Howard Mason

Howard "Pappy" Mason (born September 8, 1959) is an American drug trafficker and organized crime figure. Mason and his partner, Lorenzo "Fat Cat" Nichols, ran a drug smuggling gang called the Bebos,[1] in the Jamaica, Queens neighborhood of New York City. The gang sold drugs and netted as much as $200,000 per month in profit.

Howard Mason
Born (1959-09-08) September 8, 1959
NationalityAmerican
Other namesPappy
OccupationDrug trafficker, organized crime figure
Known forMurder of Edward Byrne
Criminal statusIncarcerated
AllegianceThe Bebos
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Details
VictimsEdward Byrne

Murder of Edward Byrne

From behind bars on gun charges, Mason ordered the 1988 murder of a police officer, Edward Byrne, which led to increased law enforcement attention and Mason's eventual arrest and conviction on various charges. A month after the killing, Mason was sentenced to seven years in prison on gun charges.

The federal government continued to investigate Mason for the Byrne killing. On December 11, 1989, Mason was convicted on federal charges including the murder of Officer Byrne. After four years of legal wrangling, including questions of Mason's mental competency, he was given a life sentence in 1994.[2] Mason began serving his life sentence at ADX Florence supermax facility, in Florence, Colorado and was subsequently transferred to USP Allenwood.[3]

In 1990, Mason's mother was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking. She was released in 1998.

Music

Rapper Cormega references Mason in the song Therapy, "I rep NYC with no kingly aspiration, my feet stand on pavement once felt by Pappy Mason".

Nas mentions Mason in several albums, including:

  • His debut album Illmatic (1994). In the single "The World Is Yours", Nas rhymes: "The mind activation, react like I'm facing time like 'Pappy' Mason with pens I'm embracing."[4]
  • In his album God's Son (2002). In the single "Get Down", Nas rhymes: "New York streets where killers'll walk like Pistol Pete And 'Pappy' Mason, gave the young boys admiration."
  • In his album Street's Disciple (2004), in the single, "Just A Moment".

50 Cent brings up Mason in multiple songs:

Mason is referenced in Jay-Z & R. Kelly's Best of Both Worlds Album, on track 1: " The combination of Pappy Mason and Larry Davis, Martin and Malcolm this is bigger than the Album."

He is mentioned in a single "Bomba" (translated in English as "Bomb") by the Serbian rapper Struka, who rhymes: "If hip-hop was horror movie I would be Jason, legend in hood like in Queens Pappy Mason" (translated to English from the original: "...Da je hip hop horor film ja bih bio Džejson, Legenda u kraju k'o u Kvinsu Pepi Mejson").

He is mentioned by Booba, a French rapper living in Miami, in the song "Call of bitume" featuring Rim-K, another French rapper. "RG (French private espionage agency) are stalking me anywhere I am from Miami to Corbeil-Essonnes, no more surprised, I'm determinated like Pappy Mason".

On October 19, 2012, XV released his anticipated mixtape Squarians Vol. 1. On the song "A Situation", Mason is also mentioned: "I'm in the lane with a dime that I'm penetrating, and her cat is real fat, yeah, Pappy Mason."

He is referenced by Kendrick Lamar in his 2013 BET Cypher verse.

Television

In the Luke Cage episode "Manifest", Shades mentions that Mason and former Mayor David Dinkins were acquaintances of "Momma" Mabel Stokes'.

References
  1. Buder, Leonard (December 12, 1989). "Dealer Guilty Of Ordering Officer Killed". The New York Times. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  2. Fried, Joseph P. (January 9, 1994). "Drug Dealer Is Sentenced to Life For Ordering Killing of Officer". The New York Times. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  3. "Find An Inmate: HOWARD MASON, Register Number: 24651-053". Federal Bureau of Prisons.
  4. Nas (1994). "The World Is Yours". Illmatic. Columbia Records. Track #4 (0:38-0:43).
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