Sean Combs’s big speech last Saturday night at Clive Davis’s dinner has really backfired. I told you in a previous story how the speech– which Disneyfied Combs’s career and portrayed him as a gladiator for musicians’ rights– was filled with errors and omissions.
Now rapper Mase, who huge hits with Puff Daddy/P Diddy/Sean Combs in the 90s, has spoken up about their relationship. Mase says Puffy paid him just $20,000 for his publishing rights 24 years ago. Now Mase wants them back. He says he recently offered Combs $2 million to get them back. It doesn’t sound like Combs has been responsive.
Mase– real name Mason Durell Betha — says when he turns 50 the rights will revert to him. But he’s only 44, and six years is a long time. (This also means he signed his deal when he was 20.) Ironically, Mase sang in the tribute to Combs last Saturday to a cheering crowd. But Puffy hadn’t made his now infamous speech yet canonizing himself. I don’t know who Mase’s record biz lawyer is, but I hope this Instagram post helps him get his rights. Ditto Faith Evans and rapper called The Lox.
I heard your #Grammy speech about how u are now for the artist and about how the artist must take back control. So I will be the first to take that initiative. Also, before we ask of other ethnicities to do us right we should do us as black people better. Especially the creators. I heard u loud and clear when u said that u are now for the artist and to that my response is if u want to see change you can make a change today by starting with yourself.
Your past business practices knowingly has continued purposely starved your artist and been extremely unfair to the very same artist that helped u obtain that Icon Award on the iconic Badboy label. For example, u still got my publishing from 24 years ago in which u gave me $20k. Which makes me never want to work w/ u as any artist wouldn’t after u know someone is robbing you & tarnishing your name when u don’t want to comply w/ his horrendous business model.
However, people would always ask what’s up w/ Mase? So I would be forced to still perform to not look crazy when I was getting peanuts and the robbery would continue. So many great moments and people lives in music were lost. But again, I rode with u in the face of death without flinching & u still wouldn’t do right. I never said anything because I wanted to wait until I was financially great so I can ensured that I was addressing this from a pure place and not out of spite. To add insult, u keep screaming black excellence and love but I know love isn’t free.
So I offered u 2m in cash just a few days ago to sell me back my publishing(as his biggest artist alive) that always show u respect for u giving me an opportunity at 19 yrs old. Your response was if I can match what the EUROPEAN GUY OFFER him that would be the only way I can get it back. Or else I can wait until I’m 50 years old and it will revert back to me from when I was 19 years old. You bought it for about 20k & I offered you 2m in cash. This is not black excellence at all. When our own race is enslaving us. If it’s about us owning, it can’t be about us owning each other. No More Hiding Behind “Love”. U CHANGED? GIVE THE ARTIST BACK THEIR $$$. So they can take care of their families
