Masta Ace
Born: 1966
Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Genre: Hip Hop
Years Active: 1988 -
Real Name: Duval Clear
Meaning of the Name:
Way of Working: Rapper and producer
Associated: Juice Crew, Edo G, eMC,
Essential Releases
Slaughtahouse (1993)
Released as Masta Ace Inc. Satirical critique of gangsta rap.
Disposable Arts (2001)
Storytelling record about a rapper who joins a training school for emcees.
A Long Hot
Summer (2004)
Prequel to Disposable Arts. Storytelling record.
It was only when he stopped trying to be accepted that the Brooklyn-based rapper Masta Ace truly found his niche. Until then, he'd made several attempts to become a household name: joining a legendary supergroup (Juice Crew), moving to the West Coast, and, in a moment of desperation, making a few never released tracks in the style of P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records.
Despite having a few catchy singles on constant radio rotation, such as 'Born to Roll', which reached #23 in the US, it never really worked. Of his attempts to sound like the current "big thing" Ace told Forbes: "I kind of cringe at some of the stuff that I did musically. I was doing it because I felt like these were things that needed to be said in order to get people's’ attention, but it’s not who I was as an artist."
Perhaps Ace's desire to rule the radio waves came from launching his career on Marley Marl's iconic single 'The Symphony' in 1988. On the record were fellow Juice Crew members and bona fide superstars of hip hop like Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap. The stage was set for Ace to follow in their footsteps. History, however, had other plans.
Over the following years, the Juice Crew dissolved. To make matters worse, when releasing his debut solo album Ace gave into the label's demands for a commercial, radio-friendly LP against his better judgement. The result? Termination of contract! He was dropped by Cold Chillin' Records after failing to hit sales targets despite doing everything they asked.
Continuing to chase the big time, Ace racked his brain. Form a group? Masta Ace Incorporated lasted four years. Become a producer? His love for the mic pulled him back in. Move out west? Fans on the east questioned his loyalty. On the verge of giving up, he received a life-altering diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2000.
Enough was enough. It was time to show the world what Masta Ace could do. "No talking, nobody saying anything about uptempo songs. I really wanted to make the exact record that I wanted to make." He went into the studio to record one "last" album. As it turned out, it heralded a renaissance for his career.
The resulting Disposable Arts was a masterclass in satirical hip hop for the thinking man. For example, 'Hold U' is on a first listen about a man's love for a woman. However, it's really about a rapper's love for the mic but the mic, in a woman's voice, talks back! Overall, it's a concept album about attending a training school for MC's, featuring scathing, mock advertisements such as: "You can embark on careers such as A&R b***h n***a, shiesty label guy, street promotions vandal or half-assed producer." The record's uncompromising approach struck a chord with the genre's core fans who demanded more. Ace was happy to oblige.
Storytelling became the hallmark of his future albums such as My Long Hot Summer (a prequel to Disposable Arts), Son of Yvonne (where he says everything he didn't get a chance to say to his mother), The Falling Season (about his high school years), and A Breukelen Story (about trying to make it in the big city).
The rapper's ability to conjure characters, share intimate experiences from his personal life, and tell stories in intense detail earned him the lasting respect of fans and high-profile figures in hip hop such as MF Doom, who produced the whole of Son of Yvonne, and Eminem, who wrote in his 2008 autobiography The Way I Am: "Masta Ace had amazing storytelling skills – his thoughts were so vivid."
If you are someone who admires intelligence, authenticity, and storytelling in hip hop then you shouldn't ignore the fertile discography of Masta Ace.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
70
Mental Impact
75
Originality
80
Artistry
55
Authenticity
95
Live
85
Production
85
Musicianship
65
Rapping
85
Songwriting
90
Danceability
60
Fun
55
Consistency
75
Range
55
Cool
70
Charisma
60
