When it comes to entrepreneurship in Hip-Hop, we know Master P as one of the pioneers. From No Limit Records to Uncle P cereal, the New Orleans native has always preached the importance of ownership since entering the game in 1990.
While we’ve heard him outline his story to success a few times on projects like Solange’s A Seat At The Table, the original No Limit Soldier sat with HipHopDX and discussed his move from New Orleans, La. to Richmond, Calif. and starting No Limit Records with an inheritance from a deceased relative.
“That’s how it all started,” he said about the $10,000 investment. “I was this 19-year-old kid with a record store in Richmond, California, and built it. You know, it was tough building that process and growing it. But you don’t have to have a lot of money. Everybody thinks you need millions of dollars to start a business.”
No Limit Records sold over 100 million albums, thanks to a roster that included Mia X, Mystical, Silkk The Shocker, Snoop Dogg, and of course Master P himself.
“So I started No Limit with $10,000, and it turned into a multi-million dollar empire; went from selling no records to selling over 100 million records. It’s a blessing. You gotta dream big. Yeah. You got to, yeah. You just gotta dream big.”
Since then, P has turned 100 million records into a short stint in the NBA, television opportunities for his children, and has expanded his empire to food with the launch of Hoody Hoos Cereal and other breakfast products. For the latter, he’s partnered with PLB Sports & Entertainment in November to launch Master Crunch Cereal. A portion of the cereal’s proceeds will go to Master P’s Team Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on improving the lives of inner-city youth through education as well as assisting senior citizens with necessities and shelter.
“If you do the right thing, the Lord will keep blessing and that’s what people got to realize,” he told DX. “I mean, I’ve been successful at this for 25 years, and God has been blessing me because I’ve been blessing other people.”