New Music: Ma$e - 'WhenNYWasNY'

Well, this is a curveball—when you look at the title of Ma$e’s new song “WhenNYWasNY” you could be forgiven for thinking he’s about to drop a throwback ode to the sound of the city during his ’90s heyday. You’d be right, partially—Ma$e’s lyrics seem to pay homage to a different era. However, he’s freestyling over Tupac’s “California Love,” so the title turns out to be a substantial red herring.

In any case, regardless of coastal affiliation, Ma$e is not going gently into that good night—he performed with Diddy during the Bad Boy reunion at the BET Awards in June, and is rumored to be hitting the road with his Bad Boy family on an upcoming tour.

Hear Ma$e put on for his city below.