Matt Diehl from Entertainment Weekly said of the album: "Known for his funkified cameos on hits by Mariah Carey, Notorious B.I.G., and mentor Puff Daddy, rap’s newest bad boy Mase more than holds his own on his solo debut Harlem World. Like Puff Daddy, he laces hardcore raps with pop hooks and drops Big Willie boasts on cuts like 'Do You Wanna Get $'; his distinctive marble-mouthed drawl, however, creates a regular-guy persona all too rare in hip-hop."[6]AllMusic editor Leo Stanley wrote, "like many big-budget hip-hop records, Harlem World is nearly a various-artists collection, featuring an array of different producers and guest rappers that often obscure Mase himself. Still, all that talent guarantees that the record will be well crafted, and that certainly is true. With Combs and Dupri behind the decks for much of the album, Harlem World has a dense, funky sound that is up-tempo party rap at its best."[4]
Los Angeles Times critic Cheo Hodari Coker wrote that on Harlem World "Mase is consistently mellow and confident, relying on simplicity but also displaying moments of stunning insight and poignancy [...] With Harlem World, which features production from a host of hot studio hands, Mase manages to display commercial sensibilities without selling out, and he’s also able to poke fun at his own image when the time is right. For Mase, mo money seems like no problem."[7] Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork called the album "larger than life. Mase had a buttery touch when in his groove, as if having an out-of-body experience watching himself churn out hits. His flows were as silky, or as plush, or as golden as the material world furnishing his songs. He made the realm of luxury feel quaint."[8]Robert Christgau called Harlem World a "hugely appealing, moderately disturbing piece of pop."[5]
Commercial performance
Harlem World debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the week of November 15, 1997, selling nearly 273,000 copies in its first week.[12] It was certified both Gold and Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 2, 1997.[13] It reached 2× Platinum status two weeks later, 3× Platinum status in July 1999, and 4× Platinum status in October 1999.[13] With 3.3 million units sold, the album remains Mase’s biggest-selling to date.[14]
"24 Hrs. to Live" contains excerpts from "Moses Theme", written by LeRoy Bell, Thom Bell, Jack Robinson, and Casey James. It also contains samples from "Magic Wanda", performed by Frankie Bleu.
