Hip-hop star MASE believes FABOLOUS' style is so similar to his own, he once thought he was listening to himself when he heard the young rapper on a track.

Mase, real name MASON BETHA, recently returned to the music business after a five-year absence where he turned his back on hip-hop and became an ordained minister.

And during his absence, Mase admits he heard one of Fabolous' early tracks and was stunned by the similar-sounding vocals.

He says, "This is no disrespect to Fabolous, (but) when I heard him for the first time I said, 'Man, where'd they get that verse from?' And I'm not that type of dude that takes cheap shots no more. That's not what I'm trying to do.

"I used to smoke a lot, never remember anything. So when I hard him (on Lil' Mo's SUPERWOMAN), I was actually thinking, 'Yo, that is a crazy verse. When did I do that?'"

17/08/2004 09:00