During Harlem’s ‘90s-era hip-hop scene, key players like Ma$e and Cam’ron were among the most preeminent rap cliques such as the Bad Boy Records squad and The Diplomats.
But after many were puzzled at Ma$e’s decision to tap out right before the 2000s, shifting his focus to the altar as a church pastor, Cam’ron has now shared some logic for his fellow Harlemite’s sharp left turn on his career path.
Via Instagram Live, Killa Cam schooled his followers on keeping prayer and “God bless you” gestures abundant in life, but perhaps keeping some balance with it. Using Ma$e as his example for “taking it too far,” Cam added that the “What You Want” rapper went from the studio to the sanctuary to avoid situational controversies — like the streets.
“See that’s what Ma$e did. Ma$e went real wild,” he said. “Ma$e said, ‘You know what? I’m gonna just start saying I’m in church.’ Ma$e took it too far though — started preaching and all that s**t. I see what he was doing with that s**t. He’s like, ‘You know what? N****s ain’t gonna motherf**king harass me if I’m in church. That’s what Ma$e did. He said, ‘Yo, they can’t beef with me, they can’t ask me for nothing. I’m gonna throw on the Rev. Run collar and get the f**k out of here. F**k that.”
Cam recollected his time emerging behind Ma$e in hip-hop and feeling a bit of frustration with his choice to cancel his rap career. Now that he realizes all of the pressure the Bad Boy Records rap star had with so much money at such a young age, it all actually makes sense to him.
“Can’t even get mad at Ma$e. You know why?” Cam explained. “Let me tell you something. I used to be mad at Ma$e because I was younger than Ma$e. But, I know n****s 28, 29, 30 that can’t handle having $10 million. That n***a Mase was 22 years old with $10 million, my n***a. He went triple-platinum when he was 21 years old, my n***a, that’s a lot to handle.”
He continued elaborating on Ma$e’s behavior, saying that he wasn’t coming back to the streets after touching millions of dollars because of the high risks associated with his new lifestyle. Though Ma$e’s five-year rap hiatus saw a brief return in 2004, where hip-hop fans rejoiced with his summertime smash hit “Welcome Back,” he eventually fell back from the industry yet again not too long after the comeback.
“Ma$e wasn’t coming outside — that s**t just got a little aggressive,” Cam said. “You go triple platinum, s**t gonna get aggressive. N***a said, ‘F**k it man, you know what? It’s a lot of violence going on around me. I’m gonna take these chips I got and I’m going to church.’ And I used to be mad at him about it, but hey, I see where he’s coming from. I wouldn’t go that far where he went, but I see the play. I see the play, I see what he was doing.”
While Cam added that he personally wouldn’t have taken that route, he still doesn’t knock the decision to this very day.
Check out Cam’s explanation of Ma$e’s career compromise at the 5:45 mark in the video below.
Written by Diamond Alexis
(Photos from Left: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET, Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images)
