This post was originally published on The Washington Informer
By Sam P.K. Collins
Over the course of his nearly 35-year career, Master P cemented his legacy as a Grammy-award winning rap artist and mogul, professional athlete, actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
These days, the millionaire also known as Percy Robert Miller spends much of his time dropping gems at wealth building masterclasses, one of which he and his business partner Tiana Von Johnson recently hosted at Richard Wright Public Charter Schools (PCS) for Journalism and Media Arts in Southwest.
During what was dubbed the “Master P Masterclass,” Miller touched on his upbringing in the Calliope Projects in New Orleans, where he lived in a three-bedroom apartment with his grandparents and more than a dozen other people throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
“I wanted a better life for myself and my family,” Miller, 54, told more than students on Nov. 15 in response to a question that Richard Wright PCS sophomore Alyssa Tucker asked him during their one-on-one interview in the school’s studio ballroom.
“People don’t want to put in the work,” Miller continued. “They just want to make it happen. A lot of young people don’t understand that consistency will get you to your goals, even when it looks like it’s not working.”
Miller said his fervor for escaping poverty inspired the launch of his retail store, No Limit Records and Tapes, and its eventual metamorphosis into the multimillion-dollar music label that changed the hip-hop industry. He also stressed the importance of patience and dedication, both of which he said he needed while struggling to sell albums in the early 1990s, and later pivoting to other business ventures.
“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Miller said about the several hats he’s worn throughout his career. “I’m not gonna let people put me in a box. Why just keep me…being a rapper when I can do other things. I showed them what I can do. Don’t be afraid to grow and get better.”
A Relationship with Richard Wright PCS, Two Years and Counting
Miller’s recent masterclass came out of a decades-long relationship with Richard Wright PCS founder and CEO Dr. Marco Clark, who he met in the mid-1990s while both men were carving out their niches.
As Black people increasingly embrace entrepreneurship. Miller deemed the Nov. 15 event necessary.
“It’s about creating our future,” Miller, author of “5 Ps to Wealth,” told The Informer. “It’s untraditional to help kids who look like us to give them hope [but] it’s what I love to do. To give them opportunities that [people in] other cultures are giving their children. Imagine what our kids can do with the proper tools and teachers.”
In 2022, Miller joined Richard Wright PCS’ board of trustees, where he currently serves alongside Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Marcia L. Dyson, and Obi Holly, among others. In his role, he’s been involved in several endeavors, including what he described to The Informer as the creation of dorms for international students.
Founded in 2011, Richard Wright PCS’ mission centers on transforming eighth graders and high school students into well-versed media contributors via classics, modern languages, and a curriculum that fosters strong vocabulary and writing.
Coursework includes journalism, media arts, graphic design, broadcast journalism and music production, some of which students executed while documenting the masterclass.
Clark, who showed students a throwback photo of him and Miller during the event, told The Informer that the rap mogul made clearer what Richard Wright PCS teachers and staff members are always conveying to students.
“He talked about learning in school and turning that energy into entrepreneurship,” Clark said. “We’re always teaching our young people to be independent and [follow] their aspirations. He brought it all together and put an exclamation point on that.”
Moments before Miller entered the studio ballroom on Nov. 15, students sang and danced to his song, “Yeah Coach!”
In this song, Miller, referred to as Coach P, teaches young people about creating an LLC, securing business opportunities, purchasing real estate and building a legacy. Later, during the masterclass, Miller and Johnson guided students as they annotated the lyrics and deciphered Miller’s tangible message.
That activity followed engaging discussion about focus and consistency, entrepreneurship, banking, and real estate, among other topics. In making a point about how a high school classmate helped him secure a bank loan, Miller also allowed students a couple of minutes to network and explain on the microphone what they learned about one another.
Johnson, producer of the “Master P Masterclass,” told The Informer that it took several hours to create, which she said will pay dividends toward the intergenerational transfer of knowledge.
“Students received [the information] and they have to process it now,” said Johnson, Miller’s business partner who became the highest paid real estate broker on Wall Street during the financial downturn in 2009. “Some children were inspired. It was a win, even if it was one person. We’re not from their era so they don’t know us.. But there were seeds planted.”
Richard Wright PCS senior Aurlie Sheppard told The Informer that Miller’s message of entrepreneurship and self-expression deeply resonated with her at a time when she’s making the transition to college and career.
“When people doubt you, you have to continue to… show who you are and keep trying,” said Aurlie, an aspiring electrical engineer who’s exploring New York Institute of Technology and Kyoto University in Japan as postsecondary options.
“Even if you fail, you can do more. It’s okay to admit your feelings..to admit that you’re struggling,” Aurlie continued. “This kind of message [helps me] going into the workforce to help others and get motivation. It expanded my view of what’s possible…to think about starting my own tech company and making devices that aid people.”
Jerome Kearney, an 11th grader at Richard Wright PCS, said he wants to use Miller’s words of advice to expand his clothing line, Chasing Dreamzz, which he started at the height of the pandemic.
“Master P came from nothing and he doubted himself sometimes, but it works to keep pushing yourself,” Kearney said. “When you got yourself, you don’t need anybody else. You have to take risks to get to where you want to be. How you sleep, eat, and do your job [comes from] sacrificing to get where you want to be.”
Joslynn Vallare, a ninth grader who’s writing a dystopian novel based on current events, said Miller’s childhood story deeply resonated with her.
“I live with my grandparents just like Master P did,” said Joslynn, an aspiring athletic trainer. “Even though I’m not the wealthiest, I don’t have to let that control where I go.”
Meanwhile, Xyon Young, an 11th grader who wants to eventually own a dance studio and perform on Broadway, told The Informer that Miller gave advice similar to what an administrator told her earlier that day.
She said that she found inspiration, and a sense of peace, while learning about what Miller, colonel of the tank, was able to accomplish, in spite of abject poverty and the limited thinking of others.
“I have to put in a lot of work to make my dreams come true, or be a sitting duck,” Xyon said. “Master P made some valid points, [like] there being no such thing as an age for perfection for an amazing opportunity. You can always try again, no matter how old you are.”
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