MASTER P

Born: Percy Miller; New Orleans, Louisiana, 29 April 1970

Genre: Hip-Hop

Best-selling album since 1990: MP da Last Don (1998)

Hit songs since 1990: "Ice Cream Man," "I Miss My Homies," "Make 'Em Say Uhh!"

Percy Miller was one of the most significant architects of mainstream hip-hop's expansion into the South in the 1990s. The enterprising Master P confronted the industry's staunch geographical bias against the South by ignoring mainstream rap conventions altogether. Choosing to do things independently, he spent the mid-1990s perfecting the funky, bounce-driven style of gangsta rap that later made him a hugely successful regional star. He and his No Limit label carved out a unique identity in southern rap circles with their straight-to-video movies, signature album covers, and catchphrase-heavy lyrics. By 1997 Master P had proved himself to be a bankable national star as well when Ghetto Dope (also known as Ghetto D ) brought the sound and style of New Orleans to the rest of the hip-hop community.

Despite his connection to New Orleans' rich hip-hop community, Master P actually split most of his youth between New Orleans and Richmond, California. In 1990 he started the No Limit label to offer something different to the patrons of his record shop, also called No Limit. He released two albums steeped in the slow-rolling funk of nearby Oakland: Get Away Clean (1991) and the modest hit The Ghetto's Tryin' to Kill Me (1994). Though it seemed that the slick West Coast gangsta rap popularized by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Tupac was on the decline, the success of Master P's independent releases showed otherwise. He soon moved to New Orleans, where he teamed with local producers Beats by the Pound to create an unapologetically gritty take on gangsta that emphasized southern social contexts and the region's unique vernacular. His breakout albums, 99 Ways to Die (1995) and Ice Cream Man (1996), charted remarkably well considering that neither boasted a significant national radio or video hit.

The following year the No Limit empire began its national expansion with the chart-topping Ghetto Dope (1997) and the slapstick, straight-to-video biopic I'm Bout It, named after the breakthrough single of Tru, the side-group Master P formed with his brothers Silkk the Shocker and C-Murder. The album features the brutish sing-along hit "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" as well as the introspective ballad "I Miss My Homies." Despite Master P's novel rise from enterprising, independent regional star to national sensation, he was often criticized for his simple raps, gaudy materialism, and bouncy, bass-heavy production. The following year, Master P's threat of retirement sent MP da Last Don to the top of the charts, but his empire began to show signs of wear as his constant threats of retirement grew tiresome. No Limit struggled to balance its hardcore ethos with Master P's hopes for a larger presence in popular culture, as seen in his focus on the career of his son, novelty rapper Lil Romeo, and his frequent attempts to try out with professional basketball teams. By the time No Limit's more violent and aggressive crosstown rivals, Cash Money Millionaires, ascended the following year, Master P was not even the top draw in his own town.

Despite his musical missteps, Master P's outstanding vision and earnest business plan opened hip-hop to exciting new regions and sounds.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Get Away Clean (In-A-Minute, 1991); Mama's Bad Boy (In-A-Minute, 1992); The Ghetto's Tryin' to Kill Me! (No Limit, 1994); 99 Ways to Die (No Limit, 1995); Ice Cream Man (No Limit, 1996); Ghetto D (No Limit, 1997); MP Da Last Don (No Limit, 1998); Only God Can Judge Me (No Limit, 1999); Ghetto Postage (No Limit, 2000); Game Face (No Limit, 2001).

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