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.
Hold U
Masta Ace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Masta Ace]
I will never forget the day that we first met
I wasn't even feelin you then but worse yet
I was all up in the mix with one of your friends
and when you seen us you would always give me one of your grins
like if I only knew what I was missin
I really thought you and my man was a better match
I never thought you was the type that I could catch
I used to see you out in the park with different cats
them big willie types that rocked them pimp hats
had every other guy on the block trying to get you
wishing that they had that rap to get with you
felt you was out of my league
its like if you was silk and linen then I was fatigue
I never would have pictured you and me together
but its like the way I hold you we was meant to be together
come on.
[Chorus]
[It's the way I hold you (x8)]
The way I hold you it feels so good (yeah)
I don't ever wanna let you go(a-ha)
can't see you with nobody else, (no)
I just really had to let you know,(yeah)
It's the way I hold you
It's the way I hold you
It's the way I hold you
[Masta Ace]
Now I spend most of my time just being with you
early on I was afraid to be seen with you
cuz I knew cats would do anything they could
to stop us from being together, its all good
they was mad cuz I got you and they didn't
some even tried to approach me I'm not kidding
had to be ten times I got into a fight
with niggas tried to say I wasn't hitting it right -
They kept on hating just kept on waiting
hoping that we'd break up but we kept dating
never knew it would be so hard to be with you
I should make it easy on my self and just quit you.
[Make it easy on myself x2)
I need to make it easy on my self
Yup, I need to make it easy on my self
Yup, I need to make it easy on my self
and just leave you alone
No Wait! When I hold you if feels so great
I realize and recognize that you're my soul mate
Its us forever had to let you know
its like I told you imma hold you never let you go
come on.
[Chorus]
[Jean Grae]
One-Two check it
you should have known from way back I tried to amp you
try to speak on your skillz when other niggas felt me
but you know that if you wasn't with me they can't even hear you right
and if you try to snatch me up it'd probably turn into a fight
I been through my phases with cats and shakes
I know you seen me chillin' with fake players
who tried to grab me in the club and dance with me on the stage in gators
they say you just hatin
-you jealous of the money that they're makin
Peep stripper broads, thugs in golds and punks
Cats would front, get me high with all the smoke from the blunts
its not love its just lust
they always put me down when shit gets rough,
I can't do it alone, I need someone to hold me right tell me their feelings
speak on us to they boys, that's why we dealin
niggas startin rumors like we ain't chilling or split up
when you've been writing poems for me just to shut they lip up
and there's still cats who try to touch me when they spot me alone
try to tap me just to see if im turned on
but it's the way you speak to me
its like we on the same frequency
and when you hold me, you make peak
come on
[Chorus]
The song "Hold U" by Masta Ace featuring Jean Grae depicts a story of a man who falls in love with a woman he never thought he could have. At the beginning of the song, Masta Ace reflects on the day he met the woman and how he didn't think she was interested in him. However, as time went on, he realized that they were meant to be together. They faced many obstacles, such as disapproving friends and jealous suitors, but the man knew he had found his soulmate and was willing to fight for her.
Jean Grae's verse in the song highlights the woman's perspective on their relationship. She explains that she had been with other men who didn't treat her right, but the man in the song speaks to her in a way that makes her feel understood and loved. She knows that some people may try to break them apart, but the man's words and actions show her that their love is real.
Overall, "Hold U" is a love song that tells a story of two people who found each other against the odds and are willing to hold on to their love no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
I will never forget the day that we first met
This is a memory that is cemented in my mind forever.
I wasn't even feelin you then but worse yet
Even worse than not being interested in you, I was involved with one of your friends.
I was all up in the mix with one of your friends
I was caught up in a situation with one of your friends.
and when you seen us you would always give me one of your grins
You saw me with your friend and still had a positive attitude towards me.
like if I only knew what I was missin
You knew that there was a connection between us that I was missing out on.
I would quit kissing on this chick and change my position
I would have ended things with the friend sooner and pursued something with you instead.
I never thought you was the type that I could catch
I didn't think we were a good match, or that you would be interested in me.
felt you was out of my league
I saw you as being unattainable, like you were too good for me.
its like if you was silk and linen then I was fatigue
Comparing yourself to silk and linen, you thought that I was of a higher quality and that you were 'fatigue', or unremarkable.
early on I was afraid to be seen with you
In the beginning, I was concerned about what other people would think if they saw us together.
cuz I knew cats would do anything they could
I was aware that people around us wouldn't approve of our relationship.
to stop us from being together, its all good
No matter how hard they tried, we were meant to be together and nothing could stop us.
Peep stripper broads, thugs in golds and punks
I've seen many people try to get with me, including strippers and thugs.
its not love its just lust
Those people just wanted to be with me for physical reasons, not because of love.
but it's the way you speak to me
Out of everyone, you are the one who speaks to me in a way that resonates with me.
and when you hold me, you make peak
When you embrace me, you elevate me to the highest level.
you jealous of the money that they're makin
People are jealous of us because we have something special, unlike those who only want me for my money.
I can't do it alone, I need someone to hold me right tell me their feelings
I need someone like you to support me and share their emotions with me.
Lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LAMONT DORRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Rezzworks
+AYYY LMAO The personification (through which is still debated to this day) is not what I was referring to. I'm speaking of the lyricism and flow. Not the meaning.
It's sloppy. (I am referring to Jean's verse only)
(Let's get on the same page real quick) - Usually, a bar consists of 2 lines or two 4-counts of the beat, and I've counted 11 bars., which equals 22 lines.
So if you're still following, this is what I'm referring to...
The first bar has absolutely no rhyme at all. Then, the beginning of the 3rd bar, where she says, "I been through my phases with cats and shakes" - she doesn't follow up this bar with an ending rhyme. In fact, the second half of the 3rd bar, she just gets off track and switches the whole rhyme scheme (fake players), completely abandoning the original scheme.
She picks it back up in the 5th bar (Peep stripper broads, thugs in golds and punks).
Basically, you should be able to take a verse, split each bar into 2 lines, and each bar should make sense. Each line might not necessarily rhyme with each other, but the bar should stay in tact and make sense and flow evenly with the track. Use the lyrics above and break it down. See how Ace's flow is even with the track? Simple way to tell is by looking at the last words of Ace's verses. It makes sense. They coincide. But when you look at the last words of Jean's verse, it gets off track. As stated, she does pick it back up, but the rest of the verse is just off.
Damn, I just realized I wrote a fucking novel. Sorry to be so technical, but I hope you're seeing my point.
@commercialconcepts2198
It’s 2021 and Masta Ace is still king. I’ve had the privilege of seeing him live twice.
@renevb196
He is one of the best storytellers in the hiphop game. I am not that great in the english language, and i understand the whole album without blowing my brain up. That is art!
@AjAj-jn9do
Wow I haven't heard this for over 10 years where has the time gone 😕
@buckwyld5921
Super creative artists !!! Keep on blessing the masses please !!!
@tirzhagielen3424
still listening!15 years laterr
@illmarcel7702
same here !
@g.h.wright5333
Yes Tirza!!Yes!!!Queen!!!!!!
@diggaz2006
Aquí en cuarentena desde 🇨🇱✊🏻
@gloriamaedi9662
2018 I'm still listening to this real hip hop!
@njabulomagwaza8796
One of the best albums , who's still listening 2019