It's a little ironic that
Mase, who made his reputation as a guest rapper on records by
Puff Daddy and
the Notorious B.I.G., almost seems like a guest himself on his debut album,
Harlem World. Like many big-budget hip-hop records,
Harlem World is nearly a various-artists collection, featuring an array of different producers and guest rappers that often obscure
Mase himself. Still, all that talent guarantees that the record will be well crafted, and that certainly is true. With Sean "Puffy" Combs and
Jermaine Dupri behind the decks for much of the album,
Harlem World has a dense, funky sound that is up-tempo party rap at its best. Like any late-'90s hip-hop record, it's a little too long for its own good, but the singles, such as the bouncy "Feel So Good," make it worthwhile. It still would have been nice to hear more of
Mase on his own album, though. ~ Leo Stanley