Master P

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Master P

Percy Robert Miller (born April 29, 1967 in New Orleans, Louisiana), better known as Master P, is an entrepreneur, businessman, marketer, and rap artist. He is the founder and CEO of No Limit Enterprises, an entertainment and financial conglomerate. Fortune magazine listed Master P as one of the wealthiest men under the age of 40 in North America, with a net worth of $361 million in 1999 [citation needed].Master P is now worth $75 Billion the unofficially richest man in the world.

Biography

Born Percy Robert Miller in New Orleans, in 1967, the oldest of five children, Master P grew up in a housing project then called the Calliope Apartments in New Orleans Third Ward. When interviewed by NBC, Master P stated that he had to sell marijuana and crack cocaine in the projects. Though he shuttled back and forth between New Orleans and California, the teenaged Percy settled in New Orleans, attended Booker T. Washington and Warren Eason high schools, and played basketball at both schools. Master P also attended Richmond High school in Richmond, CA. After the death of his brother, Kevin, and with some junior college business courses to his credit, Master P moved to Richmond, CA and opened a small record store, No Limit Records, financing the store with $10,000 that he received as part of a medical malpractice settlement related to the death of his grandfather [citation needed].

After gaining first hand knowledge of the music industry as a retailer, Master P embarked on his dream to become an entertainer, as well as owning his own record company. No Limit Records, the retail store, became No Limit, the record company. In 1994, he self-produced his first album, The Ghetto's Tryin' to Kill Me, and sold it out of the trunk of his car in neighborhoods in and around Oakland and also in New Orleans. The Chicago Tribune quoted Master P telling an audience of fledgling entrepreneurs at a music business workshop, "Start in your neighborhood and sell your records. Once you start making a buzz, they'll come looking for you. If you can't sell records at home, you cant sell them nowhere."

After selling records, he decided to sign his company, No Limit, to a straight pressing and distribution deal with Priority Records. "In order for me to stay true to myself and my company, I had to maintain complete creative control," says P. When the deal was solidified with Priority in 1995, No Limit Records released TRU (made up of Master P and his brothers, Silkk the Shocker and C-Murder).

In early 1997 Master P released TRU's latest project, "TRU 2 DA Game", which debuted at number two on the R&B chart[citation needed], number one on the Rap chart[citation needed] and number eight on the Top 200[citation needed]. Within one week of its release, "TRU 2 DA Game' was RLAA certified Gold[citation needed] and is now double Platinum[citation needed].

His first feature film, 'I'm Bout It', a straight to video project that he financed, wrote, directed and produced, and acted in, debuted number one on Billboard's Top Music Video chart[citation needed] and has attained a multi-platinum selling status[citation needed]. The film is allegedly based loosely on his life growing up in New Orleans. The soundtrack, also a Platinum seller[citation needed], made history. According to Billboard magazine, 'never before had a soundtrack charted unless it was accompanied by a theatrical film release.' The soundtrack debuted number one on Billboard's R&B album chart[citation needed] and number four on Billboard's Top 200[citation needed].

Love Life

Master P is married to Sonya Miller with seven children including Lil Romeo and Young V

Businessman and entrepreneur

By 1999 Master P built an empire worth $361 million in four years[citation needed] according to Fortune magazine, a feat which has never been matched in hip hop history[citation needed].

Entrepeneurship

Master P was one of the first rappers to build a financial empire by investing in a wide range of business ventures[citation needed]. Master P invested the millions of dollars he made from No Limit Records into real estate, films, toys, a phone sex company, clothing, telecommunications, book & magazine publishing, car rims, fast food franchises, gas stations, sports management and many other ventures. No Limit Communications, a joint venture with marketing guru, Djuan Edgerton, was a surprising success. No Limit Enterprises quickly became a financial powerhouse. According to Black Enterprise magazine No Limit Enterprises grossed $110 million in revenue in 1998 alone[citation needed].

Marketing

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, Master P didn't have such a luxury. As an independent artist he had to find a way to build platinum record selling demand on a limited budget. He began selling tapes out the trunk of his car[citation needed] in various cities and towns where there was potential demand for his music. He gave out free samples to people with expensive cars and had them playing his music all throughout their neighborhoods[citation needed]. This street level guerrilla marketing technique set the early foundation to build a larger fanbase for the future. After signing his historic deal with Priority, P began a high volume business model cranking out as many records as frequently as possible. He branded all his albums, such that the No Limit brand became more important than the actual artist's name. Master P cross-promoted all his artists and albums inside the album covers. He also used Pen & Pixel and mafia inspired themes to make his albums stand out. He offered 20 songs per album where as most albums offered 15 or less[citation needed]. He used inexpensive videos to promote his artists and cross promoted and tied them altogether. Brand image became more important than just music quality[citation needed].

Independent hustle

Master P's deal with Priority changed the way artists looked at record deals[citation needed]. This deal, along with No Limit's level of commercial success, opened the eyes of many in the Hip Hop community[citation needed]. For the first time, artists could retain ownership of their own masters as well as keeping a larger percentage of the profits[citation needed]. It is commonplace now for artists to have their own label or imprint[citation needed].

The entertainer and rapper

Rapper

Master P began his rap career in 1991 in Richmond California when he released 'Get Away Clean' on In-A-Minute records. Master P later formed hard-core rap group TRU with his two brothers Silkk The Shocker and C-Murder. Master P left In-A-Minute records shortly after releasing his debut album and formed his own label No Limit Records. With Master P as its premier artist, No Limit Records went on to release many albums from artists such as Snoop Dogg, Mystikal, Mia X, Mercedes, Soulja Slim, and Miller's siblings Silkk Tha Shocker and C-Murder and Lil Romeo.In 2004, Master P's No Limit Records filed for bankruptcy[citation needed]. He started a new label The New No Limit records, but released far fewer records than his previous label. In 2005, Master P started a new label called Guttar Music Entertainment.

Actor and film producer

Master P is also an actor and film producer, appearing in both movies and television. He has made guest appearances on CSI: NY, Oz, Dark Angel, HBO's Girlfriends, The Hughleys, Moesha, Dancing with the Stars, and his son's series Romeo! which aired on Nickelodeon. His film appearances include the comedy Uncle P, Lockdown I Got The Hook Up, Foolish, Hot Boyz, Bout It da Movie, MP Da Last Don, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Takedown, Scary Movie 3, Decisions, Hollywood Homicide, Still Bout It, Dark Blue, and Undisputed. Master P made his wrestling debut on June 13. More recently, he made a movie with Katt Williams, Micheal Blackson titled REPOS. 2006, written by his personal staff writers Britt O. Wynn and Banio Koroma Jr.[1]

Basketball player

He had a contract with NBA teams twice - with the Charlotte Hornets during the 1998/99 season and the Toronto Raptors in 1999 pre-season. [2] [3] He was waived a few weeks after signing in both cases and he has not played in a regular season NBA game. [4] [5] He also played in the CBA for Fort Wayne Fury.

Accomplishments

Discography

Solo albums

Album cover Album information
File:Masterp1.jpeg
 Get Away Clean
Mama's Bad Boy
The Ghettos Tryin to Kill Me!
  • Released: 1994
  • Chart positions:
  • U.S. Sales: 150,000
  • Last RIAA certification:
  • Singles:"The Ghettos Tryin to Kill Me"
File:Masterp5.jpeg
 99 Ways to Die
Ice Cream Man
  • Released: 1996
  • Chart positions: # 26
  • U.S. Sales:
  • Last RIAA certification: Platinum
  • Singles:"I'm Bout it,Bout it 2","Break em of"," Mr. icecream man","Ghetto Heroes" and "No more tears"
 Ghetto D
  • Released: 1997
  • Chart positions: #1
  • U.S. Sales:
  • Last RIAA certification: 2x Platinum
  • Singles:"Make em say uhhh,"Ghetto D","I miss my homies","Bourbons & Lacs","Lets get em" & "Weed and Money"
File:Masterp12.jpeg
 MP Da Last Don
  • Released: 1998
  • Chart positions: # 1
  • U.S. Sales:
  • Last RIAA certification: 4x Platinum
  • Singles:"Goodbye to my homies","Thug Girl","Dead and gone"
 Master P Presents No Limit Allstars: Who U Wit?
File:Masterp13.jpeg
 Only God Can Judge Me
File:Masterp14.jpeg
 Ghetto Postage
  • Released: 2000
  • Chart positions: # 26
  • U.S. Sales:
  • Last RIAA certification: Gold
  • Singles:"Bout that" & "Golds in theyr mouths" Souljas
File:Masterp15.jpeg
 Game Face
  • Released: 2001
  • Chart positions: # 53
  • U.S. Sales:
  • Last RIAA certification
  • Singles:"Real love","Ooohhweee" & "Rock it"
File:Masterp16.jpeg
 Good Side, Bad Side
  • Released: 2004
  • Chart positions: # 11
  • U.S. Sales:
  • Last RIAA certification
  • Singles:"Want some","Why they wanna wish death" & "Them jeans"
 Ghetto Bill
  • Released: 2005
  • Chart positions: # 39
  • U.S. Sales: 125,000
  • Last RIAA certification:
  • Singles:"Yappin","I need dubs"
 Ghetto Bill (Chopped & Screwed)
Greatest Hits: Remix Classics
File:Masterp livinglegend.jpg
 Living Legend: Certified D-Boy
America's Most Luved Bad Guy
Master P & Romeo: Hip Hop History
Ghetto Bill Vol. 2
Ghetto D Vol. 2: Street Resurrection
The New No Limit Deluxe

Best of and other collections:Best of Master P,The ulimate Master P and Gangstaface

Singles

  • 1991 "Jack of the Jackers"
  • 1992 "Big Time"
  • 1993 "I'm the Funkiest" (TRU)
  • 1994 "When they Gone"
  • 1995 "The Ghetto's Tryin' To Kill Me" (featuring Silkk)
  • 1995 "Bounce That Azz" (featuring Down south hustlers)
  • 1996 "Mr. Ice Cream Man" (featuring Mia X & Silkk the Shocker)
  • 1996 "Ghetto Heroes" (featuring Skull Dugery)
  • 1996 "Break em' Off Sumthin'" (featuring U.G.K.)
  • 1996 "I'm Bout it,Bout It" #8 US (TRU)
  • 1996 "I'm Bout it,Bout It II" #7 US (featuring Mia X)
  • 1996 "Mr. icecream man" (featuring Silkk the Shocker, Mia X & Mo.B dick)
  • 1996 "No more Tears" (featuring Mo.B.Dick)
  • 1996 "Ghetto D" (featuring C-Murder & Silkk the Shocker)
  • 1996 "Weed & Money"
  • 1997 "Make Em Say Uhh" #6 US (featuring Mystikal, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X and Fiend)
  • 1996 "Lets get em" (featuring Silkk the Shocker & Mystikal)
  • 1997 "I Miss My Homies" #11 US (featuring Silkk the Shocker & Pimp C)
  • 1997 "Burbons and Lacs" #3 US (featuring Silkk The Shocker & Gotti from The Gambino Family)
  • 1997 "If I Could Change" (featuring Steady Mobbin')
  • 1998 "Kenny's dead"
  • 1998 "Goodbye to My Homies" (featuring Silkk the shocker) #10 US
  • 1998 "I Got the Hook Up" #16 US (featuring Sons of Funk)
  • 1998 "Thug girl" (featuring Snoop Dogg & Silkk the Shocker)
  • 1998 "Dead and Gone" (featuring Bone Thugs N Harmony)
  • 1998 "Thinkin' About You" (featuring Mia X) US
  • 1999 "Light It Up" (featuring Silkk the Shocker, C-Murder & Mystikal)
  • 1999 "Step to this" #15 US
  • 1999 "It's On Now" (Cash Money,Pastor Troy & Yukmouth Diss)" (Feat. Mystikal)
  • 1999 "B-Ball"
  • 2000 "Bout Dat" (featuring Silkk the Shocker)
  • 2000 "Souljas" #25 US
  • 2000 "Golds in their Mouths" (featuring C Murder)
  • 2001 "Ooohhhwee" #18 US
  • 2002 "Real Love" #20 US
  • 2002 "Rock It" #12 US (featuring Krazy)
  • 2004 "Act a Fool" #10 US
  • 2004 "Them Jeans" #6 US
  • 2004 "Why they wanna wish death" #20 US (featuring Afficial)
  • 2005 "I need Dubs" (featuring Lil' Romeo)
  • 2005 "I ain't playin'"
  • 2005 "Yappin" (featuring Young Buck)
  • 2005 "Bounce Back" (504 Boyz)
  • 2005 "Cookie Money" (featuring Bblak)
  • 2005 "Couple Grand" (featuring 504 Boyz)
  • 2006 "Brown & White" (featuring Guttar Boyz)
  • 2006 "Shake Yours" (featuring Halleluha & Tank)
  • 2006 "Gutta Time" (featuring Guttar Boyz)
  • 2006 "Cookie Money Remix" (featuring Bblak & Hitmanye)
  • 2006 "Music 4 the Block"
  • 2006 "Twenty Inch Remix" (featuring Cutty Ranks & Kobra Khan)
  • 2006 "I love this Game" (featuring Romeo)
  • 2007 "Ghetto D 2 - Street Reserection" Full Album.
  • 2007 "Be Like You" (featuring Romeo)
  • 2007 "Let the kids grown" (featuring Romeo)

See also

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