Mason Durrell Betha (born March 24, 1978), better known by stage name Mase (often typset as Ma$e), is an American rapper, songwriter, television personality and inspirational speaker. He was an artist on Sean "Diddy" Combs' hip-hop label Bad Boy Records during the late 1990s.

On April 20, 1999, during an interview with Funkmaster Flex of New York radio station Hot 97, Ma$e announced his retirement from music. This was during the promotional period for his second album, Double Up, and its lead single, "Get Ready". However, in 2004, Mase made a comeback (via Bad Boy Records) with Welcome Back, which spawned two singles. He portrayed a "cleaner" image (similar to Will Smith) with the release of this album. Today, he is still in ministry as a pastor and is known as Dr. Mason Betha. Ma$e was for a short time a member of G-Unit. He has since called his time there a mistake. He then went on to add, joining the group wasn't the mistake, but the message he was sending was. He joined G-Unit to appeal to a different audience so they could see that they could change just as he did.

Raised in Harlem, New York, Mason Betha began his music career as a hardcore gangsta rapper. While in the proto-supergroup "Children of the Corn", he called himself Murder Mase, rapping alongside Big L, Cam'Ron, McGruff and Bloodshed. In 1996, Mase travelled to Atlanta in hope of meeting producer Jermiane Dupri. Instead, he ran into Sean Combs and rapped for him on the spot in a nightclub. Puffy instantly signed Mase to Bad Boy records. His image was refined as Diddy set about developing a marketable pop rapper out of an artist formerly known for violent imagery in his lyrics.


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