Master P

Percy Robert Miller (born April 29, 1970), better known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, actor, record producer and entrepreneur. He founded No Limit Records in 1991, which was relaunched into the spin-off labels New No Limit Records and No Limit Forever Records. Miller gained fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the label's hip hop groups TRU and 504 Boyz as well as his fifth solo album, Ice Cream Man (1996), and its namesake lead single. His 1997 single, "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Miller has released 15 studio albums throughout his career.

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 second 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 St. Augustine High School (New Orleans) Booker T. Washington High School and Warren Easton High School.

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. He mentioned that he worked at two jobs in his lifetime, with Bellsouth Mobility and Remco.

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.

Master P released his debut studio album Get Away Clean on February 12, 1991. In April 1992 he released his second album, Mama's Bad Boy. Both albums were released through In-A-Minute Records. Also in 1992, he released his first collaboration album with his group TRU titled Understanding the Criminal Mind. In 1993, they released another album titled Who's da Killer?.

In March 1994, Master P released his third studio album The Ghettos Tryin to Kill Me!. It was re-released in 1997 as a limited edition under Priority. That same year Master P collaborated on the No Limit compilation albums West Coast Bad Boyz, Vol. 1: Anotha Level of the Game and West Coast Bad Boyz: High fo Xmas. On June 6, 1995, Master P released his fourth studio album 99 Ways to Die.

Master P and TRU released their third album True in 1995, which was the group's first major release after two independent albums. The album reached number 25 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 14 on the Top Heatseekers. The album was known for its first single and one of Master P's best known songs "I'm Bout' It, Bout It". He also worked on the compilation album, Down South Hustlers: Bouncin' and Swingin', during that year.

Master P said that when he used to open for Tupac Shakur in the early 1990s, the people responsible for introducing him would frequently call him "Mr. P the country singer".

In 1995, Master P moved from California back to New Orleans to relocate No Limit Records with a set of new artists and in-house producers Beats By the Pound. On April 16, 1996, Master P released his fifth album Ice Cream Man. It contained the hit single "Mr. Ice Cream Man". Later in 1996, Master P returned with TRU to work on Tru 2 da Game, which would not be released until February 18, 1997. At that time, TRU was reduced to a trio with just Master P alongside his brothers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker.

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.

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.

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. According to Black Enterprise magazine, No Limit Enterprises grossed $110 million in revenue in 1998. This level of success inspired other rappers to branch out into other business ventures and investments. Miller has his own line of beverages called "Make 'Em Say Ughh!" energy drinks.

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.

Master P went on to make hundreds of millions of dollars from this deal. 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.

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.

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

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

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

In 2004, Miller played for the ABA's Las Vegas Rattlers and Long Beach Jam. He earned try-outs for the Denver Nuggets at training camp for the summer league in 2004 and the same opportunity for the Sacramento Kings in 2005. He took part in the 2008 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and scored 17 points. He also coached the AAU team the P. Miller Ballers with players such as Brandon Jennings, Lance Stephenson, and DeMar DeRozan who went on to achieve success in the NBA. DeRozan said of his time being coached by Miller: "I am forever grateful for having him in my life. ... He taught us about life, how to understand business—the business of basketball. He was, in a sense, a father figure."

Since 1997, Master P has been in numerous feature and straight-to-DVD films, as well as television shows. His filmography I Got the Hook Up, Soccer Mom, Gone in 60 Seconds, Hollywood Homicide, Toxic, and Foolish. Master P also starred in the Nickelodeon sitcom Romeo! alongside his son Romeo, which aired from 2003 to 2006. He was also a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, replacing Romeo who dropped out due to an injury. He partnered with Ashly DelGrosso and received a total score of 8 out of 30 for his pasodoble, the lowest score in the show's history. He was eliminated in Week 4.

In 1999, Miller starred alongside Eddie Griffin in the hit film Foolish.

Reported in March 2011, Miller planned to star in a film with Gucci Mane, under the name Get Money. The film, set for release through No Limit, would be based on Miller's book of the same name.

In June 2015, it was announced that Master P and his family would be starring in their own reality show titled Master P's Family Empire. It aired on Reelz in November 2015.

Miller intended to publish a book titled Animal Cruelty, which was publicly advertised as forthcoming by June 1998. In January 1999, the book was scrapped.

Miller is known for his music and his business acumen, due to creating and branding No Limit Records, an independent record label. Its success led to other business ventures under the "No Limit" umbrella.

During a 2013 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."

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. 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.

In 2011, BET named Miller number 28 in 'The Most Influential Rappers of All Time'. In 2013, BET listed Miller as one of 'The 25 Influential Black Music Execs'.

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.

In December 2012, DJ 5150 and DJ Hektik released a tribute mixtape to Master P titled Uptown Veteran.