MASE
This interview was also featured on New York's #1 video show, NOTT TV (Night On The Town TV), broadcasting live from New York City with host Brandon Michaels.

OS: What up playboy? How have you been? Peace to you, much love, please tell us what you've been up to.
Mase: I've just been relaxing, pursuing my college education at Clark and my calling to God and playing a little b-ball in between, just enjoying life.

OS: Aiight let me ask you - before anything else - what was it like being on Bad Boy during the platinum years?
Mase: Man, it was a dream come true. Just being around the great, late B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace); Puffy, who's a genius at what he does; Faith, extremely talented; and the LOX - straight gutter, it was beautiful. Everyone that was doing it back then, we were the headliners. We controlled the metropolis area during 95-97.

OS: What was it like being the one solo big dawg after the great B.I.G. passed?
Mase: As for me being the man after B.I.G. passed, I'll never be able to do what that man did for hip-hop. No one man could fill his shoes. I just came in, learned from him and soaked it all in. When I got my time to shine on the 112 and B.I.G. joint I was crazy nervous, but the teaching was there. B.I.G. and Puff were the best at what they did - look at the track record, the songs don't lie! 95-97 locked down, courtesy of the Bad Boy Family.

OS: So what did you feel you could bring to a label which was already a firm empire?
Mase: (laughing) Well, I just wanted to bring Harlem back to the stature it was back in the early 80's and 90's with the Mob Style 5, Doug E. Fresh, Kool Mo Dee, Rob Base and the late Big L. Just trying to bring us back up to the level we were supposed to be at, Harlem World for life. I was a young and upcoming artist on Bad Boy tring to bring all the money back to Harlem, ya know.

OS: What are your feelings towards Hot 97 then and now? 
Mase: Truthfully, I got much love for the squad down there. Back then you had Wendy Williams, Pete Rock, and Angie was coming up strong, just starting to blow up. Fat Man Scoop was doing it too, so they showed Bad Boy much love. I mean, truthfully, man, Monday through Sunday, 2 PM to 7 PM, you were bound to hear at least ten or twenty songs played regularly by Bad Boy. You know, it was like that - New York was hot - Hot 97. Now I see Angie dropping hot albums, Fat Man Scoop doing tours, everybody eating, doing their thing. Much love to Hot 97.

OS: Let me ask you, what were you thinking back then on the gospel tip?
Mase: Back in 1997 I had a joint with Tonya Blunt. It was beautiful, it was really nice.

OS: Do you feel there were chances to do more things? What do you feel compromised your art by being so mainstream?
Mase: Man, I wanted to have more avenues to express my talents - meaning that the more records I sold, the more opportunities for me. I wanted to have a long run lik ethe greats.

OS: What were some of the best times you had in the studio during your run with Bad Boy?
Mase: Yo, I remember just being around B.I.G., it was like having a big brother with all the knowledge of the shit and he was so cool, so down to earth. Anybody who ever met him would tell you the same thing. I miss him so much, you know.
- Brandon Michaels