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Mase says he’s "at a loss for words" following the death of O.J. Simpson at the age of 76.
For the unfamiliar, Simpson was a frequent guest on It Is What It Is, hosted by Mase and Cam'ron alongside Treasure "Stat Baby" Wilson. In a new tribute episode on Friday, the hosts, as well as former UFL running back Maurice Clarett, shared their initial reactions to Simpson's death.
"For me, it’s a real surreal moment because I definitely was looking forward to O.J. next season," Mase said around five minutes into the new episode. "I had a lot of great ideas that I was talking with Cam about earlier in the year about other shows that we were gonna do with O.J. Simpson, so this is a real touching moment for me."
According to Mase, Simpson, who was controversially acquitted in 1995 of the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, was "the first name" that came to his mind when he and Cam started putting their podcast together. Once the idea was introduced, he added, the show "went through a great deal" to secure the former Bills star's involvement.
"I’m just at a loss for words right now," Mase said. "I need a moment to get all my thoughts together but I have a lot I want to share and I wanna make it sure it comes from the right place. Pause."
Mase then turned things over to Cam, who added a bit more on the backstory of Simpson’s work on the show. Cam also argued that Simpson was "probably" one of the top 3 football analysts this season "because he didn’t only have personality, but he really knew the game."
According to Cam, he and Simpson, who was found liable for Brown and Goldman's deaths in civil suits, also spent time together outside the confines of the podcast.
"I just wanna say it was great working with O.J.," Cam added. "He’ll truly be missed and I love him like a real, real uncle so I’m really sorry this happened. At the end of the day, I’m glad that we did get to spend the last few months with him."
Thursday, Simpson's family announced his death one day earlier following a battle with cancer.
"On April 10, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer," the family said. "He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace."
In December, Cam defended the decision to have Simpson on It Is What It Is.
"Look, if he was guilty we wouldn’t have him on the show," he told Zion Olojede in an interview with Complex. "Y’all want to keep convicting an innocent man. He’s innocent. If it was somebody else whiter, y’all would say 'oh he’s innocent.’"
Shortly after this week's news, Ron's father, Fred Goldman, told People that Simpson's death was "nothing more than" a reminder of how long his son and Nicole Brown have been gone.
"That is the only thing that is important today," he said.
