Who Is Mase?

Mase, born Mason Durell Betha, is an American rapper, actor, and songwriter from Harlem, New York City. He is best known for his platinum-selling albums and hit singles such as ""Feel So Good"" and ""What You Want."" Before starting his solo career in 1996, Mase was a member of Sean ""Diddy"" Combs' hip-hop group, Bad Boy Records.

Early Life

Mase was born on August 27th, 1975 in Jacksonville, Florida. His family moved to Harlem when he was five years old. There he attended the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. As a teen he became involved in a variety of criminal activities but eventually found his way back to music after attending a summer program at Clark Atlanta University where he joined a rap group called 'The Rubberband'.

Career

In 1995, Mase released his debut album 'Harlem World', which sold over four million copies worldwide. The success of the album earned him two Grammy Award nominations for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance for the single ""Feel So Good"". His second album 'Double Up' was released in 1999 and went double platinum. In 2001 he released the album 'Come On Inside', which peaked at number one on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Later Years

Mase took a hiatus from recording music in 2004 to pursue a career in acting and television hosting. In 2009 he returned to music with the release of his fourth album 'Now We Even'. The album spawned hit singles such as ""Welcome Back"", which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2010 Mase released his fifth album 'Mr. Incredible' and went on tour with Funkmaster Flex's Summer Jam 2011 Tour. In 2012 Mase announced his retirement from rapping, however he continues to make periodic appearances on tracks with other artists.

Personal Life

Mase has been married twice before and has three children. He currently resides with his family in New York City.