Harlem World

This article is about the album by Mase. For the group, see Harlem World (group). For the 1995 song by Ol' Dirty Bastard, see Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version.

Harlem World
Studio album by Mase
Released	October 28, 1997
Studio	Daddy's House Recording Studio (New York)
Genre	East Coast hip hop
Length	66:04
Label	Bad Boy Arista
Producer	Carlos Broady Sean "Puffy" Combs D-Dot Jermaine Dupri Dame Grease The Hitmen Stevie J. J-Dub Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence Mo-Suave-A Nashiem Myrick The Neptunes Chucky Thompson Younglord
Mase chronology
Harlem World (1997) Double Up (1999)
Singles from Harlem World
"Feel So Good" Released: October 14, 1997 "What You Want" Released: December 3, 1997 "Lookin' at Me" Released: July 7, 1998

Harlem World is the debut studio album by American rapper Mase. It was released on October 28, 1997, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. Overseen by Bad Boy head Sean "Puffy" Combs, the album was produced by a variety of musicians, including Jermaine Dupri, Dame Grease, The Neptunes, and Younglord apart from Bad Boy's rooster of frequent collaborators or inhouse producers such as D-Dot, The Hitmen, Stevie J., J-Dub, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, and Chucky Thompson.

The album was released to favorable reviews and commercial success. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards and debuted at number one on both the Canadian Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. It went on to sell 3.3 million copies domestically and has since been certified quadruple platinum in the United States. With "Feel So Good", "What You Want" and "Lookin' at Me", Harlem World produced three consecutive top ten hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Background

After returning to Harlem, Mase and his childhood friend Cam'ron began rapping under the names Murda Mase and Killa Cam, forming the group Children of the Corn with local artists including Big L and Bloodshed. ^{[1] [2]} Managed briefly by Damon Dash, Mase was later introduced to Cudda Love, who took him to Atlanta where he met Puff Daddy. After impressing him at a rap convention, Mase signed a $250,000 deal with Bad Boy Records. ^[3] His name was shortened to Mase for broader appeal, and he quickly gained exposure through features on 112's "Only You," Daddy’s "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" and "Been Around the World," and Notorious B.I.G.'s chart-topping "Mo Money Mo Problems." ^[3] For Mase's debut album with Bad Boy, Puff Daddy enlisted a variety of producers, including D-Dot, The Hitmen, Jermaine Dupri, The Neptunes, Dame Grease, and Mo-Suave-A. ^[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Robert Christgau	A− [5]
Entertainment Weekly	B+ [6]
Los Angeles Times	[7]
Pitchfork	8.1/10 [8]
RapReviews	7/10 [9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[10]
Uncut	[11]

Matt Diehl from Entertainment Weekly said of the album: "Known for his funkified cameos on hits by Mariah Carey, Notorious B.I.G., and mentor Puff Daddy, rap’s newest bad boy Mase more than holds his own on his solo debut Harlem World. Like Puff Daddy, he laces hardcore raps with pop hooks and drops Big Willie boasts on cuts like "Do You Wanna Get $;" his distinctive marble-mouthed drawl, however, creates a regular-guy persona all too rare in hip-hop." ^[6] AllMusic editor Leo Stanley found that "like many big-budget hip-hop records, Harlem World is nearly a various-artists collection, featuring an array of different producers and guest rappers that often obscure Mase himself. Still, all that talent guarantees that the record will be well crafted, and that certainly is true. With Combs and Dupri behind the decks for much of the album, Harlem World has a dense, funky sound that is up-tempo party rap at its best." ^[4]

Los Angeles Times critic Cheo Hodari Coker noted that on Harlem World "Mase is consistently mellow and confident, relying on simplicity but also displaying moments of stunning insight and poignancy [...] With Harlem World, which features production from a host of hot studio hands, Mase manages to display commercial sensibilities without selling out, and he’s also able to poke fun at his own image when the time is right. For Mase, mo money seems like no problem." ^[7] Sheldon Pearce from Pitchfork remarked that the album was "larger than life. Mase had a buttery touch when in his groove, as if having an out-of-body experience watching himself churn out hits. [Mase's] flows were as silky, or as plush, or as golden as the material world furnishing his songs. He made the realm of luxury feel quaint." ^[8] Robert Christgau called Harlem World a "hugely appealing, moderately disturbing piece of pop." ^[5]

Commercial performance

Harlem World debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the week of November 15, 1997, selling nearly 273,000 copies in its first week. ^[12] It was certified both Gold and Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 2, 1997. ^[13] It reached 2x Platinum status two weeks later, 3x Platinum status in July 1999, and 4x Platinum status in October 1999. ^[13] With 3.3 million units sold, the album remains Mase’s biggest-selling to date. ^[14]

Track listing

Harlem World track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Puff's Intro"		Sean "Puffy" Combs	1:40
2.	"Do You Wanna Get $?" (featuring Puff Daddy)	Mason Betha Deric Angelettie Ron Lawrence Sean Combs Peter Brown Robert Rans	Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence	3:49
3.	"Take What's Yours" (featuring DMX)	Betha Earl Simmons Nashiem Myrick Carlos Broady Combs	Nashiem Myrick Carlos "Six July" Broady Combs	3:45
4.	"Mad Rapper (Interlude)"		Combs Angelettie Mase	1:13
5.	"Will They Die 4 U?" (featuring Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim)	Betha Lawrence Combs Kimberly Jones Sam Taylor	Combs Lawrence	4:04
6.	"Lookin' at Me" (featuring Puff Daddy)	Betha Chad Hugo Pharrell Williams Combs	The Neptunes	4:15
7.	"White Girl (Interlude)"		Combs Angelettie Mase	0:52
8.	"Love U So" (featuring Billy Lawrence)	Betha Steven Jordan Combs Allen McGrier Teena Marie Brockett Norman Whitfield	Stevie J.	3:12
9.	"The Player Way" (featuring Eightball & MJG)	Betha Triston Jones Premro Smith Marlon Goodwin Combs	Mo-Suave-A Productions	4:13
10.	"Hater (Interlude)"		Combs Angelettie Mase	1:00
11.	"Niggaz Wanna Act" (featuring Busta Rhymes)	Betha Damon Blackman Richard Frierson Simmons Combs Hubert Yarborough	Grease Richard "Younglord" Frierson	4:09
12.	"Feel So Good"	Robert Earl Bell Ronald Bell George Brown Robert Mickens Claydes Smith Dennis Thomas Richard Westfield Lawrence Dermer Joe Galdo Rafael Vigil	Combs Angelettie	3:24
13.	"What You Want" (featuring Total)	Betha Keisha Spivey Curtis Mayfield Myrick Combs	Combs Myrick	4:02
14.	"Phone Conversation (Interlude)"		Combs Angelettie Mase	1:49
15.	"Cheat on You" (featuring Lil' Cease and Jay-Z)	Betha James Lloyd Jermaine Dupri Shawn Carter Combs Michael Jackson	Jermaine Dupri	3:15
16.	"24 Hrs. to Live" (featuring The LOX, Black Rob, and DMX)	Betha Sean Jacobs Jason Phillips David Styles Robert Ross Simmons Angelettie Myrick Broady Combs	Angelettie Myrick Broady	4:16
17.	"I Need to Be" (featuring Monifah)	Betha Angelettie Carl Thompson Combs Siedah Garrett George Johnson Louis Johnson	Angelettie Carl "Chucky" Thompson	5:12
18.	"Watch Your Back (Interlude)"		Combs Angelettie Mase	0:56
19.	"Wanna Hurt Mase?"	Betha Lawrence Combs Jon Moss Roy Hay Mikey Craig George O'Dowd	Combs Lawrence	4:23
20.	"Jealous Guy" (featuring 112)	Michael Johnson Larry Johnson	Combs J-Dub	6:25
Total length:				66:04

Sample credits

• "Puff's Intro" contains excerpts from "Joy", written and performed by Isaac Hayes.
• "Do You Wanna Get $" contains excerpts from "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky with Me", as performed by Peter Brown.
• "Will They Die 4 U?" contains a sample from "Everything Good to You (Ain't Always Good for You)", as performed by B.T. Express.
• "Love U So" contains excerpts from Ooh Boy", written by Norman Whitfield. It also contains a sample of "Square Biz", as performed by Teena Marie.
• "Niggaz Wanna Act" contains elements from "Hostage", as performed by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.
• "Feel So Good" contains a sample from "Hollywood Swinging", as performed by Kool & The Gang, and embodies portions of "Bad Boy", as performed by Miami Sound Machine.
• "What You Want" contains a sample from "Right on for the Darkness", written and recorded by Curtis Mayfield.
• "Cheat on You" contains a sample from "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", as performed by Michael Jackson.
• "24 Hrs. to Live" contains excerpts from "Moses Theme", written by LeRoy Bell, Thom Bell, Jack Robinson, and Casey James. It also contains samples from "Magic Wanda", as performed by Frankie Bleu.
• "I Need to Be" contains a sample from "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)", as performed by The Brothers Johnson.
• "Wanna Hurt Mase?" embodies portions of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", written by Jon Moss, Roy Hay, Mikey Craig, and George O'Dowd.
• "Jealous Guy" contains a sample from "Jealous Girl", written and performed by New Edition.

Personnel

• Prince Charles Alexander – mixing (5)
• Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie – mixing (16), associate executive producer
• Dave Aron – mixing (1)
• Carlos "Six July" Broady – piano (3)
• Sean "Puffy" Combs – mixing (5, 6, 9), executive producer
• Lane Craven – mixing (2, 8, 20)
• Mike Daddy – grooming
• Stephen Dent – engineer (2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 17, 19)
• Jermaine Dupri – mixing (15)
• Ben Garrison – engineer (20)
• DJ IROC – scratches (5, 13)
• J-Dub – additional programming (12, 16)
• Groovy Lew – stylist
• Tony Maserati – mixing (6, 9)
• Michael Patterson – engineer (2), mixing (3, 11, 12, 17, 19)
• Lisa Peardon – photography
• Herb Powers – mastering
• Kelly Price – additional vocals (12)
• Phil Tan – engineer and mixing (15)
• Rich Travail – mixing (13)
• Barry White – grooming
• Doug Wilson – engineer (1, 3, 11, 12, 17)
• Jimmy Wilson – engineer (9)

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Harlem World Chart (1997–1998) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA) [15] 91 Canadian Albums (Billboard) [16] 1 Canadian R&B Albums (SoundScan) [17] 1 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [18] 59 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [19] 20 UK Albums (OCC) [20] 53 UK R&B Albums (OCC) [21] 8 US Billboard 200 [22] 1 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [23] 1

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Harlem World Chart (1998) Position Canadian Albums ( RPM ) [24] 44 US Billboard 200 [25] 20 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ( Billboard ) [26] 13

Certifications

Certifications for Harlem World

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [27]	3× Platinum	300,000^
United States (RIAA) [13]	4× Platinum	4,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one albums of 1997 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 (U.S.)

References

1. Bleek, Don (March 12, 2011). "Picture Me Dope: Harlem's Rap Group 'Children Of The Corn'". Donbleek.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
2. "STREET STRUCK "THE BIG L" DOCUMENTARY IS COMING SOONER THAN YOU THINK". Roovet.com. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
3. Ro, Ronin (2001). Bad boy: the influence of Sean "Puffy" Combs on the music industry. New York City: Simon and Schuster. pp. 87–88. ISBN   0-7434-2823-4.
4. Stanley, Leo. "Harlem World – Mase". AllMusic . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
5. Christgau, Robert (1997). "Consumer Guide Reviews". Robert Christgau . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
6. Diehl, Matt (November 21, 1997). "Harlem World". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
7. Hodari Coker, Cheo (November 9, 1997). "1/2 MASE "Harlem World" Bad Boy/Arista". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
8. Pearce, Sheldon (July 21, 2019). "Harlem World". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
9. Jost, Matt (December 5, 2006). "Mase: Harlem World". RapReviews. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
10. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. 2004. ISBN   978-0-7432-0169-8.
11. Williamson, Nigel (March 1998). "Mase: Harlem World". Uncut . No. 10. pp. 77–78.
12. "Mase's 'World' Makes Its Way Straight to Top". Los Angeles Times . November 6, 1997. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
13. "American album certifications – Mase – Harlem World". Recording Industry Association of America.
14. Concepcion, Mariel (January 7, 2009). "Mase Making Comeback, Inspired By Michael Jackson". Billboard . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
15. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 178.
16. "Mase Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
17. "Top 10 R&B Albums". The Gazette . January 8, 1998. p. D7 – via Newspapers.com.
18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Ma$e – Harlem World" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
19. "Charts.nz – Ma$e – Harlem World". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
20. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
21. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
22. "Mase Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
23. "Mase Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
24. "RPM's Top 100 CDs of '98". RPM. Vol. 68, no. 12. December 14, 1998. ISSN   0315-5994. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
25. "Billboard 200: Year End 1998". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
26. "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 1998". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 4, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
27. "Canadian album certifications – Mase – Harlem World". Music Canada . Retrieved March 26, 2022.