How Master P humbly started a million-dollar empire and became a mogul
Few Know that before Jay-Z created Roc-a-Fella, Master P was one of the few individuals in hip-hop who ran a profitable record label that wasn’t taking advantage of its artists. Based in New Orleans, No Limit was one of the biggest labels of the 1990s and following the collapse of Death Row was where Snoop Dogg found a musical home.
To this day, Master P and Snoop Dogg have joint business ventures, but it isn’t just because they are close friends and collaborators; it is because Master P is a renowned and respected businessman with a wealth of investment knowledge who built an epic empire from the ground up.
Master P has always placed an emphasis on ownership. Whether it pertains to original recordings or creative control, the Louisiana legend has always told his roster that ownership is the key to making money in the music industry.
Although No Limit Records has made millions as a label by releasing iconic projects such as Snoop Dogg’s Tha Last Meal and Silkk the Shocker’s Made Man, the label was launched with only $10,000. Furthermore, the money wasn’t even Master P’s, as he had no money to his name as a 19-year-old.
It may come as a shock to many, but the legendary No Limit Records was founded with inheritance money from a deceased relative. During a sit-down in-depth interview, the mogul explained, “That’s how it all started! 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.”
The company started as a record store. However, with his exceptional ear for talent, the shop began releasing original material and, before long, it morphed into a label with a roster boasting the likes of Mystical, Silkk The Shocker, Snoop Dogg, and, of course, Master P himself.
The emcee admitted that his family were a massive driving force as he was always reminded of his impoverished childhood in New Orleans. Explaining how it made him determined to grow the business, Master P told HipHopDX, “I come from a poor culture of people, nobody in my family had money! I had to break the negative cycle and pass something on to my kids.”
He continued, “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.”
No Limit Records sold over 100million albums, and with a stake in everything released by the label, Master P has managed to acquire a net worth totalling at least $200million. He hasused his success in music as leverage and has worked with the NBA, secured television opportunities for his children, and has even expanded his empire to food.