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Media — write-ups and field notes on MASTO from Public Records

Notes on MASTO, straight from the label desk. No middleman. Updated 15 Sep 2026

FIELD NOTES — SEP 2026

New York, September 2026: Fashion Week and Engine Room Audio

MASTO spent Fashion Week in New York, September 9 through 12, 2026. He was seen out at the week with GLU. Athletics, and the rest of the trip was studio. Sessions with Gr!m, the artist also known as mani, who has put out three singles since June: Stuck in My Ways, I KNOW with Jay Rico, and HOME. A few other names stay off the page for now. Somewhere in there he was seen at Engine Room Audio, 42 Broadway, twenty-two floors up in the Financial District.

Some context on the room, because it matters. Mark B. Christensen opened Engine Room in 1996 out of a lower Manhattan loft. It's a tracking, mixing and mastering house now, and the wall runs deep: SZA's Ctrl was recorded and mastered there. Pop Smoke and Raekwon came through for mastering. The newer Bronx wave, Kay Flock and 41 (Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, TaTa), sits on the same discography. Two Grammy-winning albums, thirty-plus Billboard top-ten hits, around fifty gold and platinum credits. And on the wall, a plaque for Lil Tecca's “Ransom.” If you know MASTO, you know what that record means to him. A kid from South Minneapolis who came up on New York melodies, standing in the building with the plaque. That's the photo we didn't take.

What came out of the week stays in the vault for now.

— PUBLIC RECORDS©, LABEL DESK
THE CIRCLE — SEP 2026

The vax record: FORGIVE N FORGET (feat. vax), out September 12, 2026

“FORGIVE N FORGET” featuring vax is out as of September 12, 2026. The 17-year-old rapper-producer out of West Palm Beach has had a year: the Blue Dawn album in April, Steeze over the summer, the B4VXN EP on September 8, and a full-length called Vaxination already being teased for 2027. He sits around 143,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and his records with slayr and sevenk keep pulling the rage and digicore crowd his way. Different lane than MASTO, which is the point. Hear it on Spotify →

— PUBLIC RECORDS©, LABEL DESK
SCENE — SEP 2026

Rumor has it: what MASTO did in New York, and the unconfirmed On The Radar sighting

Everyone keeps asking what MASTO actually did in New York. Here's the part we can print: rumor has it he was seen at On The Radar, the Gabe P-run New York platform where freestyles get filmed in front of that neon sign. We haven't confirmed it. MASTO hasn't either. Draw your own conclusions and keep an eye on the channel.

— PUBLIC RECORDS©, LABEL DESK
IN PRINT — DEC 2025 → AUG 2026

Press: Wishe Music interview, Cry808 on CLOSER, On The Scene NY and Creative Executive Lens on HABITS, SWAGDEM's Who is Masto video

Wishe Music got there first: Jason Montes sat MASTO down for “MASTO: A Life Like a Movie” on December 22, 2025, “the Minnesota artist dedicated to showcasing his state through innovative music inspired by the Yachty and Tecca era.” Then Cry808. Jamal K on “CLOSER,” July 4, 2026: “Some songs take time to grow on you, while others grab your attention from the very first second. MASTO's latest single ‘CLOSER’ falls firmly into the second category.” And the closer of his own: “‘CLOSER’ is the type of record that deserves far more attention than it's currently getting.”

On The Scene NY followed with “HABITS” on August 16, 2026. Big C's read: “His melodic delivery amplifies a late-night looseness, while small vocal sparks and inflections give the performance an extra layer of personality.”

SWAGDEM, the animator behind half of underground rap's TikTok explainers, did a “Who is Masto” too.

MASTO: A Life Like a Movie →Wishe Music interview · Dec 22, 2025MASTO Gets Addictive on the Infectious New Single “CLOSER” →Cry808 · Jul 4, 2026MASTO Finds An Addictive Rhythm With “HABITS” →On The Scene NY · Aug 16, 2026#ComingUp: MASTO Finds An Addictive Rhythm With “HABITS” →Creative Executive Lens · Aug 16, 2026Who is Masto →SWAGDEM · video

— PUBLIC RECORDS©, LABEL DESK
FIELD NOTES — JUL 2026

Two passports, one sound

Dutch on one side, Cameroonian on the other, raised in South Minneapolis. Ask MASTO which part matters most and it's the South Side, every time. You can hear all of it in the music though. The melodies run cold. The drums don't. Somewhere in between there was a lane nobody was using, so he took it.

— PUBLIC RECORDS©, LABEL DESK
NOTES — JUN 2026

FOREVER: six tracks, no machine

“CLOSER” passed 300,000 streams and is still climbing. No playlist deals, no ads, nobody pushing buttons behind a curtain. There is no curtain. MASTO writes, records, mixes and films everything himself. FOREVER is six more tracks made exactly that way, and “HABITS” (out August 7, 2026) is the newest one. Slower? Sure. But it's his, all of it.

— PUBLIC RECORDS©, LABEL DESK
THE CIRCLE — MAY 2026

Paving the way with KDNG, Preesh Always, Gavin Stacey, and Shiv

Self-contained doesn't mean solo. The circle is just small on purpose: rappers KDNG and Preesh Always, Gavin Stacey on production, and Shiv, who produced “CLOSER.” Minneapolis doesn't have a machine for this sound yet. Cool. They're building it themselves, one session at a time.

— PUBLIC RECORDS©, LABEL DESK
SCENE — APR 2026

Spotted at 7th St Entry and backstage in the Minneapolis underground

Watch the Minneapolis underground long enough and you keep seeing the same face. MASTO was in the building for SoSoCamo at 7th St Entry, the little room attached to First Avenue where half this city's history got started. He's been backstage at seventhirtyatmorning shows too. Not networking. He'd be at these shows regardless. His name just keeps climbing the flyer.

— PUBLIC RECORDS©, LABEL DESK
INFLUENCES — FEB 2026

The Lil Tecca blueprint

Ask about influences and Lil Tecca comes up first, no hesitation. A kid with a laptop and some melodies, no cosign, and it worked anyway. That rewired what felt possible. You'll hear the lineage in the catalog, somewhere near Rich Amiri and Yung Fazo, but the late-night lyric-forward stuff is all him. Borrowed the blueprint, not the building.

— PUBLIC RECORDS©, LABEL DESK
MASTO wearing his chain

Straight answers — frequently asked questions about MASTO

Who is MASTO?
MASTO is a melodic underground rap artist from South Minneapolis, Minnesota, born to a Dutch mother and a Cameroonian father. He writes, records, mixes, and films his own music. He is managed by and releases through Public Records, an independent artist management and records company in Minneapolis.
What has MASTO released?
The single “CLOSER” (November 10, 2025), which has passed 300,000 streams on Spotify. The six-track FOREVER EP (June 2026): TOO LONG, SHE GO, OKAY OKAY, JET LAG, BACK TO YA, USED 2 THIS. The single “HABITS” (August 7, 2026). The single “FORGIVE N FORGET” featuring vax (September 12, 2026). Earlier singles include ALIVE, SOTA!, James Bond, and No Rush.
What was MASTO doing in New York in September 2026?
He was in New York September 9–12, 2026. He was seen at Fashion Week with the brand GLU. Athletics, and spent the rest of the trip in the studio, including a visit to Engine Room Audio at 42 Broadway and sessions with Gr!m (mani), whose 2026 singles include Stuck in My Ways, I KNOW with Jay Rico, and HOME.
Did MASTO perform on On The Radar?
Unconfirmed. Rumor has it MASTO was seen at On The Radar during the September 2026 New York trip. Neither MASTO nor Public Records has confirmed it.
Has MASTO worked with vax?
Yes. MASTO's single “FORGIVE N FORGET (feat. vax)” was released September 12, 2026. vax is the West Palm Beach rapper-producer behind Blue Dawn (2026) and the B4VXN EP (September 2026).
What is Engine Room Audio?
A recording, mixing, and mastering studio at 42 Broadway in Manhattan's Financial District, founded in 1996 by mastering engineer Mark B. Christensen. Credits include SZA's Ctrl (recorded and mastered there), Pop Smoke, Raekwon, Kay Flock, and 41. A plaque for Lil Tecca's “Ransom” hangs in the studio.
Who does MASTO sound like?
He cites Lil Tecca as his biggest influence. His catalog sits alongside Rich Amiri and Yung Fazo: melodic, late-night, lyric-forward underground rap.
Who works with MASTO?
Rappers KDNG and Preesh Always, producer Gavin Stacey, and Shiv, who produced “CLOSER.” Public Records handles management, releases, and press.
How do I reach MASTO for press, playlists, or bookings?
Email stephanie@publicrecordsmusic.com. Management inquiries go to management@publicrecordsmusic.com.

Press, interviews, and everything else: stephanie@publicrecordsmusic.com
Last updated September 15, 2026