Time Is Illmatic

Bad Boy Records was founded by Sean “Puffy” Combs in 1993, but the label’s foundation was laid on Craig Mack’s (RIP) platinum-selling debut single, “Flava In Ya Ear,” and the building was erected on the back of The Notorious B.I.G. But with Biggie’s tragic murder in March of 1997, Bad Boy’s cash cow was gone, and the label’s future was uncertain. Yes, they still had Faith Evans, Total, and 112 on the R&B side of the label, who were all successful in their own right, but none of them had the star status and money-generating power of Biggie. Craig Mack was no longer with Bad Boy, and though No Way Out was a massive success (seven times platinum), I’m sure most of those numbers were generated by curiosity, as it was the first Bad Boy release since Biggie’s murder. Regardless, Bad Boy needed a new rapper to pick up Biggie’s baton and continue the race that Puffy promised wouldn’t stop. Enter Mase into the equation.

Formerly known as Murder Mase, who ran with the underground Harlem crew, Children Of The Corn (which also included Cam’ron, Big L, and McGruff), he’d drop the Murder from his alias when he joined the Bad Boy team. The world was introduced to Mase through the lead single from No Way Out, “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down,” released in January of ’97. Later that same year, he’d appear on a freestyle with Puff on Funkmaster Flex’s 60 Minutes Vol II, and Biggie’s radio-friendly single, “Mo’ Money Mo Problems.” After the success of No Way Out, it was prime time for Mase to release his debut album. He would strike with Harlem World in October of ‘97.

Backed by Puffy’s Bad Boy machine and the reliable hands of the Hitmen behind the boards (and a few other prominent producers that we’ll discuss later), Harlem World would produce three gold or better singles, climb to number one on the Billboard Top 200, and earn double platinum status less than two months after its release (to date its four times platinum). Alongside its commercial success, the album also received critical acclaim.

This is another album that I missed when it came out due to my hip-hop sabbatical. I found a used CD copy several years ago, and this review marks my first time listening to it. Let’s jump into it and see how this goes.

Puff’s Intro – What would a Bad Boy album be without Diddy talking all over it? Over the smooth yet funky stylings of an Isaac Hayes sample, Diddy welcomes us all to the place Mase calls home (Harlem) and lets us know what we can expect Mase to rap about on Harlem World: “life, death, sex, drugs, happiness, jealousy, envy, and reality.” Now, on with the show.

Do You Wanna Get $? – D-Dot and Amen-Ra tap Peter Brown’s 1978 disco hit, “Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me,” turning it into what I can only describe as aerobic funk, and I mean that in the most flattering way. Mase’s three verses address his doubters and naysayers and are consumed with boasts about major money and materialism. Mase’s talking points aren’t innovative, but his skill makes them sound intriguing, nonetheless. Kelly Price (who goes uncredited in the liner notes) stops by to ask/sing a soulful question on the hook, serving as the appealing bow on this nicely packaged open track.

Take What’s Yours – On this track, our host offers glimpses of why he was once known as Murder Mase. He gives his foes an option to handle their differences via “mics or metal,” and based on the violent threats he issues throughout the song, he’s leaning towards the latter. DMX (right before his massive blow-up the following year) adds a gritty, melodic hook that sounds decent at best. The beautifully tender piano loop in the instrumental was pleasant, but way too soft to give credibility to Mase’s thug theatrics.

Mad Rapper (Interlude) – The Mad Rapper (the comical creation of D-Dot Angelettie) returns for yet another Bad Boy skit. The original skit from Life After Death was mildly funny, but ever since he invited his brother, The Mad Producer, to join him, the skits have grown progressively worse.

Will They Die 4 You? – Diddy and Lil’ Kim join Mase on this Bad Boy cipher session. The instrumental (credited to Puffy and Amen-Ra) jacks the beat from EPMD’s classic joint “Get The Bozack.” Diddy’s expensive boasts sound feeble while Mase sounds confident and fittingly works a Parrish Smith bar into his verse (the infamous “Smack me and I’ll smack you back” line). Kim bats last and sounds bodaciously cocky, highlighted by her line: “Lil’ Kim spread like syphilis, you think I’m pussy? I dare you to stick your dick in this.” A bar I found, clever, sexy, and disgusting all at the same time. Despite Puffy’s subpar performance and a tediously wordy hook, this was a solid track.

Lookin’ At Me – By 1997, The Neptunes (the production duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) were prepping to go on a massive production run. It began in ‘96 with a couple of production credits for Total and SWV, but this track would be their first record for a rapper, and you can feel what would soon become their signature VA bounce throughout (it would also become a gold-selling single for our host). Mase handles it well, as he addresses his haters and those just dumbfounded by his presence with conceited bars. Along the way, he recycles a few lines from LL’s “Illegal Search” (which feels more like a homage than a bite) and dishes out a few witty, chuckle-worthy bars. The hook was a little cheesy, but the rest of the track’s elements make up for its corniness.

White Girl (Interlude) – As per the title, this brief interlude revolves around a phone conversation between Mase, his man, and two bad snow bunny groupies, Julie and Becky, who appear to be mesmerized by Mase and his ghetto aura. It’s good for a couple of laughs.

Love U So – It’s always interesting to me how different producers can use the same sample and get completely different results. For instance, Trackmasters flipped Teena Marie’s “Square Biz” for The Firm’s “Firm Biz,” which had a shiny popish glaze on it. Stevie J uses the same loop for this track, and his interpretation has an elegantly soulful feel. Mase’s monotone vocal tone and deadpan delivery blend well with the music, adding an extra layer of instrumentation to the track. Billy Lawrence drops by to sing a Rose Royce-inspired hook, continuing her short-lived rap song cameo run.

The Player Way – “No one expected the unexpected.” That’s the redundant quote 8Ball opens this track with, referring to the Suave House/Bad Boy collaboration that’s about to go down. Puffy provides the whispery ad-libs, 8Ball, Mase, and MJG entertain with player prosing, and the slick and slippery Mo-Suave-A Production will keep your head nodding while you rap along with 8Ball on the pimped-out hook. This record only heightened my anticipation of dissecting 8Ball & MJG’s catalog.

Hater (Interlude) – There is absolutely no reason why a Mad Rapper/Mad Producer rant and this whining, anonymous Mase-hater should exist on the same album.

Niggaz Wanna Act – The first time I listened to this record and heard the epic-sounding tribal war drums drop, I got nervous for Mase. I thought surely this massive banger (credited to Dame Grease and Younglord, even though Mase’s shout-out to D-Dot at the beginning of the record leads you to believe he made it) would completely demolish his wearisome voice. But to my surprise, Mase lassoes the beat, and he doesn’t completely sever its head, but he does inflict substantial damage to it (and he interestingly sends a direct shot at Dame Dash in the process). The cameo King, Busta Rhymes, adds a high-octane hook that only makes the track sound more dynamic. This was amazing.

Feel So Good – One of the few (if not only) records on Harlem World that I was familiar with before this review was also the lead single. Puffy and D-Dot are credited for the uncreative jacking of Kool & The Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging” for the crossover intended backdrop as Mase spews sleepy and expensive bars, and Kelly Price sings the hook, but this time she receives credit for it in the liner notes. I didn’t care for this song back in the day, but it’s a little more tolerable within the context of the album.

What You Want – This was the second single released from Harlem World. Mase has found the girl of his dreams (or as he calls her, his “ghetto love prophecy”) and spends the song’s three verses showering her with kind words and expensive gifts. Mase is pretty clever with the wordplay, but “Girl, I wanna give you carats ‘til you feel you a rabbit” is corny as hell, and any man who tells the woman he loves “I wanna see you happy even if it’s not with me” is full of shit. Total adds a silly hook to Nashiem Myrick’s moderately funky instrumental. I wasn’t blown away by this designer love song, but I’m obviously in the minority, as it is one of three singles to go gold or better on the album.

Phone Conversation (Interlude) – This hi-larious skit is the perfect example of when juggling too many ladies goes wrong. One of the ladies named in the skit (Arion) is also rumored to have sparked a short-lived feud between Mase and Jay-Z (and was probably the muse for the Dame Dash dis a few tracks ago), but I’ll let y’all scour the internet for the facts on that one.

Cheat On You – Mase is joined by Lil’ Cease and Jay-Z (which I found interesting since Mase dissed Dame during “Niggaz Wanna Act”) as the three take turns justifying their own dirt by assuming that all women cheat (Jay getting “Shirley Murdock” and hoping his one-night stand’s “door slam lock” when he creeps out in the morning is hysterical). 112 harmonizes the trio’s sentiment on the hook, and Jermaine Dupri laces the track with a solid R&B-tinted instrumental, which ends up being the perfect soundtrack for creeping.

24 Hrs. To Live – Now here’s an original song idea. For the hook, Puffy asks the listener what they would do with their time if they had one day left to live. Mase, Jadakiss, Black Rob, Sheek Louch, Styles P, and DMX (in that order) answer the question in rhyme form. The cast of characters’ final deeds range from righteous to downright ratchet, but mostly entertaining. Speaking of entertaining, D-Dot’s melodically airy backdrop sounds pretty dope underneath the gang’s ghetto shenanigans.

I Need To Be – This record has a whole lot of creepy in it, and I don’t mean the horror movie kind. It starts off with Mase telling his homeboy that he followed a girl he was hoping to smash to school (in his defense, he thought she was of age, but it’s still some stalker shit). Then later in his first verse, he talks about feeling like a molester and rhymes “every time I go to touch it, then she say I hurt it.” And am I the only one that finds it odd that our host is cool with eating ass but frowns upon eating pussy (though he promises to give the object of his erection’s “clit a kiss” in exchange for a kiss on his dick during the last verse)? Monifah’s apprehensive hook and the eerie flute in the D-Dot/Chucky Thompson-produced instrumental only intensify the song’s underlying pedophilia vibes.

Watch Your Back (Interlude) – This phone conversation between Mase and an angry baby daddy who’s upset with our host for giving his phone number to his girl sounds like it might have been a real phone call. Either way, it makes me laugh every time I hear the peeved papa tell Mase, “Don’t give my girl your number no more,” and I laugh even harder when dude boasts he’s been to jail twice and he wants to back. Peeved papa is also a prophetic papa as he closes his rant, predicting that Puffy wouldn’t be there for Mase when the smoke cleared. Time is truly Illmatic.

Wanna Hurt Mase? – This sounds like Mase’s version of Biggie’s “My Downfall” (it even comes with the preceding hater phone call skit), but not nearly as entertaining.

Jealous Guy – Remember Mike Bivins’ kiddie group who wore their clothes inside out (and Kris Kross thought it was “wigiddy, wigiddy, wigiddy, wack!”), Another Bad Creation? For some reason, Mase, Puffy, and 112 thought it would be a good idea to remake their somber ballad, “Jealous Girl.” It might have worked if Mase rapped, 112 took care of the singing, and Puff didn’t appear on the track at all. Instead, 112 sings the background vocals while Mase and Puffy sound like they’re doing drunk karaoke, completely destroying the original song in the process. I know this was meant strictly for amusement, but Mase and Puff’s singing is so bad I couldn’t even conjure up a chuckle.

During Harlem World’s opening track (“Do You Want To Get $?”), Mase addresses the elephant in the room when he raps: “The moral of the story is, I’m not here to replace Notorious.” Mase realized Biggie was a talent that could never be replaced. Instead of trying to fill Biggie’s gigantic Timbs (a mistake Shyne would make a few years later), Mase had a different agenda, which he shares on the very next bar: “I’m just a young cat tryna do his thing, Harlem World style, pursue my dream.” Smart man.

Mase’s content on Harlem World is far from original, as he spends most of the album dissin’ player haters, bragging about his “money, hoes, and clothes” with sprinkles of tough guy talk and gangsta babble. I liked what Mase did on “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” and “Mo Money, Mo Problems,” but he was the help on both tracks, and I was leery of his sleepy, monotone vocal tone and deadpan delivery being able to carry the weight for the length of a solo project. Surprisingly, Mase’s understatedly witty punchlines and clever wordplay, along with the perfect scattering of guest cameos (just enough where it doesn’t feel like he’s leaning on them for support), keep Harlem World’s redundant themes entertaining. Puffy and his Hitmen strategically score Mase’s expensive boasts, player poetry, and high-priced stanzas with a handful of pure hip-hop beats mixed into a plethora of radio friendly/R&B flavored grooves, allowing Mase to maintain his street credibility while crossing over, similar to what Biggie did on Life After Death.

As one would expect with any twenty track album, Harlem World does have a few mishaps (too many skits and “Jealous Girl”) and a few mediocre moments that wouldn’t have been missed if shaved off the final cut (“Feel So Good,” “What You Want,” and “I Need To Be,” which is ironic since two of those three records were singles). But it’s a solid debut album from Mr. Betha that keeps Bad Boy’s streak of quality hip-hop albums alive.

There. I made it through a whole Bad Boy review without any baby oil or semen-on-nipple jokes.

-Deedub
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