The 20-year feud between semi-retired Harlem World rapper Mase and his former mentor Diddy took an unexpected twist last week when it was revealed that the two men might have more in common than previously imagined by fans. Mase was dubbed “Diddy 2.0” after burgeoning Brooklyn artist Fivio Foreign appeared on the Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast and claimed that he’d only received a paltry pittance of $5,000 to sign to Mase’s RichFish imprint early in his career.
Mase, who claimed that Diddy only gave him a $20,000 dollar advance in the ’90s in exchange for signing away his publishing, must have thought that he looked bad in light of passing on the misfortune to another artist. So this week, he went on Million Dollaz Worth Of Game himself to clear the air and explain that the situation wasn’t as bad as Fivio made it out to be. According to Mase, the real amount he offered was actually much larger — about $745,000 larger, in fact.
“I had to put a file together of all the history that was left out,” Mase says in the video above. “At one time I gave him $5,000, but I gave him $750,000.” He elaborates that he structured Fivio’s RichFish deal so that he could remain involved as Fivio negotiated contracts with major labels such as Def Jam and Columbia. Mase then proceeds to show hosts Gillie Da Kid and Wallo267 documents on his phone — even going as far as calling execs at Columbia on the air — that show that he tried to be fair to Fivio and give him 50/50 on all their splits.
Of course, what with Fivio admitting he didn’t know the business well at the time, it’s entirely possible that he misunderstood how things worked (it’s happened before and will likely happen again). It’s also possible that Mase is flimflamming in order to make himself out to be the hero of the narrative. As with any of these situations, the facts are likely somewhere in the middle and the details are being muddled in the retelling. In the end, I think the big takeaway is that the music business needs some serious overhauls to ensure transparency and fairness for artists and the business people who help make them stars.
Rap veteran Mase is being accused of doing bad business by fellow New York rapper, Fivio Foreign. Mase is the head of RichFish, and Fivio Foreign is one of the artists on the label. The rap veteran enjoyed fame in the 1990s and early 2000s, signed to Bad Boy Records. He later left due to […]
Fivio Foreign is pulling the curtain back on his arrangement with Ma$e. Appearing as a guest on Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Fivio revealed to Gillie Da Kid and Wallo267 that a friend introduced him to Ma$e and he signed a deal without a lawyer present. The deal was only giving Fivio an advance of $5,000.
“The n*gga that brought me to him was like ‘Yo, man. Just sign that shit You buggin’,” Fivio revealed. “So I just signed it. Advance was $5,000.”
Fivio would reveal that he didn’t have a lawyer present, and at the moment, he was in need of the money. “That shit ain’t last two weeks.”
Fivio is still in the deal with Ma$e but revealed that the former Bad Boy rapper “know the business. He really know the business a lot.” He would go on to add he is in a better situation, and while Ma$e gets a cut, Fivio insists he has control of his money. You can hear it all below.
Fivio Foreign has become one of this year’s buzziest rappers. He first came to fame about three years ago, when his song, “Blixky Inna Box” became an underground hit. The song caught the attention of Mase, who immediately presented Fivio with the paperwork to sign to his RichFish label.
In an episode of the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Fivio revealed that he signed the deal without hesitation and was granted a $5,000 advance.
“[Mase] was like, ‘Yo, man. Just sign that shit, You buggin,’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, read it.’ He’s like, ‘Alright, just sign it. It’s good.’ So, I just signed it.” Fivio, at the time, didn’t have an understanding of major label politics and anticipated that his advance would last him much longer than it actually did.
“That sh*t hit,” he said. “I thought that sh*t was going to last until whenever it was going to last. That sh*t ain’t last two weeks.”
The podcast host, Wallo267, was visibly disheartened by the little amount Mase gave Fivio, probably because Diddy gave Mase a similar deal in which he purchased the publishing rights to his music for only $20,000 in 1996. Mase has since voiced his disdain toward Diddy through a diss track called “Oracle 2: Standing on Bodies.”
Fivio assured the host that he wasn’t upset by the deal.
“I don’t really be complaining or crying over spilled milk,” Fivio said. “I already made this decision. For me, I’m in a better situation now. He get what he get… But I control my money.”
“Songwriters and artists want feedback, they want your opinion, so it’s just about knowing how to navigate that creativity and making sure it thrives.”
—Ryan Press
Dougie FFivio ForeignImage via Publicist
Creativity juices are flowing. Inside Metropolis’ lofty halls, music is being made at an almost industrial scale, but in ways that can only be termed organic. In Studio A, producer Ben Billions and alt-pop queen La Roux are cooking up a beat while, in Studio B, UK rap wonderkids A1 x J1 have finished a new track, brimming with excitement as they hear it back. Church Road legend Nines has just left Studio C, replaced by Grammy Award-nominated producer T-Minus.
Over in the foyer, renowned songwriter Sean Garrett—brains behind hits by Beyoncé, Usher, Brandy and more—is chopping it up with rising producers such as Atlanta’s Section8, himself having worked with Lil Baby of late. There is no sense of competition here, only the desire to catch a vibe and learn from each other. Food and drinks, courtesy of Wingstop and Hennessy, are swirling, as are conversations based on common interests not exclusive to music—from Wordle challenges to hazy nights at London hotspot Tape—a refreshing normalcy, despite the star power in the building. And everyone’s invited, across camps and labels, strengthening the community feel of the experience.
“Word has gotten out about this really quickly,” says Shani Gonzales, Warner Chappell’s UK MD & Head of International A&R. “We have people coming in who have their own draw and it’s great the news has spread.” Press chimes in: “You leave your ego at the door with these sessions. More often than not, songwriters and artists—they want feedback, they want your opinion, so it’s just about knowing how to navigate that creativity and making sure it thrives.”
These sessions often run well into the early morning—Section8 admits he left the studio at 7am one night—allowing more time for imaginations to run wild. But rather than going gung-ho on producing would-be hits, the camp’s participants aim for optimum conditions to let the juices flow. New Jersey native Dougie F—who had a hand in penning Drake’s “Jimmy Crooks” and Jack Harlow’s “First Class”, both No. 1 smash hits—has been working with Headie One, Popcaan, Wretch 32, ENNY and more during his time at Metropolis.
“I work based on the feeling,” says Dougie F. “You have to be willing to compromise and able to read the room and see where you can insert yourself. You have to be intentional: if you come into a room saying, ‘I just wanna have fun and make good music,’ the product is going to feel like that. You never want these camps to feel like work.”
“This camp is a multicultural, multifaceted open space for people to create and I love that… Stuff like this doesn’t just happen in LA or Atlanta.”—Samuel Ademosu
Image via PublicistDougie FImage via Publicist
Mirroring Dougie F’s outlook is Ari PenSmith, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter who has worked with Queen Bey, Wizkid and Kaytranada, and shared a studio with Garrett, Tay Keith, T-Minus and A1 x J1 this time round.
“I came here to have fun, make some new friends and just enjoy myself,” he says. “I think a lot of people tend to put pressure on themselves because of who’s in the room, but—for me—I look for those longer lasting relationships that you can build. When I write with others, I don’t necessarily walk in with any expectation for how a song should turn out. I work with what the energy is.”
Ultimately, beyond the goal of making music, these artists cherish the personal relationships they cultivate, so much so that the music almost feels irrelevant. In an industry that can be territorial and outright confrontational at times, the respect for each other that fills Metropolis is nothing short of admirable, as universal as the act of creating. Warner Chappell’s venture, as a result, can be classed as an overwhelming, collaborative success.
“This camp is a multicultural, multifaceted open space for people to create and I love that,” says Samuel Ademeso, founder of The Flight Club, management home for names such as TSB, P2J and J Warner. “It proves London is a real creative hub. Stuff like this doesn’t just happen in Los Angeles or Atlanta, so it’s a big thing for us.”
Fivio Foreign hasn’t let up on letting his presence be felt this year, joining The Kid Laroi for their new track “Paris To Tokyo.” The track samples Far East Movement and Ryan Tedder’s “Rocketeer,” but adds a drill music spin. The two rap as fast cars swerve around them, party in the club, and reflect on their experiences with women. The track is a quick sprint but features both doing what they do best.
It has been an active year for Fivio Foreign both on his personal end and in terms of features. His debut album B.I.B.L.Ewas released in April of this year, boasting features from Kanye West, Ne-Yo, Quavo, Chloe, Coi Leray and more. He has also added verses to records like Chris Brown’s “C.A.B (Catch A Body),” Nicki Minaj’s “We Go Up,” and the late King Von’s “Straight To It.” Though the 32-year-old burst onto the scene back in 2019 with “Big Drip,” there has been a strong air of elevation since his feature verse on Ye’s “Off The Grid” from the 2021 LP Donda.
As for The Kid Laroi, his sole individual release of 2022 came with April’s “Thousand Miles,” in addition to appearing on “Wasting Angels” from Post Malone’s June release Twelve Carat Toothache. Understandably, he may have needed a slight break after a major 2021 centered around his hits “Stay” and “Without You” which appeared on F*ck Love 3+: Over You also from that year.
Check out Fivio Foreign and The Kid Laroi’s “Paris To Tokyo” above.
