Sometimes you have to send the wolves. Mase just added another chapter to one of hip hop’s most talked-about music business sagas. During a recent episode of It Is What It Is, he revealed that he once sent Cam’ron to confront Diddy over his long-disputed publishing rights.
Here’s a quick understanding of music publishing …
Music publishing rights, often referred to as “publishing rights,” are the legal rights related to the use of a musical composition (the song’s melody and lyrics). These rights grant songwriters and composers control over how their music is used and distributed, ensuring they receive royalties when their songs are performed, recorded, or licensed for use in media like film, TV, or advertising.
In a moment of reflection on the show, Mase asked Cam’ron to recall what happened when he and Diddy were together on a boat. Cam didn’t hold back as he walked through the behind-the-scenes moves that went down when Diddy expressed interest in acquiring their show.
“Word to everything I love you said, tell the na I want my publishing,” said Cam. “Puff wanted to make an offer for It Is What It Is and you told me to go see how much he was talking about… Then when I tell the na I’m on the boat, he pull up on his boat, ‘Listen, what’s the business, what’s happening,’ this that and the third […] but you sent me to do something and I did it and that was that. Got your publishing back, though; I ain’t taking credit or nothing.”
The publishing dispute between Mase and Diddy has spanned decades. Wild to think about that. Mase has previously claimed that Diddy once offered him just $20,000 for publishing rights that went on to generate millions for Bad Boy Records. Over the years, Mase called out Diddy for speaking publicly about uplifting Black artists while allegedly profiting at their expense behind closed doors.