Ma$e and Diddy have been feuding for years, but it looks like the former Bad Boy Records artist now has at least one reason to smile. According to an Instagram post from Cam’ron, Diddy—who founded Bad Boy Records in 1993—finally returned Ma$e’s publishing, which had been the main point of contention. Cam’ron also seized the opportunity to announce his next project, The Lost Files Vol. 1, will arrive on Friday (September 8).
As he explained in the caption, “My n### murder had to sit this one out. He just got his publishing back from Puff. Just finished the paper work for that yesterday. Congrats @rsvpmase while he getting his music back in order, I’m dumping my hard drive pause. The lost files vol 1. Sept 8.”
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Per TMZ, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Sources say Diddy is handing over the publishing rights to several of his former Bad Boy acts—not just Ma$e. Faith Evans, The LOX, 112 and the Notorious B.I.G.’s estate are reportedly among the many benefiting from Diddy’s unexpected generosity. He’s also paying the writers who were working with him, too. Diddy was supposedly offered millions for the entire Bad Boy catalog, but he opted to take another route.
Rumors Diddy is a conniving, tyrannical businessman have run rampant for decades. In fact, Dave Chappelle even made a skit about it (remember “Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan?). In 2020, Ma$e accused Diddy of snatching his publishing for way less than it was worth while calling foul on his Grammy Awards speech that focused on the alleged shady practices of the Recording Academy.
“@diddy I heard your #Grammy speech about how u are now for the artist and about how the artist must take back control,” he said on Instagram. “So I will be the first to take that initiative. Also, before we ask of other ethnicities to do us right we should do us as black people better. Especially the creators. I heard u loud and clear when u said that u are now for the artist and to that my response is if u want to see change you can make a change today by starting with yourself.
Two years later, Murda Mase dropped a single called the “Oracle 2: The Liberation Of Mason Betha,” which was dedicated to trashing Diddy. In one of his verses, he accuses the mogul of exploiting Biggie’s 1997 death. He raps, “Yeah, I’m just a Harlem n-gga reppin’ down a Vegas strip with my own Suge/You from Mt. Vernon, n-gga, go and rep your own hood/I’m not hating on your Billi worth/Right now, I’m only saying what you really work/You ain’t no architect/You just a n-gga who know how to market death.”≥
Diddy has yet to address his purported change of heart. Ma$e, meanwhile, hasn’t spoken on the deal publicly either.
