A DARK RUMOR REAWAKENED

Twenty-eight years after the tragic death of Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G., the hip-hop world still wrestles with unanswered questions about who was responsible. In recent months, an explosive and unsubstantiated claim has resurfaced across social media platforms: that Mase, a fellow Bad Boy Records artist, may have “let Biggie get executed” in order to advance his own career within the label.

While this theory reads like the plot of a conspiracy thriller, it has sparked real debates online and even drawn responses from individuals close to the scene. So how did this idea gain traction? What does the actual evidence say? And why do these conspiracies keep resurfacing nearly three decades after the crime?

BACKGROUND – BIGGIE’S MURDER AND THE CHAOS THAT FOLLOWED

On March 9, 1997, Biggie Smalls was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles after leaving a party hosted by VIBE magazine. He was 24 years old. The murder occurred just six months after Tupac Shakur was killed in a similar manner. Both cases remain unsolved.

Bad Boy Records, led by Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, was in mourning—and in crisis. Biggie had been the label’s crown jewel. His death left a vacuum.

In the immediate aftermath, several artists, including Mase, rose to prominence. With Biggie gone, Mase became the face of Bad Boy almost overnight, taking on major guest features and releasing a hit debut album, Harlem World, in 1997.

This rapid ascent is at the heart of the conspiracy.

 THE ACCUSATION – WHAT IS BEING SAID?

The central claim, mainly perpetuated throughYouTube channels, TikTok videos, and Reddit threads, suggests:

Mase knew something was going to happen to Biggie… and didn’t stop it, because it cleared his path to become Bad Boy’s next star.”

Some versions go further, accusing Mase of actively cooperating with enemies or deliberately avoiding being present to distance himself from the murder.

The theory gained traction in 2020 whenGene Deal, a former bodyguard for Puff Daddy, hinted in interviews that certain Bad Boy members were suspiciously uninvolved or missing during critical moments. While Deal never outright accused Mase of murder, his commentary was vague enough to fuel speculation.

 MA$E SPEAKS – HIS ACCOUNT OF THAT NIGHT

In interviews over the years, Mase has consistently denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of a plot. In fact, he described the night Biggie was killed as one of the most terrifying moments of his life.

In a 2023 podcast appearance, Mase recalled:

After Big passed, I got trapped in my hotel room by Bloods. I thought I was next. I was scared for my life.”

He claimed that Gene Deal himself helped rescue him, allowing him to leave Los Angeles alive. This account actually paints Mase as a potential target, not a conspirator.

Interestingly, Deal later contested some parts of Mase’s story, but not the claim that he helped him escape danger.

THE CAREER RISE – COINCIDENCE OR OPPORTUNITY?

After Biggie’s death, Mase quickly rose to fame. His collaborations on tracks like “Mo Money Mo Problems” (recorded before Biggie’s death) and “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” cemented him as Bad Boy’s new frontman.

His debut album went4× Platinum, and his image—clean-cut, flashy, smooth—became the new face of hip-hop for a mainstream audience. This pivot benefited the label immensely, especially as Puff Daddy also transformed into a leading artist in his own right.

To conspiracy theorists, the timing was too perfect. To music industry insiders, it was simply strategic positioning in the wake of tragedy.

Labels don’t stop after a star dies—they reposition,” said music historian Mark Anthony Neal in an interview about Bad Boy’s post-Biggie era. “Mase filled the space, but that doesn’t mean he created it.”

 NO EVIDENCE, JUST SUSPICION

To date, there is zero evidence tying Mase to Biggie’s death:

No mention in LAPD or FBI files.

No credible witnesses.

No legal proceedings.

No insiders pointing to Mase with specifics.

What we have instead is rumor, speculation, and connect-the-dots commentary often based on timing and career movement. The conspiracy relies more on emotional logic than fact.

One Redditor summarized it perfectly:

We’re uncomfortable with how fast Mase got big after Big died. But that doesn’t make him guilty.”

 WHY DO PEOPLE BELIEVE IT?

There are several psychological and cultural reasons why this rumor refuses to die:

Biggie’s case remains unsolved.

Without closure, people look for suspects—especially ones who benefited in the aftermath.

Mase left hip-hop suddenly.

In 1999, at the height of his fame, Mase retired to become a pastor. Fans still speculate whether he was escaping guilt, threats, or deeper secrets.

Mase and Bad Boy had tensions later.

Public feuds between Mase and Puff Daddy in later years (over money and control) have led fans to retroactively interpret past loyalty as a front.

It fits a classic betrayal narrative.

Hip-hop, like any storytelling culture, gravitates toward Shakespearean drama: betrayal, ambition, and power shifts.

 LEGAL AND CULTURAL DANGERS OF FALSE ACCUSATIONS

Labeling someone complicit in murder without evidence is not only irresponsible—it’s dangerous. Mase, who is still active in media and music, has never been officially linked to any criminal activity regarding Biggie’s murder.

In the words of media watchdog Tara Young:

Social media has blurred the lines between theory and libel. Speculation without evidence can ruin reputations—sometimes irreversibly.”

If this rumor continues to spread, Mase could pursue legal action against platforms or individuals repeating it as fact.

WHAT DO PEOPLE CLOSE TO BIGGIE THINK?

Publicly, Biggie’s family has not supported the theory. His mother, Voletta Wallace, has repeatedly called for justice but never accused anyone from Bad Boy.

In fact, most investigative attention has focused on LAPD corruption,gang retaliation, and even private security cover-ups. Mase has never been a person of interest.

CONCLUSION: A SHADOW WITH NO SUBSTANCE

The idea that Mase “let Biggie get executed” to take over Bad Boy is a powerful narrative—but a fictional one. It’s built not on facts, but on emotional coincidence and internet speculation.

Still, the conspiracy speaks volumes about how unresolved trauma and unsolved cases in hip-hop history fuel endless cycles of blame and curiosity.

Until Biggie’s murder is officially solved—and if it ever is—figures like Mase may continue to live under the shadow of suspicion, fair or not.