Rapper Mase calls out Diddy for 'extremely unfair' business practices

At the Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala, winner of the Industry Icon award Sean "Diddy" Combs had a message to deliver: The industry needs to get its act together in terms of diversity.

But just days after he honored Combs at the gala, rapper Mase, born Mason Durell Betha, took to Instagram to make a statement of his own, criticizing the Bad Boy Records founder.

At the Jan. 25 gala, Combs gave a lengthy speech. "I'm being honored by the industry that I love, the family that I love, but there's an elephant in the room and it's not just about the Grammys," Combs said at the Jan. 25 gala. "There's discrimination and injustice everywhere."

Combs said artists needed to take back control — there is a need for transparency and diversity.

In the caption of his post, Mase wrote that he would be the first to "take that initiative" Combs had spoken about, going on to criticize Combs for his own business practices.

"I heard u loud and clear when u said that u are now for the artist and to that my response is if u want to see change you can make a change today by starting with yourself," he wrote.

Mase, who recorded with Bad Boy, continued on to accuse Combs of ripping artists off who signed with his label.

"Your past business practices knowingly has continued purposely starved your artist and been extremely unfair to the very same artist that helped u obtain that Icon Award on the iconic Badboy label."

At the gala, Combs sharply criticized the Grammy Awards for snubbing rap and R&B stars in its major categories. While Combs was being honored, he received an all-star tribute from artists he’s worked with, including Mase, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and Carl Thomas.

In his speech, Combs demanded change from the Grammys within the year.

“So I say this with love to the Grammys, because you really need to know this, every year y’all be killing us man. Man, I’m talking about the pain. I’m speaking for all these artists here, the producers, the executives,” he said. “The amount of time it takes to make these records, to pour your heart into it, and you just want an even playing field.”

In his post, Mase wrote that Combs was underpaying him for song publishing from his early days as a Bad Boy artist. Combs still had his publishing rights from 24 years prior — which Mase was paid $20,000 for — he claimed.

Mase added that it makes him never want to work with Combs again, "any artist wouldn’t after u know someone is robbing you & tarnishing your name when u don’t want to comply w/ his horrendous business model."

“This is not black excellence at all,” Mase added. “When our own race is enslaving us. If it’s about us owning, it can’t be about us owning each other.”

Mase is responsible for some of Bad Boy’s biggest hits, including “Feels So Good” and “Mo Money Mo Problems,” a Notorious B.I.G. song that featured Combs and Mase.

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Contributing: David Oliver, The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy, Mase drama: Rapper calls out icon for publishing practices