On this day in Hip-Hop history, we celebrate the birth of one of rap’s most successful icons. With a net worth of about $800 million, Percy ‘Master P’ Miller is a pinnacle of work ethic, determination, and financial prowess. From his humble beginnings to being the executive of one of the most powerful record labels of its time, P. Miller has definitely earned his spot among the titans of the culture.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1970, Miller was able to build his empire off of a $10,000 malpractice settlement check he received due to the passing of his grandfather while he was attending Merritt Junior College in Oakland, California. Miller used this settlement money to open his own record store No Limit Records in Richmond, California. He used this record store to get a better understanding of the popular demand of Hip Hop consumers. With this knowledge, he expanded his record store into a record label to fill the desire for gangsta rap and self-produced his debut Get Away Clean in 1991. Unfortunately neither Get Away Clean nor his second project Mama’s Bad Boy responded well in the Bay Area and Miller was forced to move his label back to his hometown.
This move was the best thing for P. Miller and his brand. Following the success of Miller’s next to project The Ghettos Tryin’ to Kill Me and 99 Ways to Die, Miller was able to sign a distribution deal with Priority Records in 1996. This lead to the success of Miller’s fifth album Ice Cream Man which peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart. Over the next few years, No Limit ran the rap game.
In 1997, No Limit Records toted one of the strongest rosters in its history including, C-Murder, Slikk the Shocker, Mia X, and Snoop Dogg to name a few. No Limit released 46 albums that were among the top of the Billboard 200 Chart.
Aside from music, P. Miller had a hand in many entrepreneurial ventures. In 1997 Master P started up his first enterprise outside of music, No Limit Films. The first film of the production company, I’m Bout It was so successful it earned the label a national distribution deal with Miramax. Miller successfully wrote and directed 14 films that were distributed nationally, including the real-life story of comedian Eddie Griffin Foolish.
Miller’s love for sports also landed him a short stint in the spotlight of professional athletics as both an athlete and an agent. Master P founded No Limit Sports Management in 1997. His biggest signee, Ricky Williams, signed with the New Orleans Saints in 1999 under N0 Limit but later dropper Miller as an agent. Simultaneously, Miller was making an attempt to play in the NBA. He played briefly for the Fort Wayne Fury before earning tryouts on the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors. Unfortunately, he never landed a spot on either final roster.
In 1998 Forbes Magazine ranked Miller as the #10 highest-grossing entertainer raking in an estimated $57 million a year.
Percy Miller has had one of the most diverse and successful careers in Hip Hop, as both a rapper and a mogul, Miller has made hundreds of millions of dollars off of his dream to be a powerful businessman. His expertise in his field and genius in finance has made him capable of not only attaining wealth but keeping and multiplying it. You know what they say, anyone can get it, the hard part is keeping it.