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.
Turn It Up
Masta Ace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, say, turn it up
Turn it up, say, turn it up, turn it up, turn it up
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, turn it up
Turn that system up and pump it all around the town
Keep the levels high so that you can feel my funky sound
Gotta get with my peeps and see what's goin' down tonight
Turn it up, that's my song
They play it every once in a while
Let me hear it, let me feel it
The system's pumpin', that's my style
In my car or on my stereo
I feel the bass all in my soul
It's got my body feeling rather warm
On a Friday, this is how we roll
Yeah, just turn that system up and pump it all around the town
Keep the levels high so that you can feel my funky sound
Gotta get with my peeps and see what's goin' down tonight
Volume can't be low 'cause we need to turn it up just right
At the party, havin' a good time
Playas come from everywhere, run the same old lines
"What's your name and do you have a man?
Don't talk, just dance right now and listen to this jam"
Mr. DJ, let it play
Play what I've been waiting for
There's a party over here, baby
This is what I say when I walk on through that door
Just turn that system up and pump it all around the town
Keep the levels high so that you can feel my funky sound
Gotta get with my peeps and see what's goin' down tonight
Volume can't be low 'cause we need to turn it up just right
Keep it pumpin', ain't that somethin'
Turn it up and feel the pumpin'
I MC is up in here
So throw your hands high in the air
Turn that system up and pump it all around the town
Keep the levels high so that you can feel my funky sound
Gotta get with my peeps and see what's goin' down tonight
Volume can't be low 'cause we need to turn it up just right
Turn that system up and pump it all around the town
Keep the levels high so that you can feel my funky sound
Gotta get with my peeps and see what's goin' down tonight
Volume can't be low 'cause we need to turn it up just right
Turn that system up and pump it all around the town
Keep the levels high so that you can feel my funky sound
Gotta get with my peeps and see what's goin' down tonight
Volume can't be low 'cause we need to turn it up just right
Masta Ace's "Turn It Up" is a song about the power of music to unite people and bring them together in celebration. This theme is reflected in the lyrics, which encourage listeners to pump up the volume and feel the funky vibe of the music. The song begins with a repeated call to "turn it up," setting the stage for a high-energy party anthem. The chorus emphasizes the importance of keeping the levels high so that everyone can feel the music in their soul. The lyrics describe the experience of listening to music on a car stereo or at a party, where people come together to dance and forget their troubles.
The verses of the song focus on different facets of the party experience. The first verse describes the excitement of getting together with friends and checking out the local scene. The second verse takes place at a party, where the DJ plays the song that the singer has been waiting for. Both verses showcase Masta Ace's ability to create vivid scenes with his lyrics, painting a picture of the party atmosphere and the people who are part of it.
Overall, "Turn It Up" is a classic hip-hop track that celebrates the power of music to bring people together. Its catchy chorus, funky beat, and memorable lyrics make it a crowd-pleaser that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Say, turn it up, turn it up, say, turn it up
Encouraging everyone to increase the volume of the music playing
Turn that system up and pump it all around the town
Raise the volume of the sound system and spread the music throughout the area
Keep the levels high so that you can feel my funky sound
Ensure that the sound quality is good enough to fully enjoy the music
Gotta get with my peeps and see what's goin' down tonight
I need to catch up with my friends and find out what events are happening tonight
Volume can't be low 'cause we need to turn it up just right
The volume needs to be at the perfect level to fully enjoy the music
Turn it up, that's my song
This is my favorite song, please raise the volume
They play it every once in a while
This song is not played regularly, so I want to hear it now
Let me hear it, let me feel it
I want to fully experience the music and enjoy it
The system's pumpin', that's my style
I love music with a strong and rhythmic beat
In my car or on my stereo
I enjoy listening to music in different ways
I feel the bass all in my soul
The music is so good that I can feel it deeply within me
It's got my body feeling rather warm
The music is so energetic that it is making me feel excited and physically warm
On a Friday, this is how we roll
This is how we enjoy our Friday nights, with loud music and good vibes
At the party, havin' a good time
Having fun and enjoying the music at a party
Playas come from everywhere, run the same old lines
People trying to impress others with their pickup lines
"What's your name and do you have a man?
Asking for someone's name and if they are in a relationship
Don't talk, just dance right now and listen to this jam"
Let's enjoy the music and dance, no need for small talk
Mr. DJ, let it play
Requesting the DJ to continue playing the music
Play what I've been waiting for
Asking the DJ to play a specific song
There's a party over here, baby
Let's focus on the fun and partying
This is what I say when I walk on through that door
This is my attitude when I enter a party
Keep it pumpin', ain't that somethin'
Keep the music going, isn't it great?
I MC is up in here
I am here as a Master of Ceremonies (rapper)
So throw your hands high in the air
Encouraging everyone to dance and enjoy themselves
Contributed by Isaiah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.