"Welcome Back" wasn't just a single. It was a handshake between Mase the rapper and Pastor Mason Betha—an agreement that, sometimes, you can go home again.

Then, at 24 years old, he walked away. Citing a spiritual awakening, Mase retired from rap to become a pastor. For five years, the industry moved on—but the void remained.

An essential 2000s throwback that lives on in playlists dedicated to nostalgia, summer vibes, and the art of the graceful (if complicated) encore.