In addition to being one of today’s most brilliant hip hop moguls, Master P often encourages fans to invest in themselves as he has throughout his own career.
During his appearance on the “Assets Over Liabilities Live” panel at the 2022 REVOLT Summit x AT&T on Saturday, Sept. 24, he urged the audience not to be afraid to reinvent themselves, even if that includes cutting people off.
Master P, born Percy Miller, opened the conversation by reflecting on his business growth, which included people having difficulty accepting his new image. “My thing is I’m going to take over the grocery stores — the food industry,” he said. “And I want people to know that I [don’t] have to look over my shoulder anymore every time I jump into my car. I got the pack on me, but it is legit. We used to have to look over our shoulders. Every time you pull me over now, I got grits, rice, [and] potato chips, you know what I’m saying? I’m the only Black man in the grocery store. They’re like, ‘Man, weren’t you P the gangster rapper?’ And I say, ‘Hey man, hold up now, slow down, sir. I have changed my life. It’s a bunch of y’all [that have] changed. Why can’t I change my life?’ And they say, ‘You’re right.'”
Master P told the audience that for them to elevate, they will have to cut off the dead weight, which could be family, friends, or even spouses. “So you have to believe in what you believe in. Don’t be afraid to grow. But I also had to cut some people off. So don’t be afraid to cut some people off too — whether they are friends or family members, it could be a spouse. It could be whatever. [If] they aren’t on the same track that you are on and holding you back, ‘Shorty, you have to go. Homie, you have to go.’ Not that I’m going to help you, but if I have to cut you off because you are stopping me from getting to where I am going, my destination, my growth — if you aren’t pushing me, I don’t want you around me,” he stated.
The mogul added, “I’m tired of people running with me. Don’t run with me anymore — push me, push me. Tell me not to give up. Tell me not to stop. Tell me not to quit. I am tired of people looking me in the face and saying, ‘If I can’t do anything for you, then we aren’t real.’ Well, when are you going to do something for me? How you do anything for me when you aren’t trying to do anything. I tell people, ‘Everybody has 24 hours. What you are doing with your 24 hours will dictate your life, your future, and what you have, and your friends and the people around you will dictate the same thing. I could tell who you are by the people you hang around with.’ I tell people all of the time, ‘I’d rather fly with the eagles than walk with the pigeons.’ And sometimes, eagles have to fly alone — most of the time, they fly alone.”
He shared that not everyone believed he would become a star, revealing that they never gave him a chance. “Everybody won’t believe in your dreams and goals. When I was growing up, a lot of people told me, ‘Man, you ain’t going to make it.’ Even people close to me said, ‘That s**t ain’t going to work.’ And I’m like, ‘Damn, you ain’t even going to give me a chance.’ They told me, ‘You ain’t no Tupac, you ain’t no Biggie Smalls.’ And I said, ‘Damn, I know I’m from the South, but I’m going to make this happen,'” he expressed.
In conclusion, Master P said: “So I kept chasing my dreams and my goals. So I’m telling y’all you have to find your niche and the way you reinvent yourself — don’t be afraid to grow up. Don’t be afraid to make the right investments, and don’t be afraid to invest in yourself.”