Mase The Blueprint for The Roc?

[JustCKing]

Ma$e really influenced a new era in retrospect

Even when you look back and Nelly and his crew. Besides the singing sometimes, Nelly was even influenced by Ma$e and his style

Nelly was Cudda Love's artist, so there's like a direct Mase connection there. I thought it was weird that Nelly's Fo' Reel Entertainment had a hand in Mase's Welcome Back album. Then I found out that Mase's homie had ties to the label.

 

[I love Latina women]

Nelly was Cudda Love's artist, so there's like a direct Mase connection there. I thought it was weird that Nelly's Fo' Reel Entertainment had a hand in Mase's Welcome Back album. Then I found out that Mase's homie had ties to the label.

Yup, exactly

 

[Pool_Shark]

jay, nas, mase, prodigy Are the quintessential NY sound of the 90's

nikkas all wanted nas Flow including Ma$e
So it's only right they wanted NaS waves etc.
Nas was Ma$e & Jay fave rapper.

nikkas gonna imitate because thats the most flattery.

Mase’s flow was better than Nas

 

[Striving For Greatness]

Mase in my top 5

 

[DaveyDave]

I think a lot of it has more to do with the south gaining popularity in the late 90s And Bad Boy falling off after a made left. If Bad Boy had kept going then maybe they would have locked down Just and Ye as in house producers, they might have joined the Hitmen. The same goes for The Neptunes, prob not in house but they would have become go to producers for a new Bad Boy sound especially if Biggie didn’t die. The Harlem connection is between Mase, Cam and Dame so that’s before Bad Boy or Rocafella so that’s more coincidence than anything, had the Roc been a bigger label in the early-mid 90s Mase and Cam prob would have went there first anyway.

 

[Timbs]

Nah OP spittin, excellent journalism here

 

[JustCKing]

I think a lot of it has more to do with the south gaining popularity in the late 90s And Bad Boy falling off after a made left. If Bad Boy had kept going then maybe they would have locked down Just and Ye as in house producers, they might have joined the Hitmen. The same goes for The Neptunes, prob not in house but they would have become go to producers for a new Bad Boy sound especially if Biggie didn’t die. The Harlem connection is between Mase, Cam and Dame so that’s before Bad Boy or Rocafella so that’s more coincidence than anything, had the Roc been a bigger label in the early-mid 90s Mase and Cam prob would have went there first anyway.

This really had more to do with Mase than it did Bad Boy. Mase's work with Just and Kanye had nothing to do with Bad Boy, this was on his joint venture with So So Def. Mase had several songs with these producers even on Harlem World's The Movement album, which had nothing to do with Bad Boy.

The Neptunes produced a track on Total's debut. So they definitely would've been on Big's radar, but no MC's were spittin over their beats until Mase.

I would say the Southern thing was exclusive to Mase too because Puff had access to Dungeon Family and Suave House. Puff directed Kast's first video, but never collaborated with them musically. We didn't get another Southern collabo on Bad Boy until "Reverse", which had a Cee Lo Green verse. Then there was the song on Saga Continues featuring Ball & G.

Mase and Cam were classmates and played ball together and then were in a group together and then Mase was on his debut. Cam ain't surface on the Roc until 2002 even with Dame over there.

 

[DaveyDave]

This really had more to do with Mase than it did Bad Boy. Mase's work with Just and Kanye had nothing to do with Bad Boy, this was on his joint venture with So So Def. Mase had several songs with these producers even on Harlem World's The Movement album, which had nothing to do with Bad Boy.

The Neptunes produced a track on Total's debut. So they definitely would've been on Big's radar, but no MC's were spittin over their beats until Mase.

I would say the Southern thing was exclusive to Mase too because Puff had access to Dungeon Family and Suave House. Puff directed Kast's first video, but never collaborated with them musically. We didn't get another Southern collabo on Bad Boy until "Reverse", which had a Cee Lo Green verse. Then there was the song on Saga Continues featuring Ball & G.

Mase and Cam were classmates and played ball together and then were in a group together and then Mase was on his debut. Cam ain't surface on the Roc until 2002 even with Dame over there.

Didn't Cam sign with Untertainment? that was BIG and Un. If the Roc was poppin as a label for real Cam prob would have signed there but he went elsewhere because Dame didn't have anything really going at the time.

 

[JustCKing]

Didn't Cam sign with Untertainment? that was BIG and Un. If the Roc was poppin as a label for real Cam prob would have signed there but he went elsewhere because Dame didn't have anything really going at the time.

Yeah, Cam was signed to Un's Untertainment. Un and Big's label was Undeas. A lot of Big's people distanced themselves from Un. Kim fell out with him and of course there was the situation with Jay. Charli Baltimore's album was shelved and it was pretty much just Cam.

 

[Alvin]

I know this looks awkward, but when I think about was doing from 1997-1999, the more I see how he pretty much laid the Blueprint for The Roc:

1) Just Blaze and Kanye West. If I'm not mistaken, Just made his debut on Harlem World's The Movement. This was also one of Kanye's first placements as well. We all know Just and Kanye would go on to be in house producers for The Roc.

2) The Harlem connect. Cam'ron was in a group with Mase, also from Harlem. Then when he dropped his solo, Mase was on the first single. Years later, Cam resurfaces on The Roc.

3) The Neptunes. Their first credits on a Hip Hop album landed on Mase's Harlem World debut. They also produced songs on Harlem World's The Movement. Around the time of The Dynasty, The Neptunes became one of Jay's go to producers.

4) The South. Mase was one of the first East Coast rappers to feature Southern artists on his albums when he had Eightball & MJG on Harlem World. 1999 going into 2000 saw Jay Z collab with UGK, Juvenile, Scarface, and later Outkast. Granted, Jay was featured on albums from JD, Juve, and Silkk, but he didn't feature Southern artists on his albums until 1999. Then there's T-Mix producing on Beanie's albums. There's Memphis Bleek dropping "Round Here", which featured Trick Daddy and T.I.

It could be argued that The Movement was a blueprint (no pun) for The Dynasty album right down to the West Coast flavored songs. Not saying that The Roc bit, because this could merely be coincidence, but a lot of the moves they made seemed like plays from Mason Betha's playbook.

Jay-Z wanted to be in Ma$e position, if Ma$e didn’t play a Harlem World the group or leave rap in ‘99 it may have been different

 

[Alvin]

Jay had Chad on volume 1…

Wasn’t apart of the neptunes and only played an instrument

 

[Alvin]

Ma$e really influenced a new era in retrospect

Even when you look back and Nelly and his crew. Besides the singing sometimes, Nelly was even influenced by Ma$e and his style

Cudda Love was Ma$e manager and later became Nelly’s, Nelly was around Ma$e and Cardan. Nelly is essentially a less lyrical version of Ma$e with Midwest Swing

 

[I love Latina women]

Cudda Love was Ma$e manager and later became Nelly’s, Nelly was around Ma$e and Cardan. Nelly is essentially a less lyrical version of Ma$e with Midwest Swing

Yup

 

[Texasboy713]

Some really good points. Also some reaches. The Cam part is more ‘cool, small world’ coincidence. The Roc was off and running before Cam

But I think you can close your argument with the Just blaze, Neptunes, and Kanye angle alone. That’s kinda crazy. Neptunes and just blaze first rap song a Mase song, and Kanye came under the wing of D Dot, who executive produced Mase debut album

Edit: D Dot also produced on ‘Where I’m from’ on Vol 1, which came out a week after Harlem World

As far as the south thing didnt jay do money ain’t a thing first? (Edit: no, that was 98). But jay had a southern artist on Vol 1 (edit: no, I’m thinking of 2 Short). Well I don’t think that was the first east-South collab. I remember Outkast went on a run with Raekwon and slick Rick (edit: nope, Skew it on the bar b was 98. Art of storytelling was 99).

This the first south-east collab

 

[I love Latina women]

@JustCKing

What do you think about Ma$e's Harlem World album?

Where do you rank it among the greatest albums of the 90's and where do you rank among the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time?