Master P

Percy Robert Miller was born and raised in the Third Ward of Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up in the Calliope Projects. He is the oldest of five children. He has one sister, Germaine, and three brothers: Kevin, and platinum-selling rap artists Corey "C-Murder" and Vyshonne "Silkk the Shocker" Miller. He attended Booker T. Washington High School and Warren Easton High School.[3] Having played on the basketball team, Miller attended the University of Houston on an athletic scholarship, but dropped out months into his freshman year and transferred to Merritt College in Oakland, California to major in business administration.[4] After the death of his grandfather, Miller inherited $10,000 as part of a malpractice settlement. Miller opened a record store in Richmond, California called No Limit Records And Tapes, which later became the foundation for No Limit Records. On February 15, 1990, Master P released the cassette tape Mind Of A Psychopath. His brother Kevin Miller was killed that same year in New Orleans. This increased his motivation to become a successful entrepreneur to change his life and save his family.[5]

Aside from being a rapper, Master P has enjoyed a successful career as an entrepreneur and investor. Miller opened a record store in Richmond, California called No Limit Records, which later became the foundation for his own record label of the same name.[48]

Miller was one of the first rappers to notice and take advantage of the retail potential of the music industry. As an investor, Master P was one of the first rappers to build a business and financial empire by investing in a wide range of business and investment ventures from a variety of industries. He has since invested the millions of dollars he made from his No Limit record company into a travel agency, a Foot Locker retail outlet, real estate, stocks, film, music, and television production, toy making, clothing, telecommunications, a jewellery line, auto accessories, book and magazine publishing, car rims, fast food franchises, and gas stations.[49][50][51][52] His sports management agency No Limit Communications, a joint venture with marketing guru Djuan Edgerton, was a success. His conglomerate company, No Limit Enterprises became a financial powerhouse. His real estate investment and property management company, the New Orleans-based PM Properties controls over 100 properties across the United States.[53] According to Black Enterprise magazine, No Limit Enterprises grossed $110 million in revenue in 1998 alone. This level of success inspired other rappers to branch out into other business ventures and investments.[53][54] Miller also has his own line of beverages called "Make 'Em Say Ughh!" energy drinks.[55] Miller has also made a foray into mass media, where he founded Better Black Television, a cable television network in November 2010 based in New Orleans, making him the first rapper to establish a cable television network.[56]

Rappers had historically focused more on the artistic and glamorous side of hip hop music while paying very little attention to the business, investment, and financial aspects. All that changed in 1996 when Master P signed a music distribution deal with Priority Records, one where No Limit Records would retain 100% ownership of their master recordings and keep 85% of their record's sales while giving Priority 15% in return for pressing and distribution which allows No Limit to profit from future sales such as catalogs and reissues.[53] Master P went on to make hundreds of millions of dollars from this deal. Additionally, Master P invented many innovative marketing techniques. According to Wendy Day, CEO of the Rap Coalition, "Master P had a whole marketing movement. He was the first person to market the way a corporate entity like IBM would market to their clientele." Whereas the traditional model for marketing records was to spend millions of dollars on expensive videos and air play, Miller did not have such a luxury. As an independent artist, Miller had to find a way to sell, market and build platinum record selling demand on a limited recording budget. He was known for keeping upfront business expenses down and profit margins high. He began selling tapes out the trunk of his car in every city and town in America where there was potential demand for his music. He gave out free samples to people with expensive cars and had them playing his music throughout their neighborhoods. This street level guerrilla marketing technique set the foundation to build a larger fanbase for the future. After signing his deal with Priority, Miller began a high volume business model of cranking out as many records as possible, as frequently as possible. He branded all his albums, so that the No Limit brand became more important than the actual artist's name. Miller cross-promoted all his artists and albums inside the album covers. He also used pen and pixel graphics and Mafia-inspired themes to make his albums stand out using Photoshop. He offered 20 songs per album, whereas most albums offered 15 or less, as Miller learned that customers wanted more for their money. He turned his artists into Marvel comic book-like characters rather than just rappers. He made sure his artists were number one on SoundScan every time they released an album, to build the perception of popularity. He used inexpensive videos to promote his artists and he cross-promoted albums using films and vice versa and tied them altogether as a package. Brand image and identity became more important than just music quality. Miller's record labels have sold 75 million records as a result of his innovative marketing and branding strategies.[54][57]

As founder and CEO of No Limit Entertainment, Miller at one time presided over a business empire that included his conglomerate No Limit Enterprises, No Limit Records, Bout It Inc., No Limit Clothing, No Limit Communications, No Limit Films, No Limit Sports Management, P. M. Properties, and Advantage Travel. Miller represented former NFL running back Ricky Williams when he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints; however, the deal was rated the worst contract for a player in NFL History by ESPN.[58] Miller manages the music, film, and television career of his son, Romeo Miller, as well as pop star Forrest Lipton and Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane. Miller was the executive television producer for his teenage daughter Cymphonique's Nickelodeon Show, How To Rock, and the co-creator of Romeo!, the hit Nickelodeon television show that stars his son.[59]

In 1998, Miller joined the Fort Wayne Fury of the CBA as a backup guard after a No Limit employee asked the Fury head coach to give his boss a tryout. According to the coach Miller was "coachable [and] an eager learner", but not NBA material.[61]

Miller was on the Charlotte Hornets training camp roster for 10 days in January 1999.[62][63] He was invited to participate at the request of Hornet Ricky Davis's father.[64] He scored 7 points in intrasquad play[65] and played eight minutes in two exhibition games before being released on February 1.[63] Miller claimed he played well but was cut because his rap lyrics were too offensive.[66]

That fall he was on the Toronto Raptors training camp roster.[67] He scored eight points in one preseason game, but was dropped before the season began.[68][69] He complained that the Raptors hadn't given him a fair chance.[70]

In November, he signed with the San Diego Stingrays of the short-lived IBL,[71] a "home for players without NBA skills and those who are developing them."[72] His performance was disappointing[73][74] and he played for less than a season.[75]

In 2004, Miller played for the ABA's Las Vegas Rattlers and Long Beach Jam. He took part in the 2008 McDonald's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and scored 17 points.[76]

The lyrics of Miller's "Brick to a Million" have been interpreted as intentionally disrespectful to rappers Kanye West and Lil Wayne.[80] Miller denied that it was a diss track directed at them, and claimed it was in response to a radio station employee's remark that his career was over, and that it "ain't a diss. I never made a diss record."[80]

Miller is known for his music and his business acumen, due to creating and branding his highly successful independent record label No Limit Records, as well as his other business ventures.[1][81][82]

Miller is held in high esteem by other rappers as well. During an interview after meeting Miller, Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz stated, "This is my first time meeting [him]. I just want to let him know how he influenced the whole South in Hip-Hop." 2 Chainz went on, "We used to argue people like they ain't understand why we appreciated Master P and his music. It was more than that. I felt like it was his grind, his hustle. He actually put music out like every week. I even heard stories about some of the songs never even being mixed before. It was just about giving the fans what they needed. And he the reason why a lot of us are here, including myself."[83]

In 2001, Master P won the award for "Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist" at the American Music Awards.

In 2005, Miller was ranked at number 36 by VH1 in their list of 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists.[84] On September 29, 2008, Miller's single "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" would be ranked at number 94 by VH1 in their list of 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.[85]

BET named Miller number 28 in 'The Most Influential Rappers of All Time'.[86] BET also listed Miller as one of 'The 25 Influential Black Music Execs'.[87]

In November 2011, Miller's son Romeo Miller performed at the 2010 Hip Hop Honors, along with his brother Valentino Miller, his cousins Lil' D and Black Don, and his uncle Silkk The Shocker, as well as Trina, Gucci Mane, and Mystikal to honor Master P and No Limit Records.[88]

On December 11, 2012, DJ 5150 and DJ Hektik released a tribute mixtape to Master P titled Uptown Veteran.[89]

On July 10, 2013, Miller was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, making him the first hip hop artist to be inducted.[90]

On January 20, 2015, Montreal R&B/Hip Hop artist Xav released a song with Master P called "Bout It Bout It", from his upcoming Zeeky EP, paying homage to Master P's 1995 international hit. The music video, which also features Master P, premiered on Vibe.com the same day.[91][92]

On May 23, 2021, Master P received his honorary doctorate from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.[93]

Miller has dedicated his time to communities through P. Miller Youth Centers and his P. Miller Food Foundation for the Homeless. On July 12, 2005, Willie W. Herenton Jr, the mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, presented Miller with the key to the city.[94] On April 27, 2010, Miller and his son Romeo were awarded the Certificate of Special Recognition from California Congresswoman Maxine Waters.[95]

Miller is Catholic. In 1999, he donated $500,000 to the Catholic elementary school he attended and to two nearby churches.[96] After 21 years of marriage Miller and his wife, Sonya C. Miller, separated in 2010 but Sonya did not file for a divorce until 2013.[97] The former couple have 7 children together and Miller had 1 child out of the marriage and raised his brother's child, Veno, after he had been killed in a robbery in 1990.[98] In 2014, Sonya sued Miller, asking for almost 40% of their assets. Miller has claimed that the two had settled the matter privately in 2016 but it was never submitted to court. In December 2021, he asked the judge to declare him legally single. In May 2022, it was reported that the rapper was legally declared single.[99]

In 2007, he swore off of profanity and endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States of America,[100] contributing frequently to his campaign.[101]

On May 29, 2022, Miller announced that his daughter Tytyana Miller had died at 25 years old.[102]

Studio albums

• Get Away Clean (1991)
• Mama's Bad Boy (1992)
• The Ghettos Tryin to Kill Me! (1994)
• 99 Ways to Die (1995)
• Ice Cream Man (1996)
• Ghetto D (1997)
• MP da Last Don (1998)
• Only God Can Judge Me (1999)
• Ghetto Postage (2000)
• Game Face (2001)
• Good Side, Bad Side (2004)
• Ghetto Bill (2005)
• The Gift (2013)
• Empire, from the Hood to Hollywood (2015)
• Louisiana Hot Sauce (2016)

• Universal Music Group
• GoDigital Media Group

• Tank Soldiers
• Master P's channel on YouTube
• Master P at IMDb