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"Money back on anything that got my vocals," says Mase, a/k/a Ma$e,
and he ain't jiving. The 20-year-old protege of hip hop
superproducer Sean "Puffy" Combs has been heard on no fewer than
four other artists' hits since the 1997 murder of Combs's homeboy,
the Notorious B.I.G. On Harlem World (Bad Boy),
the New York-based
Tampa native's flowing drawl, magically articulate despite edges so
soft you can see him grinning and shrugging, packs a sex appeal
that's simultaneously confident and diffident. He isn't above pimp
or gangsta talk, but those poses are only to establish street cred
for a good-looking kid who has already set his sights on the
romantic durability of an L.L. Cool J. Party raps like Love U So
and the best-selling Feel So Good stand out on his pop-savvy,
star-studded debut. But from the fierce 24 Hrs. To Live to the calm
Cheat on You, his rhymes also show a realism that's sure to serve
his careerism well.
In an r&b suddenly overflowing with winning guys crooning
sex-positive come-ons, two of the cutest take radically different
approaches. On My Way (LaFace), the second album by teen dream
Usher, the 18-year-old makes clear that virginity is behind him
without surrendering all of innocence's useful charms. Next's Rated
Next (Arista), by three Twin Cities harmonizers who obviously
studied Pop 101 with their famous neighbor Prince, is considerably
more explicit. Genitalia male and female get loving attention on
half these cuts, and in general carnality is viewed as a good
excuse for love and happiness rather than vice versa. Hey, fellas--whatever
works for you. Just be sure she's of age, OK?
Playboy, Nov. 1997
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Oct. 1997 |
Dec. 1997 |
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