To get full access to the site e.g. Deposit funds, download files you have to create an account. You will get 2 track for free after confirming your account! Mase's first single, 'Welcome Back,' basically says it all. It proves that a man such as Mase can rhyme over a sample from Welcome Back Kotter, dress up like Mister Rogers in the video, and have an 80-year old female back-up dancer, and still be taken seriously and appreciated. Basically what it comes down to is nostalgia and a rekindling flame.
Mase may be the most lovable rapper ever. It is near-impossible to hate the man who once had a 'Murder' tacked on his name. Everyone from hardcore rap fans, to indie music aficionados, to parents have a place in their heart for Mase. Perhaps it's his boyish looks and ever-present glowing smile that does it. Maybe it's his inventive dance moves and mumbling delivery that comes across like some coy pre-teen asking you a favor. Whatever the case may be, Mase can be enjoyed by all.
After retiring from the game some years back and following the sudden call of the Lord, like many artists throughout history have, Mase has decided to return and remind these young whippersnappers who the forefather of fun-loving, street-credible, slightly-comic hip-hop is. Mase's first single, 'Welcome Back,' basically says it all. It proves that a man such as Mase can rhyme over a sample from Welcome Back Kotter, dress up like Mister Rogers in the video, and have an 80-year old female back-up dancer, and still be taken seriously and appreciated.
Basically what it comes down to is nostalgia and a rekindling flame. Mase could've put out an album of sermons over beats with rap verses as interludes and people would still buy it -- not to mention like it. Fortunately, Mase does us one better by dusting the magnetic dust off the microphone and showing us that he can still hang with the rest of the industry. The style hasn't changed, the lyrics haven't suffered, and the charm and charisma is still clearly evident.
Mason Betha -- the man that gave us the 'throw your rollies in the sky' dance move and made shiny suits and pyrotechnics the norm. You can't hate him for it though (save that for Puff). Positivity and songs for the kids has been proven to sell. Nas had a chart-topper last year with his blasphemous 'I Can.' Mase pulls optimism off much better though, leaving the consciousness and hunger steez to Nasir. It is time once again for all of humanity to embrace Mase. Gosh darnit, I love this guy.
1. Welcome Back
2. Keep Dreamin'
3. We Don't Have To
4. I Love Twyla
5. My Harlem Lullaby
6. Wasting My Time
7. Gotta Survive
8. The Love U Need
9. I Still Love You
10. Do U Remember
11. Into What U Say
12. I Owe
More about: Mase
| Welcome Back | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 24, 2004 (US) | |||
| Recorded | 2003-2004 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 49:30 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | The Movement, Rick Rock, Tyrice Jones, Chad Hamilton, Brass 'n Blues | |||
| Mase chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Welcome Back | ||||
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Welcome Back is the third studio album by American rapper Mase, released August 24, 2004. The album debuted at #4 on the charts, selling 188,000 copies in the first week; the album would eventually go Gold, selling 559,000 copies in the United States. This was Mase's first album to not have a Parental Advisory warning, and his first official studio release since 1999's Double Up.
Critical reception[edit]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 57/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| Blender | [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[3] |
| HipHopDX | [4] |
| Music Critic | [5] |
| PopMatters | [1][6] |
| RapReviews | 5.5/10[7] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [9] |
| USA Today | [10] |
Welcome Back received mixed reviews from music critics. AllMusic's David Jeffries said, 'Welcome Back runs out of steam toward the end, and spreading out some of the 'don't sleep on this' material from the beginning would've worked wonders. It makes this the least necessary Mase album, but half the tracks point to a future that is brighter than ever.'[2]Jon Caramanica, writing for Rolling Stone, found Mase's delivery lacking in quality after years away from the rap game and focusing on religion.[8]Kelefa Sanneh from The New York Times said that despite the production in 'Breathe, Stretch, Shake' and 'Do You Remember' giving him support to lace his flow on the beat, he felt Mase's religious outlook held him back when delivering 'lousy similes' about the Bible and brushing women and former friends aside without a response, calling Welcome Back 'a surprisingly tepid collection that might have benefited from a bit more preaching, or at least a bit more passion.'[11]
Track listing[edit]
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Featured guest(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 'Welcome Back' | The Movement | John Sebastian | 4:22 |
| 2 | 'Breathe, Stretch, Shake' | Rick Rock | Diddy | 3:17 |
| 3 | 'Keep It On' | Tyrese Jones | Chantelle | 3:34 |
| 4 | 'My Harlem Lullaby' | The Movement | 3:54 | |
| 5 | 'I Owe' | Rick Rock | 3:49 | |
| 6 | 'Wasting My Time' | S.Gerongco, R.Gerongco, Kuya Productions | 4:01 | |
| 7 | 'Gotta Survive' | The Movement | 4:42 | |
| 8 | 'The Love You Need' | Park Jin-Young | Rashad | 4:06 |
| 9 | 'Money Comes and Goes' | Chad Hamilton, Ryan Presson | 4:16 | |
| 10 | 'I Wanna Go' | Tyrese Jones | Chantelle | 3:52 |
| 11 | 'Into What You Say' | Rick Rock | 4:04 | |
| 12 | 'Do You Remember' | The Movement | Cardan | 5:01 |
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[12] | 10 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[13] | 165 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] | 71 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[15] | 29 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 65 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[17] | 68 |
| US Billboard 200[18] | 4 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[19] | 3 |
Year-end charts[edit]
| Chart (2004) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[20] | 152 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21] | 73 |
References[edit]
Mase Welcome Back 2004 Zip Code
- ^ abc'Critic Reviews for Welcome Back by Mase'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 30, 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ abJeffries, David. 'Welcome Back - Mase'. AllMusic. Retrieved May 30, 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Fiore, Raymond (August 20, 2004). 'Welcome Back'. Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc.: 126. Retrieved May 30, 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Koslow, Jessica (September 14, 2004). 'Mase - Welcome Back'. HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2008.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Music Critic review
- ^Ozga, Matthew (November 22, 2004). 'Mase: Welcome Back'. PopMatters. Retrieved May 4, 2013.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Juon, Steve 'Flash' (August 24, 2004). 'Ma$e :: Welcome Back :: Bad Boy Records/Universal'. RapReviews. Retrieved August 10, 2009.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ abCaramanica, Jon (September 30, 2004). 'Mase: Welcome Back'. Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2007.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Chadwicked (December 14, 2006). 'Mase - Welcome Back'. Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved May 4, 2013.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Jones, Steve (August 23, 2004). 'Welcome prodigal son Mase; Steve Earle's 'Revolution''. USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved May 4, 2013.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Sanneh, Kelefa (August 30, 2004). 'Critic's Choice/New CD's; Rap Beats: Preachy, Snarly or Sweet'. The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2019.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Mase Chart History (Canadian Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^'Lescharts.com – Ma$e – Welcome Back'. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^'Offiziellecharts.de – Ma$e – Welcome Back' (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^'Charts.nz – Ma$e – Welcome Back'. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^'Swisscharts.com – Ma$e – Welcome Back'. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^'Official Albums Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^'Mase Chart History (Billboard 200)'. Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^'Mase Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^'Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2004'. Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2020.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2004'. Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2020.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
External links[edit]
- Welcome Back at Metacritic
