Mase talks about the time Big L tried to get him robbed "It Is What It Is"

[Awesome Wells]

where is mase from originally and how old was he when he moved to nyc?

He's from Florida.

They moved him back and forth until he was almost out of high school because his mom said "Harlem was too dangerous and she wanted to keep him out of trouble". Which is why Cam was clowning him when they had issues before saying he moved back south because he was scared.

 

[Awesome Wells]

He mighta had an underground buzz but he super well known. Lifestylez peaked at #149; Big Picture debuted at #13. His name really spread AFTER he got killed.

His name only spread to cacs after he was killed.

L was well known for 7-8 years before he passed. Only people that got up on his music after that, were the fake fans.

 

[New Jeruzalem Journalist]

Word I'm a battle rap fan so when they mentioned Party Arty I pointed at the screen like that Leonardo Dicaprio meme.

Crazy thing for me, I was never deep into the 2000s and beyond battle rap scene, so I didn't even know about his battle resume until years after. I just always knew him as a member of the Ghetto Dwellas and his D.I.T.C. affiliation through A.G.

I actually saw him perform live once with D.I.T.C. not too long after they dropped their first album on Tommy Boy. He was charasmatic and energetic as fukk on stage. There was an unreleased album of his (not sure if it was an official one or not) floating around online about 5 or 6 years ago that I downloaded that was pretty nice.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Crazy thing for me, I was never deep into the 2000s and beyond battle rap scene, so I didn't even know about his battle resume until years after. I just always knew him as a member of the Ghetto Dwellas and his D.I.T.C. affiliation through A.G.

I actually saw him perform live once with D.I.T.C. not too long after they dropped their first album on Tommy Boy. He was charasmatic and energetic as fukk on stage. There was an unreleased album of his (not sure if it was an official one or not) floating around online about 5 or 6 years ago that I downloaded that was pretty nice.

Word.

By the time he started getting deeper into the battle scene, he was mad better lyrically than when he was Goodfellas. It was really sad when he passed. I was hoping to see him get some recognition with a proper release. His birthday is actually coming up in a couple weeks. That was another huge loss for DITC. I know AG was hurting bad over that one.

 

[FreshAIG]

The girl in the video saying "Beat em with aluminum then put two in em.....but you ain't put two in him" got me dead

 

[Tommy Gibbs]

His name only spread to cacs after he was killed.

L was well known for 7-8 years before he passed. Only people that got up on his music after that, were the fake fans.

unfortunately he wasn't "well-known" to many black and white fans. I knew who he was, but I'm a rare breed that never listens to popular radio and always have kept my ear to the streets. The average hip hop casual who were a fan of Biggie, Bone, 2pac, or Snoop in 1995 had no idea who Big L was. It's sad that Death elevated him like Dilla

 

[New Jeruzalem Journalist]

I'd say he was definitely known nationally. MVP rung off pretty decently. Then Ebonics was getting a big ass buzz and he was in a bunch of the magazines.

L was Definitely known nationally. I always tell the story of how they were playing the "Put It On" instrumental on Channel One News once when I was in HS. Channel One was a national news Channel broadcast in public schools in the mornings back in the early 90s. And this one white boy in my homeroom got all excited cuz it was one of his favorite songs at the time. And this was in '94. That song got major play on video stations. He was certainly a name anybody familiar with rap music around that time would have heard before.

I've even always felt that L's flow around the time he got killed was actually regressing. He started to sound like every other generic thug rapper delivery-wise. And I was surprised at how big (no pun intended) his name got after his death. He was known and was nice, but I don't ever recall any GOAT or top 5 talk.

But that's two different arguments. No, he wasn't considered "the greatest" in the 90s, but he was respected as a dope ass MC and certainly known among fans in rap and hip-hop circles. The latter part isn't even up for debate honestly.

 

[jensyao]

so cam didn't drop the next freestyle or told Lee's story?

 

[Awesome Wells]

unfortunately he wasn't "well-known" to many black and white fans. I knew who he was, but I'm a rare breed that never listens to popular radio and always have kept my ear to the streets. The average hip hop casual who were a fan of Biggie, Bone, 2pac, or Snoop in 1995 had no idea who Big L was. It's sad that Death elevated him like Dilla

I don’t think it was "unfortunate" that he wasn't known to white fans. His music wasn't made for them, away from the ones who loved him in the underground.

He was an underground draw for us in NYC. He wasn't making or trying to make records to crossover to reach white fans and people who weren't underground heads. This is '91-'96. That wasn't the goal back then. If you knew L back then, you were a hardcore Hip Hop head. Like the ones he saw when he was on tour out of state with Beatnuts and Kurious. You had to be a fan at that level to know who L was. But in NYC, we all championed him back then. The only people that jump on artists after they die, are posers and fake fans.

 

[ISO]

He's from Florida.

They moved him back and forth until he was almost out of high school because his mom said "Harlem was too dangerous and she wanted to keep him out of trouble". Which is why Cam was clowning him when they had issues before saying he moved back south because he was scared.

How is he from Florida

The majority of his upbringing was in NYC

 

[vino]

How is he from Florida

The majority of his upbringing was in NYC

Harlem dudes funny about Mase. I feel like none them dudes really rock with Mase.

 

[Awesome Wells]

How is he from Florida

The majority of his upbringing was in NYC

Bro grew up in Jacksonville. That's been known forever.

His moms moved him from there to NY and then back to Florida because she said Harlem was too dangerous. Cam, Gruff and mad other people mentioned this on old diss records to Mase. Common knowledge.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Harlem dudes funny about Mase. I feel like none them dudes really rock with Mase.

None do.

Because he's not really from Harlem. It's always been that way with him, lol.

 

[vino]

None do.

Because he's not really from Harlem. It's always been that way with him, lol.

What about Jimmy?

 

[Awesome Wells]

What about Jimmy?

Jimmy's from The Bronx.

His grandmother lived in Harlem. He used to stay with her.