Mase calls Diddy out over 'unfair business practices' after his rebuke to Grammys for not 'respecting' black music
Diddy may have called out the Recording Academy at the Grammys, but now Mase is doing some calling out of his own. In a long, detailed Instagram post put up in response to Diddy's Grammy Awards speech, Mase cited Diddy's "unfair business practices" and demanded the producer sell him back his former publishing rights.
Diddy had spoken at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala party. “I say this with love to the Grammys, because you really need to know this. Every year, y’all be killing us, man,” Diddy said, reported the Washington Post. “There’s something that I need to say to the Grammys — and I say this with love,” he said. “Every year y’all be killing us. I’m speaking for all the artists and executives: in the great words of Erykah Badu, “We are artists and we are sensitive about our sh–.” For most of us, this is all we’ve got. This is our only hope. Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys. Black music has never been respected by the Grammys.”
Following Diddy's ultimatum to the Academy till next year, Mase (born Mason Durell Betha) had some choice words of his own. He claimed that Diddy (born Sean Jean Combs) had been unfair to Mase regarding a publishing deal made when he was 19, offering him $20K for publishing rights which Diddy still holds on to.
Mase claimed he has attempted to buy those rights back for $2 million, but that Diddy demanded Mase match the amount offered by an unnamed European buyer. You can find the post here.
"...before we ask of other ethnicities to do us right we should do us as black people better. Especially the creators," Mase wrote. He talked about Diddy being unfair to the creators who helped build Diddy's Badboy label, citing his own example. "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."
Diddy has so far not responded.