On 22nd April Mase appeared on Hot97 (a NY radio station) to answer all the questions on this shocking event. The following questions were asked and the answers and comments are straight from Mase?s mouth.
Mase started the interview with the statement "It came as fast to me as I am bringing it to you", he then commented, "You can't help who God chooses. He chose me because nobody else can do it." Ed Lover asked if this is a publicity stunt. Mase said he knew people were going to think it. He said, "If I am not quitting to follow God, people will know. You'll know if I am following God or not. If I wanted to quit just to get out, I would have just quit with no reasons. I would not have said it was to follow God." Mase commented, "If people don't think I'm serious, they can keep the money from the album if it will prove that I am serious."
A fan asked, If this is this because Harlem World didn?t do so well or as well as he thought. Mase said, "Harlem World will be certified. They will go on. (laughs) Next question." (Mase was clearly not happy with this question). Ed Lover asked, "What are your plans now?" Mase replied, "I am gonna go back to school, figure out which school I want to go to." Mase said, "When I talked to my mother about it, she said she felt like she is getting her son back. Stase said she feels like she has gotten her brother back. They felt like the industry had more control over me than my mom did."
His comments on friends were "I started out with like 90 people and now I have 4. You find out who is behind you. Who your friends are. Me and Cam'Ron haven't spoke in a while and now he reached out to me." Mase said "I just don't want to do it no more" and "I want my old life back" Mase said, "Lots of people are asking how I can leave all this money, cars, houses. I think there are certain things that are more important than that." Ed Lover asked if he would ever return. Mase said, "No, not really. I am the type of person that makes decisions and stays with them." Ed asked if Mase has made enough money to live off of. Mase replies, "It's never enough. But God will make it right for me."
Mase states, "I had like 6 messages. I could go to all different churches and still get the message. The pastor would say "we are only having this service for one person, that one person needs to make a decision". He went to a church in LA and the pastor said to him, "I am not trying to scare you but I gave this same message to Tupac"." Mase said, "That was it, I didn't need another sign, I made up my mind."
The conversation got back to his plans for the future. Ed asked what school he will be going to. Mase said, "Some black school. (laughs) Which ever one accepts me." Ed mentioned basketball. Lots of laughter was going on. Ed said to Mase, "You know you ain?t gonna stay away from ball." Mase answers, "I?ll probably play." Ed and Steph went crazy saying Mase?s next move will be to the NBA. Mase said, "I just got this fax from Bad Boy to say that the album is coming out June 15. (He stutters) I ..I ..don?t wanna say it." Ed says, "But it is coming out." Mase said, "Yes it is but..." (Mase really didn?t comment on this, he avoided the question).
They played a statement from the President of Bad Boy, Jeff Burrows, who commented on the Suge Knight being implicated in Biggie?s murder issue. Ed Lover asked Mase what he thinks about it. Mase said, "I don?t know. I don?t have nothing to say about it. I don?t speak about things unless I know the real." Ed asked how Bad Boy feels about his decision. Mase said, "At first they thought I was that artist looking for attention. Until they talked to me, then they knew I was serous. I spoke to Puff about it, then I spoke to him again. Puff said, ?if you sure, sure God said it, you got to rollwith it?." Mase said, "I?m not doing no more videos, writing, performances. Only speaking engagements, autograph sessions, speaking to the youth." A sad statement from Mase, "It was fun being here." Mase said, "I feel like I got my real smile back, like my old self."
Ed asks about kids, marriage, settling down. Mase said "yeah". Ed said, "How far in the future?" Mase answered "far!" Ed said, "Is there one special person you have in mind?" Mase said, "I know people but no one person. Now is the time to show me you care." Mase gives an example, "I ain?t on TV tonight? You still rollin?" Mase says, "I had it once, God will give it to me again. I can?t ride the limo on this one." Ed asks what Mase thinks about his fans. Mase replies, "Before I came up here to clear things up, they thought it was a wild publicity stunt, that Bad Boy needed the publicity. But now, people know I'm sincere. They can tell I'm sincere."
Mase says, "I was put here to be a leader. People now are looking at things like Monica Lewinsky instead of the real issues." At this point, it's nearing the final minutes. Everyone was buggin out, laughing. Steph said she wishes we could see Mase and how he was looking, he was smiling, dancin, lookin real happy. Ed and Steph said, "God Bless, good luck." Ed said to Mase, "You are on the right track now, stick with it." Steph asked Mase for some final words on his last radio broadcast. Mase's final words.... "I wanna thank the whole NY, Ed Lover, Bugsy, Steph, Lisa G, Enuff, Scribble, Tracy, (who am I forgetting) Oh, my man Red Alert, Flex,Angie." Final statements...."Nice being here, love y'all." Ended with Mase and Ed stating together, "Keep God first, everything else will fall into place."
