furthermore, his guest performances on Combs' 1997 singles "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" and "Been Around the World", peaked at numbers one and two on theBillboard Hot 100, respectively, that same year.

Mase performed as a member of the hip hop groupChildren of the Corn, which he formed in 1993 with fellow New York City-based rappers includingCam'ron andBig L. Two years later, he founded the hip hop groupHarlem World, who signed withJermaine Dupri'sSo So Def Recordings. The group's only album,The Movement (1999), and Mase's second album,Double Up (1999), both peaked at number 11 on theBillboard 200. The latter preceded a five-year recording hiatus to focus onChristianministry, after which he returned with 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 receivinggold certifications by theRIAA, 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 rapperFivio Foreign in 2019. DuringCombs' sexual misconduct allegations and criminal trials from 2024 to 2025, Mase unveiled his previous falling out and dissociation with the rapper due to suspected concerns, referring to his legal woes as "payback".^[5][6]

Mason Durell Betha was born inJacksonville, Florida, on August 27, 1975, as a fraternal twin born almost two months premature, to P. K. and Mason Betha. He grew up with two brothers and three sisters, including his twin sister, Stason, born a few minutes after him. Their father left the family when Mase was just three years old. In 1980, his mother moved with her children toHarlem, New York, where Mase spent the majority of his childhood. During his early teenage years, Betha began getting into trouble on the streets of Harlem, and when he was 13 his mother sent him back to Jacksonville to live with relatives. It was while living in Jacksonville that Betha first began attending church. After returning to live in Harlem at age 15, Betha began showing promise as a basketball player, becoming the leading point guard for his team atManhattan Center High School during the 1993 season, where he played alongside Cameron Giles, who went on to be known as the rapperCam'ron. He had hopes of joining theNational Basketball Association (NBA), but was unable to make it into a Division I school due to his poor academic scores. He attendedState University of New York at Purchase, where he grew to realize he was unlikely to make the NBA and instead began focusing more on writing music, producing demo tapes, and regularly performing at local nightclubs. Betha eventually dropped out of college and focused on his music career full-time.^[1][7]

After Betha returned toHarlem, he and his childhood friendCam'ron began rapping as a hobby under the namesMurda Mase and Killa Cam, briefly forming a group known as theChildren of the Corn ("corn" short for "corner") with fellow Harlem rappersBig L,Herb McGruff, Six Figga Digga and Bloodshed.^[8][9]Damon Dash, a fellow Manhattan Center student, was the group's manager for a while. In 1996, Mase's sister Stason introduced him to Cudda Love, a road manager forthe Notorious B.I.G. Cudda took then 20-year-old Mase toAtlanta, Georgia, whereJermaine Dupri andSean Combs were attending a rap convention. Shortly after meeting and rapping for Puff Daddy at the Hard Rock Café, Mase signed a $250,000 deal withBad Boy Records.^[10] Within a week of signing to the label, Betha had his stage name shortened from Murda Mase to simply Mase to make him more marketable and was featured on and in the video for112's "Only You" with the Notorious B.I.G. He also appeared on numerous hit songs with other Bad Boy artists, including the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Mo Money, Mo Problems" and Puff Daddy'sCan't Nobody Hold Me Down" and "Been Around the World", which reached No. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100.

Mase's first studio album,Harlem World, debuted at No. 1 on theBillboard Pop and R&B LP charts,^[11] selling over 270,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week of release. It has since achieved 4× Platinum status in the United States. The album spawned hit singles such as "Feel So Good" and "Lookin' at Me", which both reached No. 1 on the Rap Billboard charts, as well as "What You Want", which peaked at No. 3 on both the Rap and R&B Billboard charts.^[4] During 1997, Mase also appeared on songs with Puff Daddy,Mariah Carey's "Honey",Brian McKnight's "You Should Be Mine (Don't Waste Your Time)", andBrandy's "Top of the World".

In 1998, Mase formed his own record label, All Out Records. He signed his groupHarlem World, which included his twin sister, Stason, to the label while they were also underSo So Def Recordings. He and Harlem World memberBlinky Blink were featured onBlackstreet &Mýa's song "Take Me There", which appeared on the soundtrack ofThe Rugrats Movie, he also had a guest appearance onDMX albumIt's Dark and Hell Is Hot on the final track of the album "Niggaz Done Started Something".

Mase's second album,Double Up, was released in 1999 onBad Boy and sold 107,000 copies in its first week, debuting at No. 11 on the US Top 200 chart. InDouble Up Mase's lyrics became more aggressive.^[12]

On April 20, 1999, during an interview withFunkmaster Flex on New York radio stationHot 97, Mase announced his retirement from music to pursue a "calling from God". He claimed he was "leading people, friends, kids and others down a path to hell", stating that he left to find God in his heart and follow him.^[13] He said it was time for him to serve God in "his" way, saying rap was not real, and that he wanted to deal with reality and had become unhappy with what he did, no matter how much money it had made him. The same year, Mase enrolled as a freshman atClark Atlanta University, a historically black college, and began taking classes on August 19. Unlike other freshmen, Mase was permitted to live off campus and commute, but he is said to have downplayed his past as a rapper and stayed fairly low-key while on campus.^[14]

After a five-year hiatus from music, during which he became anordained minister, Mase made his return to music withWelcome Back^[13] in summer 2004.Welcome Back was accompanied by the single "Welcome Back"^[13] and was released on August 24, 2004, through Bad Boy Records and distributed byUniversal Music Group. It debuted at No. 4 in the US, selling 188,000 copies in its first week of release, and eventually went gold, selling 559,000 copies in the United States. The album portrayed Mase's new Christian lifestyle and "cleaner" image. Mase dubbed himself "a Bad Boy gone clean" on the lead single (which samples theWelcome Back Kotter theme song). This new approach had a mixed reception. Although the album was not as big a commercial success asHarlem World, the singles "Welcome Back" and "Breathe, Stretch, Shake" received moderate radio airplay and video play onBET and MTV, with the latter single reaching No. 28 on the USBillboard Hot 100. Both singles were also certified gold by theRIAA.

In October 2009, Mase made an impromptu appearance on a live radio interview withDiddy-Dirty Money onV-103. He told the studio staff he brought documentation that would release him from the Bad Boy label and gave the forms to Diddy during the interview. Diddy signed the forms and announced "[Mase] has the freedom to go do whatever he wants to do."^[15] It was later revealed the forms did not end Mase's contractual obligations to the record label, but rather allowed him to appear on songs with artists from different labels.^[15]

In December 2012, Mase announced that he was no longer signed to Bad Boy, saying he would not likely sign with a major label anytime soon.^[16] He told MTV the only two labels he would consider signing with were Kanye West'sGOOD Music orDrake'sOVO Sound.^[17][18] On October 18, 2013, Mase announced his next album would be titledNow We Even. He also said his wish list for guest appearances would includeJay-Z,Sean Combs,Beyoncé,Drake,2 Chainz,Lauryn Hill,Meek Mill,Fabolous,Ariana Grande,Dipset,Eric Bellinger,Seal andCeeLo Green.^[19]

On November 24, 2017, Mase released "The Oracle", a diss track at friend-turned-rivalCam'ron in response to the lyrical jabs Cam'ron aimed at him on his mixtapeThe Program.^[20]

Cam'ron and Mase started their sports talk show,It Is What It Is, on February 27, 2023. The show premiered as an online-only production on Cam'ron's YouTube channel, "Come And Talk 2 Me".^[21]

Mase's melodic rap style has had an enduring influence onhip hop.^[22] Many rappers, such asPusha T,Fabolous andKanye West, have adopted Mase's lazy, yet melodic flow on several occasions.^[23]Jay-Z andDrake among other rappers have borrowed Mase lines in their songs.^[23] Kanye West has described Mase as his favorite rapper ever.^[24] In an interview withVladTV, formerDipset memberJim Jones stated that Mase taught him how to rap.^[25]

Mase has described himself as aconservative and supportedDonald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.^[26]

• Revelations: There's a Light After the Lime (2001)

Studio albums

• Harlem World (1997)
• Double Up (1999)
• Welcome Back (2004)

Mixtapes

• 10 Years of Hate: Crucified 4 the Hood (2006)
• I Do the Impossible (2009)

• Mase atIMDb
• El Elyon International Church

• 1975 births
• Living people
• African-American Christians
• African-American male actors
• African-American male rappers
• 21st-century American male rappers
• 20th-century American male rappers
• 20th-century American rappers
• American male film actors
• Bad Boy Records artists
• Clark Atlanta University alumni
• Pop rappers
• Male actors from Manhattan
• Musicians from Jacksonville, Florida
• People from Harlem
• Rappers from Florida
• Rappers from Manhattan
• Songwriters from New York (state)
• State University of New York at Purchase alumni
• Songwriters from Florida
• American male writers
• Underdog Fantasy people
• 21st-century American rappers
• 21st-century American male musicians
• East Coast hip-hop musicians
• African-American songwriters
• 21st-century African-American rappers
• 20th-century African-American musicians
• American male songwriters
• Children of the Corn (group) members

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