I honestly believe that if Mase never retired he would be bigger than Nas and Hov

[Will Ross]

Double Up went gold according to RIAA and peaked at #11 on the charts according to Billboard


Jay-z on the other hand did like gold in his first week around the same time with a bootlegged album


Kid used the term rewrite history

Like I said if mase would have not retired and dmx did not have a drug problem. Jay would have just been the Annie guy.

 

[Piff Perkins]

Double up was a multi platinum album. Fact is if Dmx did not have a drug problem mase would not have retired Jay-Z would not have the success he has now.

Lots of "what ifs" that you cannot possibly prove. Hov and DMX co-existed and were very popular at the same time...the idea that DMX's down fall helped Hov is laughable, at least when you argue that Hov was only on top BECAUSE of the DMX fall off. 2003 was the last year of DMX having a big album. Later that year Hov released a bigger album with more hits and buzz (Black Album). The existence of Kanye and (later) Rihanna were always gonna ensure that Hov remained very relevant.

 

[Illeye buckmatic]

Like I said if mase would have not retired and dmx did not have a drug problem. Jay would have just been the Annie guy.

Jay Z was destined for greatness.

 

[Harry B]

Like I said if mase would have not retired and dmx did not have a drug problem. Jay would have just been the Annie guy.

Mase did not retire before he fell off and Jay and DMX both did big numbers at the same time.

Your brain might not be able to process how Big, Fugees, Bone Thugs, Nas and Pac could co-exist. Or how Jay, Nas, Eminem and Dmx could co-exist or how Drake, Cole and Kendrick can co-exist. But trust me they did and still do

 

[R=G]

And his 2nd album went wood unlike the others you just mentioned..

Again, that like saying Hammer and Vannila Ice had the "it" factor..cuz they sold millions the first time out..

So what..jay z first album pretty much bombed. Biggie saved the eastcoast back then...then Mase blew up.

Mase was way more credible than the lamest you mentioned who sold millions.

 

[L. Deezy]

Jay Z was destined for greatness.

Exactly..

 

[Marlo Barksdale]

Mase was dope and with the perfect team at the time of Bad Boy right when they were on a Bulls/Lakers/Warriors run we'll never see.

But, as many have noted, that run was coming to an end by mid-1998 and by the time Double Up dropped, that "take hits from the 80's" formula was washed up.

Because of his retirement right after its release, it caused ppl to completely forget that album even existed and had people romanticize him for his '96-'98 prime run. That opened the door for Fab, Loon and all the "pretty boy thug" prototypes to fill that void.

Long story less long, Mase would have to do a Dip Set level complete rebrand to even think of continuing on. Thing is, it was hard to look at Mase as a pure "thug" because he was literally marketed as Nickelodeon-friendly. It would have been a MC Hammer Funky Headhunter situation.

Shiny Suit Bad Boy had to turn to Black Rob & Shyne "gangsta" artists to survive the Shiny Suit backlash.

 

[Ziggiy]

Mase didn’t have the creativity or subject matter to compete with Nas and he didn’t have the lyrical ability or business acumen to compete with Jay-Z


Mase had charisma. Charisma only gets you so far

 

[010101]

ma$e is a coulda shoulda woulda situation

elite pen the most crossover pop potential out the bunch all the weapons to cover all lanes

he's just a fake religious recluse though ha

*

 

[BaRRyG]

Not at all.

What impact did Mase have on the industry?


Im using Puff's marketing as an example of why you think he was hot in the streets..

For the fact, if he had IT, his 2nd album wouldnt have gone wood and then he wants to retire and become a preacher.

Ok.

edit:I dont listen to Drake so posting that video doesnt help your argument..

Mase was going at it with a bunch of Harlem street nikkas... That had a lot to do with his retirement...

 

[FeloniousMonk]

So what..jay z first album pretty much bombed. Biggie saved the eastcoast back then...then Mase blew up.

Mase was way more credible than the lamest you mentioned who sold millions.

Breh. Did you just say RD bombed?

The Roc did pretty well for a indie company being distro'd by Priority sellin over 400k in units in a year.

At $3-5 a pop. Thats almost 2 mill they seen of record sales.

Indie type success, not signed artist success.

But yeah, let a typical cat say it bombed.


How did Big save the east coast when he came out in 94' and Jay came out in 96'?

Mase got signed as a 2nd tier artist to Craig Mack and Big.

Mase is credible in which way? His lyrics? Mr did fed time outta town pie flipper?

What exactly did Big save when Nas, Pun, Method Man, Redman, Jeru, Pete Rock, Brand Nubians, Organized Konfusion, Keith Murry etc debuted that year AND made noise.


And Puff bit one of those lames whole steez and built a legacy off of it..

 

[FeloniousMonk]

Mase was going at it with a bunch of Harlem street nikkas... That had a lot to do with his retirement...

Oh well, when you lie with dogs you wake up with fleas.

If you scared, say you scared..not "retire" in the middle of your career to become a preacher..

Then, when the coast is clear 5 years later, come back home to NYC to rap..

 

[KravenMorehead™]

Jay woulda got him out the paint cause he's that kinda nikka.

Either by direct beef or in reverse by little bro'ing/ sonning him on features

 

[R=G]

Breh. Did you just say RD bombed?

The Roc did pretty well for a indie company being distro'd by Priority sellin over 400k in units in a year.

At $3-5 a pop. Thats almost 2 mill they seen of record sales.

Indie type success, not signed artist success.

But yeah, let a typical cat say it bombed.


How did Big save the east coast when he came out in 94' and Jay came out in 96'?

Mase got signed as a 2nd tier artist to Craig Mack and Big.

Mase is credible in which way? His lyrics? Mr did fed time outta town pie flipper?

What exactly did Big save when Nas, Pun, Method Man, Redman, Jeru, Pete Rock, Brand Nubians, Organized Konfusion, Keith Murry etc debuted that year AND made noise.


And Puff bit one of those lames whole steez and built a legacy off of it..

Typical cat? I was there for a whole thing..you're just a kid. Jay Z and his Sunshine shyt didnt matter in 96 and 97...lol. Vol 2 is when he made waves.

Biggie was much bigger than all of them..Nas was rolling but he wasnt no smash success
It was Pac, Bone Thugs, Luniz, Westcoast Comnection, Warren G..shyt, even Domino had hits.

Pete Rock? No one was buying no fukking Pete Rock and Organized confusion..lol

 

[R=G]

Jay woulda got him out the paint cause he's that kinda nikka.

Either by direct beef or in reverse by little bro'ing/ sonning him on features

Jay Z dont have the swag to son Mase..