Let’s say Mase Doesn’t retire, how much longer do you think his run would have lasted?

[get these nets]

I firmly believe that the combination of Jay/Dame/Biggs weren’t going to be denied. They had a vision and a mission and they were hell bent on accomplishing it. I maintain that Jay was always going to be a star. With Biggie’s passing he went on to become a SUPERSTAR and I don’t see Mase stopping that. Jay is a better (for lack of a better word) wave rider than Mase turned out to be. Plus Jay was co-Ceo of Roc-A-Fella while Mase was just an artist under Puffy. Jay was going to make SURE he stayed top dog on his own label. Meaning the best beats, features, and opportunities were going to HIM. Puffy was still going to be in charge of Mase’s ultimate fate as an artist, which as history proves isn’t the best position to be in long term.

Jay was better set up to flourish. More talented. More ambitious. And had the uncanny ability to hop on the most poppin trends and reinvent himself.

Ok. This is a good post.

Here is where and why I disagree
First what I agree with. Dame's effectiveness and helping Jay Z get put on, and continue elevating is FACT. He doesn't make it without Dame, they were a great team of talent and management.

I watched the Streets is Watching VHS the month it came out and in the extra footage, they narrate their come up and dealing with record company politics, budgets, and A&Rs.
I'm from the Stretch and Bobbito era, and listening to hundreds of songs, when I heard Dead Presidents the first time, I said WOW!
But without that brain power and hustler backing him, he would have just been another talented rapper on the NY mixtape circuit

The Bad Boy Machine continued AFTER the top rapper in the world died. Many labels would fold if they lost their top artist, marketing genius Puffy releases tribute songs that are MEGA hits.....112 and Mase come out and continue the machine. Mase comes out and becomes the top rapper in the game in terms of popularity and air. Lox come out and feed the Streets, just as their original team from Yonkers is set to blow up .Black Rob feeding those same streets and fan base.

If Mase doesn't retire, he has a lot of things working for him. Genius marketer as boss , HOT in house producing team with PROVEN golden touch, popular R&B artists on the label, popular female rapper affiliated with the team, he was a media darling, radio friendly , photogenic . He had star quality.
(LL's star quality and ability to make radio hits carried him long after his prime as a rapper/ Also the ability of Def Jam to pair him with up and coming hot artists on their roster)

Mase had all of the ingredients at Bad Boy to do the same thing, while he was STILL in his prime.


There was only a few slots for rappers at any given time. Airplay, magazine covers, chart position. It would have been interesting to see Mase and Jay compete in their primes.

 

[NYChase718]

Mase and brandy, sitting on top of the world ,could’ve been the power couple before jay and Beyoncé

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

Mase and brandy, sitting on top of the world ,could’ve been the power couple before jay and Beyoncé

 

[MurderToCassette]

I never understood this whole "Jay Z was an unstoppable force" thing. Why did such an unstoppable force take forever to get in the game, find a style, make a record etc.?



Why did he really did hit the and "retire" when BP2 was considered trash and 50 Cent took over in 03?

But I'm a stan, what do I know?

 

[Youngblood Priest]

Can't say. The rise of the South would have been kind to him. Those early Crunk music type shyt (lil john) type shyt would have meshed great with his flow. The nikka can spit.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

“Numbers” as in Gold like Double Up?

With one single? Doesn’t sound that bad to me especially since it wasn’t heavily promoted

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Show me a guy in the history of rap who…

Knew how to make radio songs
Was well liked by women
Young
Respected as a rapper

Who didn’t eat?

Mase had several songs with X…Why would you think he would’ve been on the outside looking in when he got hot?

 

[Mac Ten]

Ma$e would have been on The Saga Continues...

He would have ran away to Atlanta anyways(not to preach) and start3d to collab with Lil Jon and make songs with Jazze Pha.



Cam and Ma$e would have patched things up behind the scenes too. Maybe Ma$e would have gotten some beats from Heatmakerz.


Ma$e would have finished his Bad Boy contract out too.

 

[Street Knowledge]

With one single? Doesn’t sound that bad to me especially since it wasn’t heavily promoted

In 1999? That’s nothing special on an established label lol

 

[Street Knowledge]

Show me a guy in the history of rap who…

Knew how to make radio songs
Was well liked by women
Young
Respected as a rapper

Who didn’t eat?

Mase had several songs with X…Why would you think he would’ve been on the outside looking in when he got hot?

So where would Mase rank in 2002? It feels like people are dancing around the point lol

No one is saying he couldn’t have an occasional hit. He was top 3 in rap in 97, in 99 he wasn’t even top 3 in NYC.

 

[JustCKing]

In 1999? That’s nothing special lol

It is with a dated single and the artist pretty much retired before the album dropped without a followup and not much of a promo run. On top of that, the album wasn't much to write home about in year where Bad Boy struggled.

 

[Street Knowledge]

It is with a dated single and the artist pretty much retired before the album dropped without a followup and not much of a promo run. On top of that, the album wasn't much to write home about in year where Bad Boy struggled.

Yeah he was wack in 1999.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

So where would Mase rank in 2002? It feels like people are dancing around the point lol

No one is saying he couldn’t have an occasional hit. He was top 3 in rap in 97, in 99 he wasn’t even top 3 in NYC.

I don’t know like none of us do

 

[Ghostface Trillah]

So where would Mase rank in 2002? It feels like people are dancing around the point lol

No one is saying he couldn’t have an occasional hit. He was top 3 in rap in 97, in 99 he wasn’t even top 3 in NYC.

He had the #1 album in the country in 1999 with a throwaway in the middle of DMX,Jay, and Ja Rule had albums out

You guys keep confusing YOU being tired of Mase with everyone else being tired of Mase.

The coli used the same logic with Ja Rules run and tries to use it with Drake.

 

[Street Knowledge]

I don’t know like none of us do

This is a cop out

If I asked you would Mase be bigger than Eminem Z in 2001 if he was still active you would be like hell no. There would be none of this “well I don’t know and none of us do” stuff