He's used to doing his preaching from a pulpit but former Bad Boy rapper Mase is taking his teachings to Instagram. It's been a while since gave us new music after turning his life over to religion, but that doesn't mean he doesn't still have the street cred from his younger days. Gang and street life permeates the Rap industry and urban communities overall, and Mase surfaced with a message to Black men.
"I know what I’m about to say is unpopular but it still needs to be said," Mase began. "The weakest thing a black man can do today is join a street gang."
Gang influences across the globe have been closely studied and dissected, and it's clear that they offer a sense of unity that some gang members don't have at home. However, Mase argues that those people that you believe will be by your side, in the long run, will, in the end, only be concerned with their own well-being.
"The person who you’re riding for today ends up getting a bag to kill you or sending you to jail," said Mase. "Think about it what type of person would ask you to hurt your own people and take an oath to be there for your gang only to end up not being there for your children and family. I NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT. Maybe that’s why I NEVER THOUGHT PEOPLE IN GANGS WERE TOUGH! If you’re thinking about becoming one don’t! I RESPECT A MAN THAT CAN STAND ON HIS OWN."
Check out Mase's post below and let us know what you think about his message.