| "Welcome Back" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Mase | ||||
| from the album Welcome Back | ||||
| B-side | "Breathe, Stretch, Shake" | |||
| Released | June 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 2004 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 4:22 (album version) 3:45 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | John Sebastian | |||
| Producer(s) | The Movement | |||
| Mase singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Welcome Back" on YouTube | ||||
"Welcome Back" is a song by American rapper Mase. It was released by Bad Boy Records and Universal Records as the first single off Mase's third album of the same name. This was the first single that Mase had released since 1999's "Get Ready", after he had taken a five-year hiatus from the music industry.
"Welcome Back" garnered positive reception from critics who praised its catchy sample taken from "Welcome Back", John Sebastian's theme to the 1970s television show Welcome Back, Kotter. Mase's song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and number 32 on the Hot 100 chart. It also reached number 17 on both the Hot Rap Songs and Rhythmic charts respectively. The song has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over 500,000 units in America. "Welcome Back" also reached the top 40 in countries like New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Chris Robinson, parodies the opening to the children's show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.