Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Masta Ace. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Masta, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I believe i get my work ethic from my mother firstly. She taught me responsibility and accountability at a young age. It was just she and I living in a two bedroom shotgun apartment in Flatbush, Brooklyn. I had certain jobs around the house from the time I was 14. Taking out the garbage, washing dishes and cleaning the bathroom once a week along with keeping my room straightened up were my “jobs”. These weren’t incentive based jobs, meaning I wasn’t given anything in return. I mean I started getting a little allowance at 15 but that was never directly tied to my responsibilities around the house. The other person who impacted my work ethic was my high school football coach, Dick Reilly. I learned very early in life what hard work looked and felt like. He taught us that working hard would give us the best opportunity for success. There was no room for complaining. We worked ourselves to the brink of physical collapse and while it was difficult, I learned that I was capable of blocking out any thoughts of quitting and stayed focused on the final result of the work, which was victory.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’ve been a song writer and recording artist for over 30 years. I’ve released 14 studio albums and have performed in over 65 countries worldwide. Through my music I have been able to impact people’s lives in parts of the world i never thought I would get to visit in person. My interest in writing has always gone beyond music. I’ve always had aspirations to write for TV, movies and beyond….. In fact, most recently I have written a hip hop based musical for theater!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three things i think have been the most impactful on my journey have been: -Focus. Being able to focus is a skill. Being able to lock in on what Im trying to accomplish over the course of a long period of time and avoiding distractions along the way. Albums can take a year or more to complete. My musical took six years to write and in year seven I am still tweaking it. Without focus these projects never get completed.
-Humility. Being humble and grounded has allowed me to attract the right energy into my life. If you’ve put in the work, your work will speak for itself.
-Be willing to learn! Some people believe because they’ve had some level of success, they know all they need to know. In this age of technology, there’s always something new to learn. When you show up with the mentality of a sponge, you will continue to soak up crucial information that will help you continue to grow!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I rarely feel overwhelmed because I’m always preparing my mind for the possibility that things could get challenging along the way. I’ve taught myself to anticipate any and all scenarios that could arise. I am already calculating my response to the potential challenges long before they occur so that way Im never caught off guard. Being mentally prepared eliminates the risk of being overwhelmed
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mastaace.com
- Instagram: @mastaacepics
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/mastaaceofficial?refsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&_rdr
- Twitter: @MastaAce
- Other: https://linktr.ee/mastaace https://v.cameo.com/e/drofHJpOxIb
Image Credits
