Percy Miller (Master P) & Me
Sitting at the Feet of the Colonel
I must’ve been around16 years old when Master P first introduced himself to me.
It was something about the way he told the world that he was there and unafraid of life’s challenges.
The song is, “Bout It, Bout It 2”
In it, I discovered a way to express to the world, that I too mattered!
It was motivational and inspirational!
A real, “Tony Robbins of the Hood”;
I still get energetic when I hear him today,
“Bounce, bounce, bounce, fool! If you bout it, bout it!”
He wasn’t our guru but, but he was a leader.
Unfortunately, Southern artist didn’t get much love from mainstream media, so the ghetto tales that related to my familiar experience were hardly heard. Rap greats like 8 Ball & MJG, Playa Fly, & Three 6 Mafia weren’t in heavy rotation on major platforms like BET or MTV; we felt completely unseen.
Like most kids in the South, I longed for my city to be recognized as noteworthy in the World of Hip Hop (the entirety of the Black Diaspora from my young perspective)because our struggles were just as real, but we had no platforms to express our pain to the world. Master P and No Limit Records changed that. He and his team were a major force in bringing the Spotlight to the South.
So, when I heard Master P’s southern twang, over a beat that meshed Westcoast sound with the bounce of the South, I felt like we’d finally made it!
The South would now have a spokesperson at Hip-Hop’s table.
This was only a few years after the community was disrespectful to our Southern dignitaries: OutKast ; and HBO airing a documentary highlighting the spread of lethal Gang activity in the south.
As crazy as this is to me today, I was eager to watch the gruesome ways of life those black boys lived.
It displayed to the rest of America’s “hoods” like Compton and Brooklyn that black boys in the South could “get down” too.
I was old enough to know the pain and anguish on the TV screen was real, but I’d already developed a calloused heart when it came to Black suffering. To me, it was the way things always were and appeared, always would be (at least to an 80’s baby).
Growing up in an environment where tears, sorrow, danger and scarcity were so abundant; so commonplace; we became suspicious of smiling faces and outsiders. I felt hopeless to change the situation of my people, so I chose, at a very early age to “not feel” the pain of others, no matter how much, like me, they looked.
As the hype surrounding “Banging in Little Rock” began to die down, Master P rolled his tank equipped with plenty of No Limit Soliders onto the court.
He, nor his crew were polished stars.
in fact, they looked like the guys and gals I went to school with.
There they right were! Real people!
Seeing them all over the TV and radio proved to me that getting out of the ghettos of the South was a real possibility.
I wanted that.
Over the years, I continued following Master P as a casual fan. I loved that he wasn’t afraid of being himself. I loved that he never came across as an actor or simpleton but always composed and in touch.
After leaving for the Army in 1998, one of the first treasures I purchased, was a beautiful gold necklace and diamond encrusted tank with the words “No Limit Records” surrounding it.
Because Hip Hop formed a major part of my identity, I felt that there was finally someone I could identify with playing loudly over the speakers in the “Black” Clubs of Germany. They were all playing the sounds of the of No Limit Records.
Not only did he produce many hit records, he went on to make cult classic films like “I’m Bout It: The Movie” and “I Got The Hook Up” . Neither sought the Grammy’s or any other Hollywood acclaim.
He didn’t make those films for them and it was obvious. He made it for me. For boys and girls that grew up in environments like his own, to be an example.
To show us that we really can live the life of our dreams; using our own hustle and ambition.
He taught me, that the best thing I can share with others is my own real experience, in all of its ugliness.
It was by watching Percy Miller mature from making people say “ugh” to watching him attack every business opportunity with the tenacity of a shark that caused me great curiosity about the man he’s become today.
In 2019, I was looking over his Wikipedia page and discovered that he’d also written a book.
Guaranteed Success: When You Never Give Up
I hopped over to Amazon, found it; added it to my basket.
But, before paying, I noticed cheaper options were available without Prime shipping; since I wasn’t in a rush, I chose the cheapest copy and that was that.
When the book arrived a week or so later, I was surprised to find that the cheapest option, may have been the most valuable book of the bunch!
This copy was not only in great condition, it was also autographed on the Title page by Mr. Master P, himself! This was special for me*.
Bursting with excitement, I immediately read the introduction to the book and ran into a section that grabbed my attention.
Not because it was filled with literary genius or juicy gossip; but because I was reading something I’d recently come to know in my Spirit.
During my life’s journey I’ve discovered that God has blessed each of us with unique abilities, also known as talents. It is the responsibility of each individual to decide what to do with those talents and how to share them. It’s not what you have or how much you have, but what you do with what you have that determines your success or lack of it.
It all starts with knowing who you truly are — and what better way to find out than by asking through prayer to the One who created you. The more you get to know your Creator, the more you realize who you are, what you’re capable of, and what your unique and true purpose is for being here on earth at this present time.
As I read this for the first time, I heard Master P’s voice but felt God’s Truth.
You see, Percy Miller helped me believe that “starting from the bottom” isn’t a curse. Knowledge gained in the hood, can provide an experience capable of shaping a poor Black boy into a successful and prosperous businessman.
He’s demonstrated how living in impoverished and dangerous environments can provide just as many lessons for success in life and left a road map showing how he got there.
Percy Miller taught me that intellect, diligence, hope and resourcefulness is the best way to turn a dream into reality.
As I, read that book I knew that Mr. Miller was on to something because everything he’d talked about, he did.
I watched him do it!
Mr. Percy Miller is a entrepreneur, community leader, and businessman that consistently uses his influence to make the world a little brighter look like us. For that, he deserves to shine!
Happy Black History Month
(*To me, that’s a God sign. The only reason I have this book instead of the 20 others that were available at the time was because I chose the cheapest option.)
