Mase's Harlem World : Where Are They Now?

Catch up with the all-stars behind this shiny-suit classic.

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Mase's Harlem World: Where Are They Now? - Behind the shiny suits and the ministries, Mase has actually been behind some great music. Fifteen years ago, on Oct. 28, 1997, he dropped his crowning achievement, Harlem World. With several classic singles and more than 3 million records sold, it was a defining moment for rap's late-'90s Bad Boy era. But he didn't do it alone. Mase recruited several high-profile rappers, singers and producers to make an impact — and it worked. Here, 15 years later, BET.com catches up with the all-star squad behind Mase's Harlem World. —Alex Gale (Photo: Bad Boy Records)

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Ma$e - Mase's road since his breakthrough debut has had ups, downs, lefts, rights, you name it. Right after dropping his sophomore album, Double Up, in 1999, Mase retired from rap and became a minister. Five years, later he returned to music, dropped the gold-selling Welcome Back, linked with G Unit and then disappeared again. In 2009, he reemerged, dropping several cameo and mixtape verses, and started a public campaign to convince Diddy to release him from his contract. In 2012, Mase returned again with a verse on the remix to Wale's "Ambition" and a cameo on G.O.O.D. Music's "Higher."  (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz)

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Diddy - You might've heard of this guy Diddy, who plays a co-starring role on Harlem World, executive-producing, producing, rapping and swagging on several tracks. In the years since, he's become one of music's biggest moguls, launched several brands, topped the Forbes Rap Kings list, released several platinum albums and, overall, been one of the most famous people on the planet.  (Photo: WENN.com)

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DMX - DMX's appearance on grimy standouts "24 Hrs. to Live" and "Take What's Yours" helped him reach superstardom in the coming years, with five consecutive No. 1 albums — a record. The next several years have been filled with legal troubles, drug troubles and marital troubles, but not much music. In 2012, on the comeback trail, he released his first album in six years, Undisputed.  (photo: John Ricard / BET).

Billy Lawrence  - Billy Lawrence's appearance on "Love You So" added to a long list of overlooked achievements by the singer-songwriter: releasing two mid-'90s albums, singing with MC Lyte and Mandy Moore, writing songs for Jennifer Lopez, TLC and others. She's been out of the public eye for years for around a decade now.  (Photo: Billy Lawrence/Facebook)

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Billy Lawrence  - Billy Lawrence's appearance on "Love You So" added to a long list of overlooked achievements by the singer-songwriter: releasing two mid-'90s albums, singing with MC Lyte and Mandy Moore, writing songs for Jennifer Lopez, TLC and others. She's been out of the public eye for years for around a decade now. (Photo: Billy Lawrence/Facebook)

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Eightball and MJG - When Snoop had the West coast on lock, Diddy represented New York, and Dupri the South, the Deep South—Tennessee to be exact—belonged to Eightball and MJG. The Memphis-bred rap duo "came out hard" in 1993 with their critically acclaimed mainstream album Comin’ Out Hard, featuring hits "Mr. Big" and "Armed Robbery." They celebrated 20 years of the LP with a 2013 U.S. tour. (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

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8Ball & MJG - MJG and 8 Ball were already Memphis legends when they appeared on "The Player Way," and they cemented their legacy further with several albums in the years to follow. After working with Bad Boy, they moved on to T.I.'s Grand Hustle, and dropped their last album, Ten Toes Down, via that imprint in 2010.  (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

Busta Rhymes - Busta Rhymes delivered the elbow-throwing hook to "N---az Wanna Act" at the same time he was becoming a real star, with his platinum sophomore album, When Disaster Strikes, dropping the same year as Harlem World. Busta's been a mainstay on mixtapes, radio waves and charts ever since. He's currently signed to Cash Money, and released a free album, Year of the Dragon, via Google Play in August.   (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images For The Recording Academy)

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Busta Rhymes - Busta Rhymes delivered the elbow-throwing hook to "N---az Wanna Act" at the same time he was becoming a real star, with his platinum sophomore album, When Disaster Strikes, dropping the same year as Harlem World. Busta's been a mainstay on mixtapes, radio waves and charts ever since. He's currently signed to Cash Money, and released a free album, Year of the Dragon, via Google Play in August.   (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images For The Recording Academy)

Total - Total were Bad Boy's signature girl group when they appeared on the hit single "What You Want." But it didn't last long: they only released one more album, 1998's Kima, Keisha and Pam, before splitting up. Member Pamela Long, however, is still active, and released an album, Undeniable, this year. She also recently tweeted that Total was back in the studio together.   (Photo: Courtesy Bad Boy Records)

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Total - Total were Bad Boy's signature girl group when they appeared on the hit single "What You Want." But it didn't last long: they only released one more album, 1998's Kima, Keisha and Pam, before splitting up. Member Pamela Long, however, is still active, and released an album, Undeniable, this year. She also recently tweeted that Total was back in the studio together.  (Photo: Courtesy Bad Boy Records)

Lil Cease - Lil Cease's verse on "Cheat on You" alongside Mase and Jay-Z was one of the few highlights of a career that faded after Notorious B.I.G. was murdered just seven months before the release of Harlem World. Cease released one album, The Wonderful World of Cease A Leo, in 1999. In recent years, he's not so "Lil" anymore: He released an online workout series, and finally returned to the mic in earnest with 2010's Everything Is Hardbody.    (Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

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Lil Cease - Lil Cease's verse on "Cheat on You" alongside Mase and Jay-Z was one of the few highlights of a career that faded after Notorious B.I.G. was murdered just seven months before the release of Harlem World. Cease released one album, The Wonderful World of Cease A Leo, in 1999. In recent years, he's not so "Lil" anymore: He released an online workout series, and finally returned to the mic in earnest with 2010's Everything Is Hardbody.  (Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

Jay-Z - "He’s an artist-entrepreneur who stands at the center of culture and commerce in 21st-century America, and his influence stretches across races, religions and regions." — Michael Bloomberg (Photo: Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

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Jay-Z - Jay-Z spits on "Cheat on You" with Lil Cease. Since then, he's been a little busy — you know, becoming the greatest rapper of all time.  (Photo: Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

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"Other Side" Featuring Shae Lawrence - Maintaining the mellow tone from the previous track, Pinero transitions into an ode to his fallen soldiers and lost brothers. On this guitar and piano-led track, Styles gets nostalgic recalling hard times and lost loved ones, all while providing positive reinforcement for those who are down. He relies on Shae Lawrence to handle the hook as her sweet serenade gives life to lost ones. "Praying for my n---s on the other side/ represent ya memory till the day I die," she sings, adding a feminine touch to Pinero’s thug chronicles.(Photo: Phil McCarten/Getty Images)

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The LOX - The LOX kill it on grimy highlight "24 Hrs. to Live" with Black Rob and DMX, a perfect platform for them to launch their own debut, Money, Power & Respect, a year later. The Yonkers trio had a bitter split from Bad Boy soon after, decamping from the label in 1999 and releasing their second album, We Are the Streets, via Ruff Ryders in 2000. Jadakiss, Styles and Sheek have all launched solo careers with different levels of success since then. They're currently working on a new album — without a label home, though — which will be executive-produced by Swizz Beatz and DJ Khaled.    (Photo: Phil McCarten/Getty Images)

Black Rob - Fellow Bad Boy Black Rob helped make "24 Hrs. to Live" a classic, and three years later he released his criminally slept on debut, Life Story. Jail and drug abuse slowed him down though. He didn't release a follow-up until 2005, then signed with Duck Down for last year's Game Tested, Streets Approved. He's followed that up with a handful of guest verses and Internet leaks.  (Photo: Black Rob/Twitter)

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Black Rob - Fellow Bad Boy Black Rob helped make "24 Hrs. to Live" a classic, and three years later he released his criminally slept on debut, Life Story. Jail and drug abuse slowed him down though. He didn't release a follow-up until 2005, then signed with Duck Down for last year's Game Tested, Streets Approved. He's followed that up with a handful of guest verses and Internet leaks. (Photo: Black Rob/Twitter)

Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie - Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, the so-called Madd Rapper, headed up his own interlude and produced three songs on Harlem World. Three years later, he released an entire album under the Madd Rapper name and continued to land credits with 50, Mary J. Blige and others. In recent years, he worked as a consultant to the 2009 Biggie biopic Notorious, and has been working with Freeway and Fred Da Godson. 

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Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie - Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, the so-called Madd Rapper, headed up his own interlude and produced three songs on Harlem World. Three years later, he released an entire album under the Madd Rapper name and continued to land credits with 50, Mary J. Blige and others. In recent years, he worked as a consultant to the 2009 Biggie biopic Notorious, and has been working with Freeway and Fred Da Godson. 

Monifah - A year after Monifah guested on "I Need to Be," she reached the apex of her career, the gold-selling Mo'hogany.  In August, years after mostly disappearing following her 2000 album, Home, she appeared in the TV One reality show R&B Divas, in which she publicly revealed that she's a lesbian.    (Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

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Monifah - A year after Monifah guested on "I Need to Be," she reached the apex of her career, the gold-selling Mo'hogany.  In August, years after mostly disappearing following her 2000 album, Home, she appeared in the TV One reality show R&B Divas, in which she publicly revealed that she's a lesbian.   (Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

112 - R&B group 112 helped close out the album with "Jealous Guy." The same year, they won a Grammy for their contributions to Diddy's "I'll Be Missing You." After releasing three hit albums with Bad Boy, they bounced from the label in 2002. They dropped two albums before going on a rocky hiatus to work on solo projects. Earlier this year, they reunited for a concert in Atlantic City, and are now planning to perform together again later this year.  (Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage for BMI)

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112 - R&B group 112 helped close out the album with "Jealous Guy." The same year, they won a Grammy for their contributions to Diddy's "I'll Be Missing You." After releasing three hit albums with Bad Boy, they bounced from the label in 2002. They dropped two albums before going on a rocky hiatus to work on solo projects. Earlier this year, they reunited for a concert in Atlantic City, and are now planning to perform together again later this year. (Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage for BMI)

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Nashiem Myrick - Nashiem Myrick got a random production credit for "K. Murray Interlude," which features Keith Murray rhyming over a snippet of Myrick's beat for Biggie's "Who Shot Ya." Myrick was an integral part of Diddy's Hitmen production team, so it's probable he helped out elsewhere on the album as well. He and the Hitmen landed hits with Nas, Jay-Z and many more in the years to follow. More recently, Myrick helped score the 2009 film Notorious, and also produced for Queensbridge vet Cormega.   (Photo: Nashiem Myrick/Facebook)

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Nashiem Myrick - Nashiem Myrick, who produced "What You Want" and "Take What's Yours," was a key member of Bad Boy's Hitmen production team. In recent years, Myrick helped score the 2009 film Notorious, and also produced for underground vet Cormega and Diddy's Last Train to Paris. (Photo: Nashiem Myrick/Facebook)

The Neptunes - Before they became production all-stars, Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams produced the suspenseful beat for "Lookin' at Me." A year later, they had a big breakthrough with N.O.R.E.'s "Superthug," and the rest is beat-making history. They're still busy in 2012, but Pharrell has begun producing under his own name — he crafted Kendrick Lamar's "good kid." Hugo, meanwhile, co-wrote "I Care" on Beyoncé's 4.  (Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

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The Neptunes - Before they became production all-stars, Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams produced the suspenseful beat for "Lookin' at Me." A year later, they had a big breakthrough with N.O.R.E.'s "Superthug," and the rest is beat-making history. They're still busy in 2012, but Pharrell has begun producing under his own name — he crafted Kendrick Lamar's "good kid." Hugo, meanwhile, co-wrote "I Care" on Beyoncé's 4.  (Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

Kelis - Two years after her uncredited singing for the hook of "Do You Wanna Get $," Kelis dropped her own debut album, Kaleidoscope. In between dropping four more albums (2010's Flesh Tone was the last), she married and divorced Nas, and is currently raising their three-year-old son, Knight.  (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for TwoFour54)

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Kelis - Two years after her uncredited singing for the hook of "Do You Wanna Get $," Kelis dropped her own debut album, Kaleidoscope. In between dropping four more albums (2010's Flesh Tone was the last), she married and divorced Nas, and is currently raising their three-year-old son, Knight. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for TwoFour54)

Dame Grease - Dame Grease's production on the Busta-featuring "N----z Wanna Act" was one of his breakthrough credits. A year later, he crafted the bulk of DMX's multi-platinum debut, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. After disappearing from the scene for the most part in the mid-2000s, he's reemerged recently to produce for French Montana and DMX.  (Photo: Vacant Lot Productions)

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Dame Grease - Dame Grease's production on the Busta-featuring "N----z Wanna Act" was one of his breakthrough credits. A year later, he crafted the bulk of DMX's multi-platinum debut, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. After disappearing from the scene for the most part in the mid-2000s, he's reemerged recently to produce for French Montana and DMX. (Photo: Vacant Lot Productions)

Stevie J on being perceived as a role model:  - “I don’t want anyone trying to pattern themselves after me or anything like that. Instead of worrying about me, people should figure out how they can make the world a better place themselves.”   (Photo: Paras Griffin /Landov)

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Stevie J - Stevie J produced "Love U So" as a member of Bad Boy's Hitmen production team. He helped create several other Bad Boy classics, including "Mo Money Mo Problems." He was quiet in recent years until his casting on the hit reality show Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, on which he spends his time philandering, lying and making scrunchy faces. (Photo: Bad Boy Records)

Big Momma Thang - Wanna bumble with the Bee, huh? Yeah a few have sharpened their stingers with Lil Kim and in celebration of her birthday today (July 11), check out 10 of the Big Momma's hottest collaborations. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photo: Michael Stewart/WireImage)

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Lil Kim - A year after her star-making debut, Hard Core, Lil Kim spit a raw verse on "Will They Die for You?" Her career was derailed, however, by a year-long sentence for perjury in 2005. In recent years, in between beefing with Nicki Minaj, she's appeared on Dancing With the Stars, leaked music online and headlined the Return of the Queen tour. (Photo by Michael Stewart/WireImage)