Mase

When BCD's edition of 10 Years of Hate: G-Unit Radio, Pt. 16 hit the record stores in the spring of 2007, the oddball Mase and G-Unit team-up that began in 2005 had not produced much. There was 50 Cent and Mase hanging in the "Window Shopper" video, Mase made an appearance on the Get Rich or Die Tryin' soundtrack, and there was the original, underground edition of this DJ Whookid mixtape. The original came with completely different artwork -- provocatively playing up the subtitle "Crucified 4 the Hood" -- and two tracks now missing -- Mase's "Gotta Survive" from his Welcome Back album and 50's closing "Best Friend" which explains why track 22 is dubbed "interlude" instead of "outro." BCD's sloppiness is also evident in the way "Gotta Survive" is so poorly edited out, but the rest of the mix is left untouched, retaining that exciting pace most G-Unit Radio volumes practice where hook quickly follows hook and the occasional gun-toting interlude offers grim comic relief. Highlights include the theatrical title cut, the G-Funk flavored "Goin Back to Harlem," the "Window Shopper" remix, and "Got My Nine" which finds this sometimes minister delivering the very G-Unit "I got my nine, nine, nine..../Who wanna die, die, die...." over the main loop from Three 6 Mafia's "Stay Fly." Speaking of Mase's clergyman status, DJ Rukiz's mixtape Minister to Sinister has the better title but this one has the G-Unit tracks. While it's interesting to hear this once squeaky-clean rapper from Diddy's camp kick it with the thugs and not embarrass himself, there are too many freestyles, flippant moments, and general G-foolery to recommend this to the casual hip-hop fan. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide