His most recent (and reportedly final) solo album, A Long Hot Summer, gained considerable acclaim in 2004. He is currently in the hip hop group eMC, with Punchline, Wordsworth and Stricklin. They have a page at http://www.myspace.com/emcthegroup.
In the early stages of his career, Masta Ace was very energetic (cf. "Jeep Ass Niguh", where, tongue-in-cheek, he taunts police officers for their knee-jerk predisposition to harass black youth on city streets.) He also recorded material with a six-member supporting entourage, Masta Ace Incorporated. In light of his newly claimed status as a veteran, he has gravitated toward an earnest, matter-of-fact plainspokenness in the new millennium. Many of the songs that have lent newfound heft to his reputation are simple, no-nonsense rumination on feelings and facts of urban American life, including "Soda and Soap", "Brooklyn Masala" (which highlights a budding romance between Ace and a lovely but reserved Pakistani Hindu immigrant), and "Beautiful".
1988-1994
Ace made his recording debut as Master Ace on the classic hip-hop posse-cut "The Symphony", along with fellow Juice Crew members Craig G, Kool G Rap, and Big Daddy Kane, released on Marley Marl's In Control album. In Control also featured two lesser known Ace tracks "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" and "Simon Says". His first solo single, "Together" b/w "Letter to the Better", was released in 1989. He released his debut album, Take A Look Around, through Marl's Cold Chillin' label in 1990, featuring production from Marl and DJ Mister Cee. The album featured two minor hit singles in "Music Man" and "Me & The Biz", a track in which he impersonates fellow Juice Crew member Biz Markie. During the few years between his debut and his sophomore album, Ace began having bitter feelings toward the commercial state of hip hop music, feelings which ruled the content on his second release, 1993's Slaughtahouse, with the loose concept of the album seeing Ace taking the fake "gangsta emcees" to his "Slaughtahouse". The album featured Ace's new crew, Masta Ace Incorporated, which included Eyceurokk, Lord Digga, Paula Perry and R&B vocalist Leschea. The album sold moderately well, fueled by the singles "SlaughtaHouse", "Saturday Nite Live", "Style Wars" and "Jeep Ass Niguh". "Jeep" featured an unlisted remix titled "Born to Roll", which became a smash crossover single in 1994, peaking at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Also in '94, Ace became a member of a temporary crew called the Crooklyn Dodgers, along with rap vet Special Ed and Black Moon's Buckshot, and recorded the title track for the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film Crooklyn. The song became Ace's second Hot 100 hit in 1994, peaking at #60 on the chart.
1995-2000
Ace furthered his mainstream appeal in 1995, with his radio-friendly Sittin' On Chrome album. This effort was also released with the Masta Ace Incorporated crew, now also known as The I.N.C. The album was Ace's most commercially successful release, breaking into the Top 20 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. Sittin' On Chrome included "Born to Roll", as well as two other Hot 100 hit singles, "The I.N.C. Ride" and "Sittin' on Chrome". In 1996, Ace split up with the I.N.C. crew and was largely missing from the hip hop scene over the next five years, save for a number of random vinyl singles. During his vinyl days, he bounced from a number of labels, releasing his "Cars" single on Tape Kingz Records, his "Yeah Yeah Yeah" and "NFL" singles on the Union Label, his "NY Confidential" single on Replay Records, his "Express Delivery" single on Three Sixty Records, his "Spread It Out/Hellbound" single on Yosumi Records, his "Conflict" single on Mona Records, his "Ghetto Like" single on Fat Beats, his "So Now U A MC" single on Bad Magic Records, and his "Brooklyn Blocks" single on Buckshot's Duck Down Records.
2001-present
Ace's "Ghetto Like" single led to a misunderstanding with an underground emcee named Boogieman, who released a somewhat similar single titled "Ghetto Life" not long before. He thought that Ace was "biting" his track and released a dis song toward Ace titled "Just You Wait". The dis led to a rap battle between the two at a Lyricist Lounge event, a battle that was won by Boogieman. Ace later claimed that he delivered his rhymes off the top of his head, while Boog was rapping previously written lyrics, a topic which he discusses on his scathing retaliation track "Acknowledge", aimed at Boogieman and the underground rap group the High & Mighty. "Acknowledge" was included on his fourth full length album, Disposable Arts, released in late 2001 through JCOR Records, six long years after his successful Sittin' On Chrome album. Disposable Arts became one of the most acclaimed underground hip-hop releases of 2001, beloved for its pure hip hop style and clever album concept, which served as a fictional story, chronicling Ace's time spent at a satirical rap school named the Institute of Disposable Arts. JCOR Records folded soon after the release, leaving it out-of-print, until being re-released in 2005 on Ace's self-established M3 label. The album closer, "No Regrets", led many fans to believe that it would be Ace's final album, because of the line "I don't know if it's the end, but yo, it might be". Ace killed the rumors by returning in 2004 with his fifth album A Long Hot Summer, another highly acclaimed effort. The story concept, similar to that on his last release, served as a prelude to the story told on Disposable Arts, chronicling the "Long Hot Summer" that led to his character's incarceration at the beginning of the Disposable Arts album. Rumors once again spread about a retirement, which were again killed, when Ace announced the formation of his new rap crew named eMC, including himself, Punchline, Wordsworth and his protege Stricklin. The crew plans to release a group album sometime in 2007.
Openness to collaborations
In large part, the creative company Masta Ace keeps is comprised of underground performers with whom he has developed a personal rapport. He commonly acknowledges his fan base outside of the United States, which is considerably larger than within, as in the final seconds of his song "Good Ol' Love". He has shown an openness to working with foreign-based producers, including Koolade of Croatia and DJ Serious of Canada. He also performed a guest rap for the British Acid jazz group Young Disciples for their debut album.
In Scandinavia, he recorded "What Is It" with Norwegian veteran producer Tommy Tee in 2003, for the soundtrack to the car racing game "Midnight Club 2", which also was featured on several European mixtapes.
Within the United States, he has worked with Jean Grae, 9th Wonder of Little Brother, DJ Spinna, DJ Premier, RJD2, Pete Rock, Domingo, Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and Kno of Cunninlynguists. Q-Tip enlisted him as a contributor to the original Crooklyn Dodgers track in 1992. The track spawned a follow-up in 1995, with a third projected for 2006, but neither Ace nor the other original contributors, Special Ed and the bellicose Buckshot (of Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik), were involved with them. Instead, the second Crooklyn Dodgers track was produced by DJ Premier and involved O.C., Chubb Rock and Jeru the Damaja, where the planned third installment is said to involve Mos Def, Jean Grae, and Memphis Bleek, with production courtesy of 9th Wonder.
By extending largesse to younger MCs even as he has been careful to solidify connections with the rap game's old guard, he has amassed a list of collaborators numbering over 60. The most notable of his collaborators have been Eminem (who has expressed ongoing admiration for his skills), Common (on the track "Claimin' Respect" as part of a trio called Boulevard Connection), Guru of Gang Starr, Edo G (the third member of Boulevard Connection, from Boston), Jean Grae, Saukrates, Young Zee, Big Noyd, Cella Dwellas, King Tee, Tonedeff, Rah Digga, Strick, Das Efx, Greg Nice and the Beatnuts. He devotes several lines of the track "No Regrets" to express goodwill and thanksgiving to the artists he has worked with, calling these opportunities some of the most valued blessings of his career.
Block Episode
Masta Ace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The TV's on from playing all night on Nintendo
Jumped out of bed tryin to see what's up with all the noise and
I see somebody else has caught a case of lead poison
This type of shit around my way is a regular occurance
Because the same shit just happened to my nigga Terrence
A week later now somebody else is laying dying
Surrounded by a crowd of people and his momma crying
I seen the cats who just did it run around the corner
I start to wonder who it is and why they had to wet him
I bet I knew him or at least I bet I probably met him
I can't pretend I'm shocked like electrocution
'Cause any night there could be an execution
My momma told me that that thug shit will get you buried
The next day there's your name in the obituary
I asked her why we gotta live in this environment
She said Your grandfather drank up his retirement
Plus when I fucked around and had you I was just a baby
Just maybe if I wasn't being miss lady
Things could've been a little bit better
Threw on my jeans and my double knit sweater
I hit the block tryin' to find out who got done in
Who had the gun and who that was I seen running
[Chorus]
Another body on the ground cold and
Another day another lost soul and
Same shit in every zip code
No matter where you go
Its just another block episode
Another story on the street told and
Another turn down the wrong road and
Sit back and watch it unfold
Yo I'll let you know
Just another block episode
Yo, I roam the streets with my peeps and the gun by my crotch
I got beef with this cat that resides on my block
He getting popped I swear when I see him it's on
He'll just be a tattoo on his best friends arm
My friends screaming "Punch be calm" y'all can save it
He borrowed 5 G's two months ago, still ain't pay it
This girl hit me on the cell about his location
I grabbed my gun jumped in the hoopty then I started racing
Turned off the lights a block away so he don't peep the caper
I see him and a bunch of cats by the bodega
Don't wanna kill him I just wanna teach this cat a lesson
Stepped on the gas grab the gun cocked back the weapon
Shot up the whole corner but hit him in the kneecap
That's cool 'cause dead niggaz can't pay your cash back
I'm nutting to laugh at I keep bad temper
I hit him a bystander and one of his crew members
Yo yo yo yo, last thing I heard was a blast car circling past
I wasn't nervous thought they might be searching for gas
Soon as Rob came out dispersing the trash
Car sped and lead went through his windows curtains and glass
Dove in the dirt and the grass
I look bullet struck my right arm
Glass in my left palm I lost my neck charm
I knew it was punch 'cause Rob owed him money
But never had it always got new kicks and gear to match it
I'm in the ambulance I thought that beef was squashed
That's why when he seen Punch he crossed the street and dodged
See Rob's records with the DA and ???
My records 4.0 GPA going to Harvard
Athletes a hundred miles and running he's a convict
Other hand my high school football team I lead in yardage
Boys regardless blood pressure dropped artery vessel clogged
Cardiac arrest next my chest was shocked IV
Oxygen mask bleeding heavily
We need to get to the hospital fast I'm doing 70
Why I gotta be a causality of war did good most my life
My career was growing gradually and more
Hearing "hold on, you'll be alright, you're gonna make it"
Sirens up ahead construction on the pavement
Slowed down from this moment I didn't have a chance
See he didn't have his flash can't believe I died in the traffic jam
The lyrics to Masta Ace's song Block Episode paint a vivid picture of life in a dangerous neighborhood. The song is about waking up to the sound of gunshots and witnessing a murder in the street. The singer is desensitized to the violence and isn't shocked when someone dies. His mother tells him that "thug shit will get you buried," but he still engages in violent behavior, seeking revenge on someone who owes him money. In the end, he becomes a casualty of the warzone that is his neighborhood, dying in a traffic jam on the way to the hospital.
The song is a commentary on the cycle of violence that exists in some communities. The characters in the song are trapped in a world of poverty and violence, and they don't see a way out. The lyrics also touch on themes of revenge, loyalty, and desperation. The singer is willing to risk his own life to settle a score, even though he knows it's not worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up this morning hearing shots below my project window
The singer woke up to gunshots below his room in the projects.
The TV's on from playing all night on Nintendo
The TV was left on all night while someone played Nintendo.
Jumped out of bed tryin to see what's up with all the noise and
The singer got out of bed to see what the commotion was about.
I see somebody else has caught a case of lead poison
The artist sees someone has been shot and is most likely dead.
This type of shit around my way is a regular occurance
Violent incidents like this are common in the artist's neighborhood.
Because the same shit just happened to my nigga Terrence
The singer's friend Terrence was recently killed in a similar occurrence.
A week later now somebody else is laying dying
Another person has been shot, and is most likely dying.
Surrounded by a crowd of people and his momma crying
The victim's mother and others are surrounding him, crying and upset.
The way he's laying there it looks to me that he's a goner
The victim appears to be close to dying or already dead.
I seen the cats who just did it run around the corner
The artist saw the people responsible for the shooting run away.
I start to wonder who it is and why they had to wet him
The singer wonders who the victim is and why they were shot.
I bet I knew him or at least I bet I probably met him
The artist assumes that he knows the victim or has met them before.
I can't pretend I'm shocked like electrocution
The singer isn't surprised by the violent incident, it's something he's used to.
'Cause any night there could be an execution
The singer knows that any night, someone could be killed.
My momma told me that that thug shit will get you buried
The singer's mother warned him that engaging in violent behavior will lead to death.
The next day there's your name in the obituary
If you engage in thug activity, you're likely to end up dead and with your name in the paper.
I asked her why we gotta live in this environment
The artist asked his mother why they have to live in such a violent neighborhood.
She said Your grandfather drank up his retirement
The singer's grandfather drank away his retirement savings.
Plus when I fucked around and had you I was just a baby
The singer's mother had him when she was young and not fully prepared for motherhood.
Just maybe if I wasn't being miss lady
The artist's mother thinks things might have been different if she had made different choices.
Things could've been a little bit better
The artist's mother thinks their lives could have been improved if she had made better choices.
Threw on my jeans and my double knit sweater
The artist changed into clothes and is getting ready to go outside.
I hit the block tryin' to find out who got done in
The singer goes outside to find out who was shot and what happened.
Another body on the ground cold and
There is another dead body on the ground.
Another day another lost soul and
Another day, another life lost to violence.
Same shit in every zip code
Violence is a problem in every neighborhood, not just this one.
No matter where you go
Violence is a problem everywhere.
Its just another block episode
This violent incident is just another part of life in this neighborhood.
Another story on the street told and
Another story of violence to share.
Another turn down the wrong road and
Another life lost to the consequences of bad choices.
Sit back and watch it unfold
Watch the tragedy unfold, as it happens all too often.
Yo I'll let you know
The artist is warning us of the dangers of violent neighborhoods and choices.
I roam the streets with my peeps and the gun by my crotch
The artist carries a gun with him for protection.
He getting popped I swear when I see him it's on
The artist wants to kill someone who he has a problem with on his block.
He'll just be a tattoo on his best friends arm
If the singer kills his target, he'll be remembered only by a tattoo on someone else's arm.
He borrowed 5 G's two months ago, still ain't pay it
The artist's target owes him $5,000 that he has yet to pay back.
This girl hit me on the cell about his location
Someone contacted the singer to tell him where his target was.
Turned off the lights a block away so he don't peep the caper
The singer turned off his car's lights so his target wouldn't see him coming.
I see him and a bunch of cats by the bodega
The singer sees his target and a group of other people hanging out by a convenience store.
Don't wanna kill him I just wanna teach this cat a lesson
The artist doesn't necessarily want to kill his target, but just wants to scare him.
Stepped on the gas grab the gun cocked back the weapon
The artist accelerates towards his target and prepares to use his gun.
Shot up the whole corner but hit him in the kneecap
The singer fired his gun recklessly, but only hit his target in the kneecap.
That's cool 'cause dead niggaz can't pay your cash back
The singer is okay with just injuring his target, because dead people can't pay back debts.
I'm nutting to laugh at I keep bad temper
The artist isn't ashamed to admit he has a bad temper and is prone to violence.
I hit him a bystander and one of his crew members
In addition to hitting his target, the artist also injured an innocent bystander and one of his target's friends.
Last thing I heard was a blast car circling past
The last thing the artist heard was a car speeding away after the shooting.
I wasn't nervous thought they might be searching for gas
The singer did not feel scared, and thought the car was just passing by.
Soon as Rob came out dispersing the trash
Rob walked out just as the car drove by, while Rob was taking out the garbage.
Car sped and lead went through his windows curtains and glass
The car drove by and shot at Rob's house, shooting through the windows, curtains, and glass.
I look bullet struck my right arm
The singer looks down and sees a bullet wound in his right arm.
Glass in my left palm I lost my neck charm
The singer finds glass in his left hand and realizes he's lost his necklace.
I knew it was punch 'cause Rob owed him money
The artist knows that Punch, the person he had targeted earlier, shot at Rob's house because Rob owed him money.
But never had it always got new kicks and gear to match it
Rob always buys new clothes and shoes, but never has money to pay back his debts.
I'm in the ambulance I thought that beef was squashed
The singer is being transported to the hospital in an ambulance, thinking that his beef with Punch was resolved.
That's why when he seen Punch he crossed the street and dodged
When the singer saw Punch in the street, he crossed to the other end to avoid any problems.
See Rob's records with the DA and ???
The artist believes that Rob had a criminal record and that it may have played a part in his death.
My records 4.0 GPA going to Harvard
The artist boasts about his good grades and college prospects, which makes his injury even more tragic.
Athletes a hundred miles and running he's a convict
The artist is talented and has a bright future (as an athlete), while Punch has a criminal record and is going nowhere.
Other hand my high school football team I lead in yardage
The singer led his high school football team in yards, showing his athletic ability and potential.
Boys regardless blood pressure dropped artery vessel clogged
Due to his injuries, the artist's blood pressure drops and his arteries are clogged.
Cardiac arrest next my chest was shocked IV
The singer experiences cardiac arrest, and his chest is shocked with an IV.
Oxygen mask bleeding heavily
The singer is given an oxygen mask because he is bleeding heavily.
We need to get to the hospital fast I'm doing 70
The ambulance driver speeds towards the hospital at 70 mph.
Why I gotta be a causality of war did good most my life
The artist wonders why he has to become a victim of violence, when he has done good his whole life.
My career was growing gradually and more
The artist's career prospects were looking good.
Hearing "hold on, you'll be alright, you're gonna make it"
The singer is reassured by medical professionals that he will survive and pull through.
Sirens up ahead construction on the pavement
The ambulance slows down due to construction on the road.
Slowed down from this moment I didn't have a chance
After this moment, the artist has no chance of survival, despite the best efforts of paramedics and medical professionals.
See he didn't have his flash can't believe I died in the traffic jam
The artist realizes that the ambulance could not make it to the hospital in time, and that he is going to die.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jaysonovo4778
Man, masta ace.
This album I prefer to illmatic, GRODT, dmx first 2, and so many others from NY or Westcoast.
This album was amazing in every which way. The production is stellar.
The lyricism and story telling is great, and I love how masta ace is and was intelligent gangster rap
He wasn't here to portray the evil that glorifies the life of a thug, but to tell stories and spread knowledge.
Would've been interesting to see him and Tupac together had Pac not signed to death row and began glorifying gangster life (I love paca death row work still).
It's just refreshing when you hear gangster rap that isn't about selling a bogus lifestyle to the masses, but instead giving a dose of reality.
Masta ace, not cursing every few words. Love it. It's grown man's music, but I started listening as a little kid when his songs were on the first saints row game.
@wowg
This song would blow up if someone made a music video of it using the characters the verses talk about
@earsknott
Ai
@OmarRApido
Let's try to do this video you talking about we probably already did it it's just placed somewhere else in another day i wll let you know
@rapalbumdepot2660
@wowg oh- you mean schlock
@user-ny5dx6wb4q
imagine like the GTA music videos, ts would be tuff
@TonyMoze
I thought the same 📌
@camzillamusick
Disposable Arts is a clever concept album that follows a young Brooklyn man’s release from prison, his return home, and his life at “The Institute of Disposable Arts”, a school in which Ace enrolls after realizing how bad the situation in Brooklyn is. The album offers excellent production and dope wordplay throughout; from Masta Ace himself and guests like Rah Digga, Jean Grae, Greg Nice, Punchline, Wordsworth, and more. Disposable Arts is universally acclaimed by Hip Hop connoisseurs, but the album sold poorly and is definitely underappreciated in that regard. This is
@sleepisthecousinofdeath7395
2:36 easily one of the best verses in HipHop top 20 the way he describes the cardiac arrest with speeding up his cadence and flow is genius.
@sleepisthecousinofdeath7395
This is one of the greatest hiphop songs ever made…
@Seryma86
💯, this is one of the best hip hop albums ever