With this week's arrival of his Real Talk mixtape, R&B singer Dez gives SOHH the inside scoop on how he managed to get elusive rap veteran Ma$e for their "Can't Get Enough" collaboration.
According to Dez, the unexpected joint effort came courtesy of a relationship Mason Betha had with his producers.
“I was working on the mixtape one day and Ma$e walked in. My producers did that track “Welcome Back” for him so they knew each other,” Dez told SOHH. “They played him the mixtape and he really liked ‘Can’t Get Enough’ so we asked if he wanted to rap on it and he gave us an incredible sixteen [bars]. To have Ma$e on my first mixtape is humbling and the bar has been set for what to expect from my music now.” (SOHH)
The new 14-track offering arrived on the mixtape circuit Wednesday (November 28).
R&B newcomer Dez knows how to make a first impression. The Virginia-bred singer, born Dezmond Armstead, caters to the ladies on his debut mixtape Real Talk. The 14 tracks feature the single “We Ride,” along with an appearance from Ma$e (“Can’t Get Enough”). Inspired by Usher and Bobby Brown, Dez moved to Los Angeles after high school and linked up with production duo The Movement (Justin Bieber, Jesse McCartney), who helmed the project. (Rap-Up)
Ma$e made headlines a few days ago when Bad Boy’s French Montana told rap fans to expect a joint collabo from them in the near future.
“Ma$e [is on my new project]. Defintely shout-out to Ma$e, he’s on there. [I’m keeping Ma$e working] Yeah, that’s good. I just like working with my peoples, man,” Montana told DJ Drama. “[Would he ever re-sign with Bad Boy?] Of course. Yeah, it’s got to be up to him. Ma$e is Ma$e. He still looks like he’s 19.” (Shade 45)
Having graced tracks with Dez and Montana, the Harlem rapper promised to keep the music spotlight on him earlier this year.
“Flex, let me tell you something before I go, though,” Ma$e said, “I can only do music if I can do it the way I can do it. That’s what be making me stop. I don’t want to do music in a box. Like everybody say what I can’t do and he can’t say this, but if you need me to come do something for you, I’ve gotta be able to come to that event. So I’m taking all the limitations off. They gonna have to pray for me. I regret not giving myself room for growth. That’s what I regret. I went so hard left that I didn’t really leave no room to be an individual, a human being. … I still put God over music any day. I just didn’t give myself room to grow. I went from one extreme to another extreme.” (“The Funkmaster Flex Show”)
Check out “Can’t Get Enough”: